Within the brain a complicated, well organized matrix of intricate nerve endings connect the cells. Billions of electrical impulses travel back and forth through this matrix every second. Chemical neurotransmitters are required to transport these impulses from one cell to another. When the brain has an inadequate supply of the nutrients needed to manufacture these substances, it cannot function efficiently. Mood, mental alertness and memory will be adversely affected.

For brain cells to function efficiently they must:

• Absorb serum glucose through the cell membrane to produce energy.

• Synthesize proteins to perform youthful cellular functions.

• Clear out debris so that the cell does not become clogged with lipofuscin and other waste byproducts that have been linked to Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurological diseases.⁽¹⁾

Inhibiting free radical damage with antioxidants is one way to slow brain cell aging, but selected nutrients and plant extracts can do even more to maintain metabolic activity in brain cells so that aging does not leave us neurologically disabled.⁽¹⁾

The amino acid L-carnitine is required for transport of long chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for energy production. N-acetyl-L-carnitine is a special form of carnitine that is particularly beneficial to brain function because it is able to cross the blood/brain barrier more effectively. In recent studies, N-acetyl-L-carnitine has been shown to:

• Reverse the decrease in cellular energy seen in early Alzheimer’s patients.

• Increase the ability of brain cells to utilize alternative energy sources when normal glucose uptake is impaired.

• Prevent age-related reduction of nerve growth factor in certain portions of the brain.

• Enhance cellular energy production and acetylcholine utilization.

Alzheimer’s patients given N-acetyl-carnitine daily over a one-year period showed significantly less mental deterioration that the control group.⁽²⁾

L-arginine is used for its ability to increase human growth hormone release from the pituitary gland. Low levels of growth hormone are directly related to impairment of iconic memory, short-term memory, long-term memory and perceptual-motor skills such as hand-eye coordination.⁽³⁾

DMAE is one of the most important nutrients for the brain because it can enhance production of one of the brains’s important neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, which controls memory, heart muscles, lungs and digestion^.(4)

Because acetylcholine is unable to cross the blood-brain barrier, it must be produced within the brain from its precursor, choline. However, choline cannot cross the blood brain barrier until it has been converted by the liver into its lipid soluble form. If sufficient choline is not available or if the body’s ability to produce this form of choline is less than ideal, acetylcholine levels are likely to be low. DMAE, which is basically a choline molecule with one methyl group missing from the nitrogen, readily crosses the blood/brain barrier. Once inside the brain, it is easily converted first to choline, then to acetylcholine.

Studies indicate that DMAE can elevate mood and promote more restful sleep, as well as enhance memory, mental focus, clarity of thought and muscle tone. It has been used as an alternative to ritalin in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) in both adults and children.

DMAE also helps repair damaged cell membranes in the brain and reverses the formation of lipofuscin that causes the so-called aging spots or liver spots. This pigment also tends to clog brain and nerve cells as we age.⁽⁴⁾

The famous Romanian Gerovital H3 anti-aging treatment used injections of procaine. The body converts procaine to para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and DMAE. Research indicates that if proper amounts of DMAE and PABA are taken, the body will respond in the same way as if it were injected with procaine.⁽⁴⁾

Over 30 human trials dating back to the 1970’s indicate that phosphatidyl serine (PS) supplements improve mental function including memory.⁽⁵⁾

Working at the cellular level, PS improves brain function through the following actions:

• Activates glucose metabolism in the brain.

• Promotes membrane fluidity which allows molecules (including nutrients and neurotransmitters) to flow freely across cell membranes.

• Reduces cortisol production. Excess cortisol prevents the brains uptake of glucose and inhibits communication among brain cells.

PS is necessary for regulating cellular growth, proliferation and renewal. In addition to keeping the membranes flexible, PS can actually increase the number of neurotransmitter receptor sites, giving the brain more circuits with which to communicate. It also aids in restoring youthful flexibility to brain neurons.⁽⁶⁾

Vinpocetine facilitates cerebral metabolism by improving cerebral microcirculation, stepping up brain cell ATP production and increasing utilization of glucose and oxygen. Vinpocetine is a derivative of vincamine, which is an extract of periwinkle. Although these substances have many similar effects, vinpocetine has more benefits and fewer adverse effects.⁽⁷⁾

Vinpocetine is often used for treatment of cerebral circulatory disorders such as memory problems, acute stroke, aphasia (loss of the power of expression), apraxia (inability to coordinate movements), motor disorders, dizziness and headache. It is also used to treat opthalmological diseases of various origin and sensorineural hearing impairment.⁽⁷⁾

The alkaloid compound huperzine A (HupA) is a traditional Chinese herbal remedy prepared from the moss Huperzia serrata. The purified compound has been used in China for several years as a prescription drug for treating dementia.⁽⁸⁾

HupA appears to be a potent inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. Biopsy and postmortem studies show substantial loss of presynaptic cholinergic neurons in brains of Alzheimer’s patients indicating that whatever acetylcholine is produced in the brains of these patients is quickly broken down by AChE. This acetylcholine shortage may contribute to memory loss and other cognitive defects.⁽⁸⁾

HupA may also protect neurons. In studies using cultures of cells from the hippocampus and cerebellum of rat embryos, HupA decreased neuronal cell death caused by toxic levels of glutamate.⁽⁸⁾

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) alleviates disturbances of the central nervous system as well as conditions of vascular origin through two major mechanisms:⁽⁹⁾

• Improvement of cerebral circulation which provides increased oxygen and glucose to the brain.

• Protective effect on neural tissue via free radical scavenging, increased energy metabolism or through inhibition of neurotransmitter degrading enzymes.

In an open trial, 112 geriatric patients given 120 mg. of ginkgo extract daily displayed significant regression of major vascular insufficiency symptoms:⁽¹⁰⁾

• Short term memory loss.

• Vertigo

• Tinnitis (ringing in the ears). 

• Headache

• Lack of vigilance

• Depression

An extract of the Ayurvedic herb Bacopa monniera or Brahami, produced by Sabinsa Corp. under the trade name Bacopin^®, contains memory-enhancing chemicals called bacosides. According to scientists at the Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow, India, the bacosides help repair damaged neurons by adding muscle to kinase, the protein involved in the synthesis of new neurons. Depleted synaptic activity is thus restored and memory is improved.⁽¹¹⁾

Bioperine^®, an extract of piperacea also produced by Sabinsa is added to enhance nutrient absorption.

WARNING: This publication and the product contained herein have not been approved or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This publication and the products contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition. The product relates to nutritional support only.

Product No. 949 Fill Size: 60 Tablets

Each tablet contains: % Daily Value
Calcium (as calcium carbonate) 14 mg. <1%
N-Acetyl Carnitine 167 mg. *
L-Arginine HCl 100 mg. *
DMAE (Dimethyl Amino Ethanol) 60 mg. *
Phosphatidyl Serine 33 mg. *
Bacopin® 33 mg. *
PABA (Para Amino Benzoic Acid) 33 mg. *
Ginkgo Biloba 24/6 13 mg. *
Vinpocetine 3 mg. *
Huperzine A 1% 17 mcg. *
Bioperine® 2 mg. *
Other ingredients: calcium carbonate, stearic acid, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, diatomaceous earth,silica, food glaze.

*Daily Value not established.

®Bacopin and Bioperine are registered trademarks of Sabinsa Corp.

Recommended Dosage: 2 tablets daily.