Interesting? Certainly scary with all those so-called "memory enhancing" drugs being touted out there by unscrupulous companies/people, IMO.
I wouldn't waste money on supplements for memory , IMO, if I were you.
None of the so-called brain enhancers are proven to boost memory or prevent memory loss.
When researching anything medical, I try to stick to reliable websites like
fda/gov,
ncbi/nlm/nih.gov, and in the case of Alzheimer's/dementia, websites linked to reputable medical colleges who do studies on memory and the like, and the
Alzheimer's Org.
I wouldn't trust the companies websites who sell the supplements for any valid info or any comments from people who use the pills on their sites (or from any other site for that matter- the commentators might be paid for their evaluation by the companies) because they are self-serving, IMO. There are FDA regulated drugs for memory for people who have been diagnosed with dementia, but even those meds do not stop the dementia and only prolong the eventual decline of the person. More research is needed and that takes so long. If the researches don't know why some people have dementia, how will they develop a med that stops it, I wonder?
So- not much hope right now if you are worried about memory declining/loss, IMO, but don't take my word for it. (and I wouldn't worry about something that you can't help- except by talking to your MD about healthy living).
And, of course, all MOO. :moo:
Some research for you to read:
Can Supplements Improve Memory?
"...There are numerous dietary supplements marketed to improve memory. All sorts of herbs (notably ginkgo), vitamins and fish oil, as well as countless cocktails of herbs and other ingredients (such as Focus Factor, BrainReload, and Brain Alert), come with more or less blatant claims that they aid memory and mental ability.
But all of them, with the possible exception of fish oil supplements, have little or no basis for such claims. If a supplement ever turns out to boost memory or help prevent dementia, we hope to be the first to tell you. Meanwhile, heres a rundown of the latest scientific evidence about some of the most widely promoted ingredients...
If youre experiencing problems, get a medical evaluation. Some kinds of dementia are reversible. Another thing worth remembering: forgetfulness as you grow older does not mean you have dementia. Ignore the unsubstantiated claims made by supplements marketers. There is no convincing evidence that any brain formula, plant extract or vitamin will preserve memory..."
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-mind/memory/article/can-supplements-improve-memory
Fortifying Your Memory With Supplements (not a gov site, but it just validates)
As we age, we all want to avoid memory loss. Can supplements like ginkgo and ginseng help?
"...Although there are a variety of " brain boosters" on the market -- many chockfull of multiple substances -- most are lacking research to support their memory-enhancing claims...
"And, remember that 'natural' isn't always safe," she says. "When you think about nature, you often think of beautiful and harmless. But think about a lion and a wildebeest -- that's nature, too."...
As you evaluate other potential memory supplements, keep in mind that the FDA does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. It treats them like foods rather than medications. Unlike drug manufacturers, the makers of supplements dont have to show their products are safe or effective before selling them on the market..."
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-s...ortifying-your-memory-with-supplements?page=3
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-s...de-11/fortifying-your-memory-with-supplements
-----
Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements
"Why do some supplements have wording (a disclaimer) that says: "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease"?
This statement or "disclaimer" is required by law (DSHEA) when a manufacturer makes a structure/function claim on a dietary supplement label. In general, these claims describe the role of a nutrient or dietary ingredient intended to affect the structure or function of the body. The manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and truthfulness of these claims; they are not approved by FDA. For this reason, the law says that if a dietary supplement label includes such a claim, it must state in a "disclaimer" that FDA has not evaluated this claim. The disclaimer must also state that this product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease," because only a drug can legally make such a claim..."
http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/QADietarySupplements/default.htm#FDA_analyze
--
Alzheimer's Disease Medications Fact Sheet
"Several prescription drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat people who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Treating the symptoms of Alzheimer's can provide patients with comfort, dignity, and independence for a longer period of time and can encourage and assist their caregivers as well.
It is important to understand that none of these medications stops the disease itself..."
https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-medications-fact-sheet
--
Mind and memory supplement scorecard
"...Dr. Marshalls list of supplements that people ask about include B vitamins (folic acid, B6, and B12), antioxidants (vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10), herbal supplements (huperzine A, ginkgo biloba), and nutraceuticals (fish oil, curcumin, coconut oil). For now, you can cross most of these products off your shopping list for lack of evidence. There are a lot of things out there for which we have no data on whether they are safe or do anything to help, Dr. Marshall says...
Supplement buyers: Beware
Caveat emptor, Latin for let the buyer beware, should be your guide when it comes to considering supplements for mind and memory. Because of a legal loophole, dietary supplements do not have to pass the rigorous FDA process to ensure they are safe and effective. That means many of these products are on the shelves claiming to support or help memory because of a gap in the lawnot because we have strong evidence that those claims are true..."
http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/mind-and-memory-supplement-scorecard
---
Medications for Memory Loss
"Although current medications cannot cure Alzheimers or stop it from progressing, they may help lessen symptoms, such as memory loss and confusion, for a limited time...
Vitamin E
Doctors sometimes prescribe vitamin E to treat cognitive Alzheimer's symptoms. No one should take vitamin E to treat Alzheimers disease except under the supervision of a physician...
... a study published in 2005 found vitamin E to be ineffective in people with mild cognitive impairment....
No one should take vitamin E to treat Alzheimers disease except under the supervision of a physician. Vitamin E especially at the high doses can negatively interact with other antioxidants and medications, including those prescribed to keep blood from clotting or to lower cholesterol."
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_standard_prescriptions.asp
--
Cognition-Enhancing Drugs
"...Individuals who are willing to trade health risks in return for cognitive benefits are especially vulnerable to unscrupulous entrepreneurs who misrepresent the effectiveness of their cognitive enhancement products. Even if ineffective substances are not harmful, their purchase transfers wealth, often from those least able to afford it, to hucksters and frauds. The Federal Trade Commission has the authority to punish advertisers who make false or deceptive claims, but its resources are extremely limited, especially considering the ease with which products can be hawked on the Internet...
loopholes in current law allow cognition-enhancing drugs to be marketed as dietary supplements or to be prescribed for off-label enhancement use without adequate safety and efficacy data. To plug these loopholes, manufacturers could be required to establish the safety and efficacy of their products for these uses before the products were marketed. Essentially this would convert dietary supplements into full-fledged drugs and transform potential off-label uses into actual labeling claims. But since this would trigger intense opposition from the dietary supplement industry and it might be difficult for regulators to predict the off-label uses of drugs before the drugs were introduced into the market, a more likely approach would be to focus on these safety and efficacy concerns after the products began to be sold.."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2690227/
---
Why Alzheimer's Drugs Keep Failing (this is an article from the UK)
Drug candidates have a 99.6 percent failure rate, and poor early detection methods make clinical trials difficult and costly
"...Dementia drugs are almost perfectly set up for expensive failures, comments Derek Lowe, medicinal chemist and blogger. Our level of ignorance is cripplingly high. This is coupled with the heterogeneous nature of the disease, the difficulty of diagnosing it in the first place essential for selecting patients in a trial, and treating them later and its very slow progression. Researchers are still arguing, with great vigour, about the amyloid hypothesis. There's a lot of crucial information that we're missing...."
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-alzheimer-s-drugs-keep-failing/
-------------------------------------------
no "boy toy" here
