New study aid being offered in SCSU bookstore

Josh Falcone – General Assignment Reporter

The Southern Connecticut State University Bookstore recently began selling Study Buddy, an advertised all-natural study aid pill.

Tyler Johansen, president of Brainiac Supplements based in Arizona, which produces Study Buddy said the product is specially formulated for college students.

“Study Buddy is a doctor recommended vitamin designed specifically for college students,” Johansen said.

The product is made up of a blend of vitamins and herbals, Johansen said, and all are designed to improve cognitive function, including memory, concentration, and focus.

Some of Study Buddy’s listed ingredients include vitamins D3, B12, Ginkgo Biloba, Folic Acid, and Caffeine.

Johansen said the perception that any caffeine is bad for you is wrong.

“Caffeine is not bad,” Johansen said, “but there is a fine line though, too much of anything is bad.”

Johansen used coffee as an example; he said that black coffee, just by itself has many health benefits, but it is when the sugar, substitute sugar, or cream is added make it an unhealthy choice.

Johansen said that the goal of Study Buddy is to offer an all-natural healthy energy alternative to the Monster’s and 5 Hour Energy drinks of the world.

“We wanted to get away from that whole caffeinated, over-sugared, chemically manipulated beverage industry,” he said. “And provide something that has real health benefits, to students.”

The ingredients included in Study Buddy, Johansen said, will naturally give users improvement in cognitive functions.

“All of the stuff in there is designed around improving those connections as well as providing the brain and body with nutrients it needs to function properly,” Johansen said.

Johansen added that the ingredients in Study Buddy are inline with a healthy lifestyle.

“You give your body and your brain the nutrients they need, all of a sudden you see a boost in mood, a boost of productivity, a boost of focus, and overall a sense of well-being,” he said. “So that’s where Study Buddy comes into play, it provides those nutrients to feel that way and do better work.”

According to Johansen, there are no side-effects of Study Buddy, including if it is used with other energy products.

“We know students are going to drink energy drinks, we know they are going to go out and party, we know that as you get older you take medications,” he said, “and all that has been taken into account. Everything in Study Buddy is safe and effective.”

The lab that Brainiac Supplements uses to manufacture Study Buddy is Good Manufacturing Practice or GMP certified, Johansen said, which means they have the highest ethical and manufacturing standards available.

The feedback the company has received about Study Buddy, Johansen said, has been positive.

“In regards to feedback, students love it, the administrations love it, which is awesome,” he said. “Because the administrations realize that it is a health and wellness supplement and that it helps improve the health and wellness of their students.”

Southern student Christian Spencer, political science major, had not heard of the new study aid being sold in the bookstore, but after hearing about it, was shocked.

“That is crazy,” Spencer said.

Sports management major Matt Ursone was leary due to the study aid being in pill form.

“It’s just strange to see a pill being offered for sale that is advertised as a study aid,” Ursone said, “especially because study drugs are such a prevalent issue at universities nowadays.”

Brainreference.com, a website which offers editorial reviews along with consumer reviews of brain supplements, concluded that Study Buddy has a high number of positive reviews, along with the statement that the product does have the credentials or ingredients to actually work but in their opinion, is rather expensive. Study Buddy’s user review on Amazon.com is four stars, but there are only 11 submitted reviews