gw-ga...
Let me see if I can provide a 'memorable' answer... : )
Vinpocetine is among the most recently emerging drugs, and can be
found in a variety of supplements, such as the recently released
'Intelectol', as noted in this news release on Yahoo Finance:
"VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohawk Marketing
Corp. announces that it will begin distribution of Intelectol(TM),
a powerful memory supplement approved by the FDA, to the U.S.
marketplace beginning in September."
"The primary ingredient in Intelectol(TM) is the purest grade of
Vinpocetine available. Vinpocetine can be obtained from the
plant Crioceras Longiflorus; it is also a derivative of Vincamine,
which is extracted from the Periwinkle plant."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030813/flw019_1.html
More citations on Vinpocetine's efficacy from the Natural Products
for Women website:
"Taken mildly (15 mg of pure Vinpocetine) on a daily basis, it
has been clinically tested to offer improved cerebral function
within just under a week. Other supplements, such as ginkgo
biloba, typically require longer periods of intake before marked
results are observed." - PR Newswire, August 2001
"A double-blind trial in 1985 in the European Journal of Clinical
Pharmacology tested vinpocetine's effect on the short-term memory
of 12 healthy women. Those who took 40 mg of vinpocetine three
times a day for two days scored about 30 percent higher on
short-term memory tests than the placebo group." - Natural Health,
January 2002
http://www.natural-products-for-women.com/memory.htm
Gingko Biloba is the most famous herb for enhancing memory, mental
acuity and focus, however, as far as being clinically proven, here
is the opinion of nutritional-supplement-info.com:
"The evidence for Gingko Biloba’s efficacy is strongest in its
ability to act as a blood thinner, and, thus, inhibit the
clumping of blood platelets. Therefore, those individuals with
a family history of heart problems may wish to investigate its
possible dietary inclusion due to its anti-clotting properties.
As for Gingko's purported ability to increase mental focus or
boost memory, there is little scientific evidence to date that
it can help healthy people in this regard. It has, however,
been shown to help those who are already suffering with
diminished blood flow to the brain, such as Alzheimer's patients."
http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com/gingko-biloba.html
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is "a special compound that supports brain
cell restoration, aiding learning and enhancing mental outlook",
and is an ingredient added to the supplement 'Memory 2000', in
addition to ginko biloba and vinpocetine:
http://www.diet-pills-4-weight-loss.com/vitamins.htm
More on Phosphatidylserine from Nutrimed Labs:
"Of all brain and body cells, membranes are the main working
surfaces. PS and the other phospholipids (Phosphatidylcholine,
phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol) promote
membrane fluidity which is crucial for cellular responsiveness
and for processing of nutrients and information by the cell.
Membranes are the fatty barriers that surround every cell and
many structures within cells. With age, the membranes tend to
get stiffer and more resistant to the normal movement of
molecules. Less movement of molecules means decreased function
in brain cells. PS "unstiffens" membranes, allowing for more
normal function."
http://www.nutrimed.com/PHOSSER.HTM
As for the effectiveness of Phosphatidylserine, it should be
noted that most supplements provide it as a soy derivative,
whereas the studies that noted its value utilized bovine cortex,
according to research by Ray Sahelian, M.D.:
"Several studies in the past in Europe have evaluated the role
of oral BC-phosphatidylserine administration in both animals
and humans. In general, the results have shown positive benefits
in terms of mind and memory enhancement. However, we need to
keep a very important point in mind. The studies with
phosphatidylserine have used bovine cortex as the source. Can
we assume that the results with soy-derived phosphatidylserine
would be similar? No, we can't. PS consists of serine attached
to fatty acids. The serine molecule in PS found in cow brain is
attached mostly to long chained polyunsaturated fatty acids such
as DHA or AA (arachidonic acid). In addition, the cow brain
extract is not pure PS. It most likely contains other brain
components such as sphingolipids, sphingomyelins, and other
brain constituents, which may have led to improvements in brain
function. For obvious reasons--potential viruses present in cow
brain extracts--we should not be using the cow brain extract
of PS....There have been two studies published recently using
soy derived PS. The results are mixed."
http://www.raysahelian.com/ps.html
"Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) is similar to choline, a chemical
involved in the processes of learning and memory. It has been
known to be beneficial for people with autism, memory
deficiency, and dementia."
Twinlabs sells both capsules and a liquid form on the Ipzz Shop
site:
http://shop.ipzz.com/Health/Brain_and_Memory/
A variation of DMAE, DMAEII (dimethylaminoethanol cyclohexyl
carboxylate fumurate), has shown significant improvement in
studies done with rats running mazes, according to this
abstract on the Nootropics (smart drugs) website:
"One of the three compounds tested, DMAE II (dimethylaminoethanol
cyclohexyl carboxylate fumurate), produced significant
improvements in working memory performance."
http://nootropics.com/dmae/
The Nootropics website is a wealth of the latest information
on brain-enhancing drugs, and includes innumerable links to
useful sites and abstracts:
http://nootropics.com/
One such abstract defines a holistic approach to memory health:
Integrated medicine and the prevention and reversal of memory loss
by
Khalsa DS
Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation,
Tucson, Ariz., USA.
Altern Ther Health Med 1998 Nov; 4(6):38-43
"A 4-pillar integrative medical program on brain longevity is
presented. The program includes a diet consisting of 15% fat
and supplementation with brain-specific nutrients such as
vitamin B complex, vitamin E, ubiquinone, ginkgo biloba, and
phosphatidylserine. In addition, stress-relieving meditation,
mind-body and cognitive exercise, antiaging drugs like
L-deprenyl citrate, as well as hormones such as
dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone complete the program."
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/memory.html
Expanding on the holistic approach, I have to include the
following relevant information from a pdf file available on
MyChemist.com:
"Start the day with breakfast- there is increasing evidence that
eating breakfast is associated with better memory and mood later
in the morning."
and...
"Minimisation of chronic emotional stress. Research has
demonstrated that poor stress coping mechanisms are associated
with atrophy of the part of the brain responsible for memory
acquisition and accelerated cognitive deterioration."
http://www.mychemist.com.au/catalog/Info_sheets/Brain%20health.pdf
...but I won't say anything about eating fish... : )
An herbal supplement which has held up to scrutiny, according to
this page on Medicine Plants.com, is Rhodiola rosea:
"A placebo-controlled study of Rhodiola rosea's effects on
intellectual performance employed 120 subjects who took a
proofreading test. Test subjects took the test both before
and after administration of the Rhodiola rosea or placebo.
The test group experienced significant improvement in their
scores while the control group did not. Members of each group
were continually tested for their ability to perform on the
proofreading test for 24 hours after administration of the
extract or placebo. The control group (without Rhodiola rosea)
experienced a large increase in the number of errors made in
the proofreading test while the group receiving Rhodiola rosea
experienced performance decline to a much lesser extent."
http://www.medicine-plants.com/articles/114/
There are additional articles on the benefits of Rhodiola rosea
with regard to memory and other health issues on the right of
the page.
That covers the headliners of the memory-enhancing world, though
you may find some additional recommendations in the many additional
links available as a result of the Google search I've provided
below.
Please do not rate this answer until you are satisfied that
the answer cannot be improved upon by means of a dialog
established through the "Request for Clarification" process.
sublime1-ga
Searches done, via Google:
"clinically proven" memory enhancing ~supplement
://www.google.com/search?q=%22clinically+proven%22+memory+enhancing+%7Esupplement
Dimethylaminoethanol memory
://www.google.com/search?q=Dimethylaminoethanol+memory |
