For stressful situations, improving one’s intellectual performance is always a good thing because, during these moments, it is harder for us to memorize and focus, we lose the ability to assimilate information that comes our way and we find that our mind is a little more clumsy.
NeoMemory from Neoactives contains Acetyl L-Carnitine, L-Theanine, Phosphatidylserine, Phosphatidylcholine, Rhodiola, Gingko, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Vitamin B5. All of these compounds come together in a single supplement aimed at improving cognitive performance and mitigating the effects of mental fatigue in our daily lives.
Dr. Francisco Martínez Peñalver – Neolife Medical Team
NeoMemory from Neoactives improves mental performance in stressful situations.
We detail below the importance of each of the components of this supplement, which help delay brain aging and benefit memory and neuropsychological processes.
In the case of the Acetyl L-Carnitine, there is extensive literature on its beneficial effects in terms of cognitive impairment. In patients with Alzheimer’s disease (1), it delays the accelerated cognitive impairment that occurs. With regard to age-related degenerative cognitive processes, Acetyl-L-Carnitine improved the emotional sphere, making patients less prone to depression, and memory, delaying the onset of dementia (2). In young patients, the addition of this compound seems to improve reflexes and motor coordination.
L-Theanine is essentially an amino acid found mainly in the green tea plant that has beneficial properties when it comes to stress and behavior (3). A wide range of studies measuring stress markers such as cortisol or salivary amylase have shown a reduction among patients who incorporate L-Theanine in their diet (4). This reduction in the adrenergic system has even been observed in patients with high blood pressure due to emotional causes.
Phosphatidylserine is a classic complement to supplementation intended for the improvement of neurocognitive functions. There is clinical evidence about its effects on the elderly and on patients with neurodegenerative diseases by delaying the progression of symptoms (5). It has also been proven to be useful in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by improving short-term memory, inattention periods, and the impulsivity that appears in these cases (6).
Phosphatidylcholine is another classic supplement used to help slow down cognitive decline. It has been shown that having high levels of this compound decreases the chance of contracting neurodegenerative disease with the onset of dementia by up to 47% (7).
Rhodiola is a root whose active metabolite is SHR-5. It has traditionally been used in problems related to stress and generalized anxiety with proven effectiveness against placebo in cases of severe fatigue after periods of acute stress (8). It has also proven to be somewhat effective in subjects in athletic training by improving their endurance. In addition, the cardioprotective effects of Rhodiola have been studied, revealing a lower secretion of catecholamines in response to stress, with higher levels of AMPc in the myocardium, in patients receiving Rhodiola supplementation (9).
Ginkgo biloba and its active metabolite EGb-761 improve the processing speed of brain orders. It has traditionally been associated with a vasculoprotective effect on the central nervous system and, therefore, on cognitive functions of the body such as memory (10). Ginkgo biloba is presented as a safe and proven therapeutic option for patients who are both entering old age and those in the early stages of cognitive decline.
Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid traditionally associated with the high cognitive abilities, which we find in high concentrations in the eye’s macula. Low levels of Zeaxanthins are related to the onset of disorders associated with cognitive decline (11).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
(1) Pettegrew et al. Clinical and neurochemical effects of acetyl-L-Carnitine in Alzheimer´s disease. Neurobiol Aging. 1995 Jan-Feb;16(1):1-4
(2) Salvioli G et al. L-acetylcarnitine treatment of mental decline in the elderly. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 1994;20(4):169-76.
(3) White DJ et al. Anti-stress, behavioural and magnetoencephalography effects of an L-Theanine-based nutrient drink: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Nutrients. 2016 Jan 19;8(1)
(4) Unno K et al. Anti-stress effect of theanine on students during pharmacy practice: positive correlation among salivary alpha-amylase activity, trait anxiety and subjective stress. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2013 Oct;111:128-35.
(5) More MI et al. Positive effects of soy-lecithin-derived phospatidylserine plus phosphatidic acid on memory, cognition, daily functioning, and mood in elderly patients with Alzheimer´s disease and dementia. Adv Ther. 2014 Dec;31(12):1247-62.
(6) Hirayama S et al. The effect of phosphatidylserine administration on memory and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Hum Nutr Diet. 2014 Apr;27 Suppl 2:284-91.
(7) Schaeffer EJ et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: The Framingham Heart Study. Arch Neurol. 2006 Nov;63(11):1545-50.
(8) Olsson EM et al. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standarised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009 Feb;75(2):105-112.
(9) Maslova LV et al. The cardioprotective and antiadrenergic activity of an extract of Rhodiola rosea in stress. Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1994 Nov-Dec;57(6):61-3.
(10) Rai GS et al. A double-blind, placebo controlled study of Ginkgo biloba extract (“tanakan”) in elderly outpatients with mild to moderate memory impairment. Curr Med Res Opin. 1991;12(6):350-5.
(11) Feeney J et al. Low macular pigment optical density is associated with lower cognitive performance in a large, population-based sample of older adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2013 Nov;34(11):2449-56.