Doctor Reviews: PreVagen vs Neuriva

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PreVagen and Neuriva are both promoted as supplements designed to boost brain function and enhance memory. But the crucial question remains: do these supplements deliver on their promises, and how do they stack up against each other? Let’s analyze the research to cut through the marketing hype and reveal the reality of these products.

Ingredients of PreVagen

Let’s take a look at PreVagen first. Here are the doses per capsule. The recommended dosing is 1 capsule per day. We’re going to analyze each ingredient to see whether they contain a sufficient dose, whether it contains the active compounds to work, and how effective they might be for improving cognition.

Apoaequorin

Apoaequorin, PreVagen’s key ingredient derived from jellyfish, is the focal point of their marketing. This protein, responsible for the blue glow in certain jellyfish, forms the basis of the supplement’s claims. Preliminary clinical research primarily targeted older adults with self-reported memory concerns. The small study involved taking 10 mg of oral apoaequorin daily for 90 days. The study found that apoaequorin was thought to enhance cognitive function, particularly verbal learning.

However, if you actually read the study, the results reveal a different story. The results section states: “Postintervention, a significant difference in the number of items correctly recalled on the ISL (verbal learning) was not seen between the control and apoaequorin groups when the study’s entire population was analyzed.” In other words, apoaequorin was actually no better than a placebo for verbal learning. The reason why they concluded that it could help with verbal learning, was because they had to do a subgroup analysis, and cherry-pick a specific demographic to find some statistical benefit. Essentially, they had to stretch the interpretation of the results to find any benefit at all, and even then, they only found a mere 7% improvement over placebo.

Also, the small size of the study and the fact that the research was conducted and funded by the supplement manufacturer raise serious questions about its reliability. We simply have no independent studies to support these weak claims, and no follow-up studies since the 2016 study was conducted. Therefore, I believe there is no good evidence to suggest that apoaequorin is actually beneficial for memory or cognition.

Vitamin D

When it comes to Vitamin D, population research seems to indicate that individuals with low Vitamin D levels appear to have poorer cognitive performance in adults. However, supplementing vitamin D in these individuals doesn’t seem to enhance cognitive function. Even in elderly adults, aged 60 years or older, supplementing with 2000 IU of vitamin D daily for 2-3 years found no significant impact on cognitive decline in the general population when compared with a placebo. Although a subgroup analysis suggested a slight benefit for older Black patients.

It’s puzzling, isn’t it? If low levels of Vitamin D are linked to cognitive problems, why doesn’t taking supplements of it appear to make a difference? One possible explanation is that the observed association between low vitamin D levels and cognitive issues might actually reflect a broader picture of a healthier lifestyle or diet. For instance, individuals with higher vitamin D levels may be benefiting from a diet rich in dairy products or spending more time outdoors in the sun engaging in physical activities, both of which contribute to improved cognitive function as well as higher vitamin D levels. In essence, it could be these lifestyle factors rather than the vitamin D itself that play a more significant role in supporting cognitive health.

Ingredients of Neuriva

Now let’s take a look at Neuriva. Here are the doses per capsule. The recommended dosing is 1 capsule per day. Like before, we’re also going to analyze each ingredient.

B Vitamins

While B vitamins like B6, B12, and folic acid are known to play important roles in brain development and health, research consistently indicates that supplementing with these vitamins doesn’t have any discernible effects on cognitive function. Even the widely believed notion that vitamin B12 could enhance cognitive function has been debunked by studies, showing that supplementing with B12 doesn’t lead to cognitive improvement, even in elderly patients with age-related cognitive impairment and low B12 levels.

Interestingly, a separate study suggested that individuals with already healthier diets might gain slightly more benefit from B vitamin supplementation, emphasizing the important role diet plays in cognitive health compared to supplementing with B vitamins.

So the myth that B vitamin supplementation can boost cognitive functions like memory or attention span is mostly dispelled by research, which shows that such supplementation likely has no real impact.

Coffee fruit extract

Coffee fruit extract differs from other coffee extracts in that regular coffee extracts utilize the beans, while coffee fruit extracts use the fruit. Also known as coffeeberry, these extracts claim to contain additional nutrients beyond those found in coffee beans, with some of the caffeine content, although considerably less than regular coffee bean extracts.

Unfortunately, studies have demonstrated that coffeeberry extracts, especially at doses similar to those in Neuriva (100 to 300 mg per day), do not bring about beneficial effects on mood, mental and physical energy levels, or cognition.

Phosphatidylserine

Finally, Neuriva likely relies solely on phosphatidylserine to have any effects on cognitive function. As a building block for nerve cells, phosphatidylserine has shown promise in addressing age-related cognitive decline, particularly in enhancing attention and memory.

Clinical studies involving individuals with age-related cognitive decline suggest that taking phosphatidylserine 100 mg three times daily for up to 6 months can lead to improvements in attention, arousal, verbal fluency, and memory. However, the application of phosphatidylserine for cognitive function in healthy individuals remains uncertain.

PreVagen vs Neuriva

Let’s compare PreVagen and Neuriva, both touted for improving cognitive function while relying on different primary ingredients.

PreVagen relies on apoaequorin, supported by a single small study with overall weak evidence and no backing from independent research. Neuriva, on the other hand, features phosphatidylserine, and although research is weak for healthy individuals, there’s moderate evidence suggesting it might enhance attention and memory in those with age-related cognitive decline.

An additional study on Neuriva itself demonstrated benefits in older patients, including improvements in memory, accuracy, focus, and concentration. PreVagen doesn’t have any studies on the actual supplement itself.

In fact, the FDA cautioned the makers of Prevagen products. They pointed out that these products were making misleading claims by promoting them as drugs to treat diseases, which isn’t permitted by the FDA. They were also conducting research trials without the necessary authorization and proper protocols.

Considering the evidence, it seems Neuriva is much more likely to be beneficial for improving cognitive function compared to PreVagen. Neuriva might be particularly useful for older individuals with mild cognitive issues but may not offer significant benefits for healthy individuals. On the flip side, PreVagen is unlikely to be beneficial for anyone beyond a placebo effect.

Overall rating: PreVagen

Rating PreVagen by effectiveness for cognition, I’m giving it a D. It lacks any good evidence for improving brain function.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it a D. You can get a generic vitamin D supplement for far cheaper and it’ll likely have the same benefits.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a B. It seems to be relatively safe to take.

Overall rating, I’m giving a D. I would not recommend it at all.

Overall rating: Neuriva

Rating Neuriva by effectiveness for cognition, I’m giving it a C. There is some evidence it can help older individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it a C. You can get the benefits at a far cheaper price by just using generic ingredients.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a B. It seems to be relatively safe to take.

Overall rating, I’m giving a C. If you’re an older individual that suffers from mild cognitive impairment, Neuriva could be helpful, however it is overpriced, and I would recommend you just take generic phosphatidylserine to obtain similar benefits.

Top alternatives to PreVagen

• Vitamin D (caps) – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Vitamin D (drops) – 1 to 2 drops / day

Top alternatives to Neuriva

• Phosphatidylserine (generic) – 1 to 3 caps / day
• Phosphatidylserine (Neuriva) – 1 cap / day
• Vitamin B complex – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Vitamin B12 – 1 cap / day

Learn more about

• Supplement reviews

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