No evidence brain supplements help improve memory or ease dementia

Nutritional supplements specifically designed for our brains make no difference towards memory or improving symptoms of dementia, a new report has concluded.

A good diet is far more effective for the brain.

The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) found “no convincing evidence” of a link between taking dietary supplements and improvements in cognitive health, with experts saying the best way to get nutrients for brain health is from a healthy diet.

Scientists and health professionals from around the world, brought together by the GCBH, reviewed scientific evidence on the effects of taking various nutritional supplements primarily by people aged 50 and over.

Their ingredients include vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, as well as other substances alone or in combination that can be used to supplement a diet. Supplements come in many forms, including pills, capsules, tablets, powders, food bars and liquids. In the UK, most recent figures for 2016 put the market value of food supplements at £906 million. That value is expected to grow beyond £1 billion by 2021. However, the GCBH report shows taking supplements specifically to improve brain health could be a waste of money unless a person has been diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency or health issue.

Instead, the experts recommended getting nutrients from a healthy diet. For example, a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables is associated with better brain health. The experts also resolved they could not endorse any ingredient, product or supplement formulation designed to boost brain health.

The report found that companies regularly make exaggerated claims about their ability to boost brain health or memory, make people smarter or cure a brain disease. It singled out Prevagen as one bad example, with the makers claiming the dietary supplement “has been clinically shown to help with mild memory loss associated with ageing”. The report concluded: “The manufacturers’ claims ... have no basis in science.” The United States Court of Appeals is allowing the Federal Trade Commission and the state of New York to go to court to prove that Prevagen’s claims that it “improves memory and provides other cognitive benefits” are deceptive.

Age UK’s charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “These eminent experts have concluded it doesn’t do any good to take supplements to promote your brain health in later life, so our advice to older people is to save your money and spend it on a healthy diet.”