Mayim Bialik and Neuriva.  (By the way, claiming to be a neuroscientist- albeit one with a PhD who, once degreed, never worked in the field, is an interesting claim.  Almost as good as the one that Neuriva has been fully researched.)  A bunch of nobodies and Prevagen.

Well, all those ads have led folks to ask me what are my recommendations…

Let me start out saying I am NOT a neuroscientist.  But, I have spend (way too much) time examining the veracity and usefulness of marketed “nutritional” supplements.  And, have fully reported that they lack any true claim to usefulness.   (You do know that most of these supplements have all sorts of claim on the front of the box- but, then, on the side, stipulate that “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration”.  Often the next sentence states “This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.”)

Back to the “brain” supplements.

First, let’s consider the out of court settlement (preliminarily approved in Florida, 23 April 2021) that Reckitt Benckiser LLC has agreed re: Neuriva.  $ 8 million promising to stop marketing the products as proven by science to improve brain performance.

There’s also a case proceeding against Prevagen (Federal Trade Commission and the New York Attorney General), demanding consumer refunds, among other penalties.  Not to mention class-action lawsuits that have already led to numerous refunds to consumers.

Generally, it’s the articles like the one written by Drs. Joanna Hellmuth, Gil Rabinovici, and Bruce Miller  in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) that lead the way.  In this post, The Rise of Pseudomedicine for Dementia and Brain Health, noting these “pseudomedicines” lack credible efficacy data.  That’s pretty much the medical/scientific consensus.

What works is what I’ve discussed forever- movement, exercise.  Something on the order of 90 minutes a week (walking 6 miles has been discussed often here) is the minimum.  2.5 hours of exercise is best for brain and body health.

Even if we’ve been doing nothing forever, if we start (ok, this is assuming we are old enough to belong to AARP) walking thrice weekly for 30 minutes, that action will greatly improve our cognitive abilities within six months.  Strength training for 90 minutes (in at least two or three sessions a week) also works.

Which brings up another fable.  Those 10000 steps.  (Dr. Tom Frieden, previous CDC head,  believes that walking is our wonder drug.)  Oh, wait- walking is great- but all we need is 7000 steps. In this new research (JAMA), Drs. A Paluch (UMass), K Gabriel and C Lewis (U Alabama), J Fulton (CDC), P Schreiner (U Minn), B Sternfeld and S Sidney (Kaiser Permanente), J Siddique and M Carnethon (Northwestern), and K Whittaker (Iowa) studied 2210 adults over some 10 years. And, they found that all one needed was 7000 steps to get the health benefits desired.

And, we shouldn’t omit dietary concerns.  The Mediterranean diet (produce, whole grains, nuts, beans, fatty fish, olive oil) is a great choice to maintain brain health.  (There IS clear proof of lower cognitive decline.)  And, the more fish (3.5 ounces, at least twice weekly), the better.

Despite all those claims about the benefits of red wine, keep your alcohol consumption in moderation.  Because excessive alcohol accelerates memory loss and kills our brain neurons.  (That means TWO or fewer drinks a day for males and no more than one for females.)

It’s also possible that my playing scrabble is another great idea.  Card games, board games, even reading the paper helps depress cognitive decline.

But, don’t waste your money on Privagen or Neuriva.