Six ingredients, each with a note on what it is included for and, where it matters, what to check before you buy.
Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, a highly bioavailable choline compound that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter most closely associated with learning and memory encoding. Typically used at 300 to 600 mg and generally well tolerated.
Some observational research has raised questions about a possible association with cardiovascular events at higher intakes. Raise it with your doctor if you have existing cardiovascular disease.An Ayurvedic botanical, often called brahmi, with bacosides as its active compounds. It carries the most direct human memory research of anything in this formula: randomised trials over 8 to 12 weeks at roughly 300 to 450 mg daily, with modest improvements in delayed recall reported in some of them.
Digestive upset is the most commonly reported effect in trials. May inhibit certain CYP450 enzymes, affecting how some medicines are processed.A phospholipid occurring naturally in the membranes of brain cells, where it participates in normal cell signalling. Supplemental forms are usually derived from sunflower or soy lecithin. Much of the supporting research uses combination formulas, making its individual contribution hard to isolate.
Soy-derived forms may not suit anyone with a soy allergy. Check the bottle label for the source.Extract from the fan-shaped leaves of the ginkgo tree, containing flavonoids and terpenoids and associated with cerebral blood flow. On the evidence: the NIH-funded Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory study, following more than 3,000 older adults, found it ineffective at preventing dementia, and further analysis found no slowing of cognitive decline.
May increase bleeding risk; interacts with anticoagulant and antiplatelet medicines. Stop before planned surgery. Never eat raw or roasted ginkgo seeds, which are toxic.A brain-penetrating form of L-carnitine supporting mitochondrial energy production inside neurons. Included for mental stamina during sustained tasks rather than for recall specifically, and generally well tolerated at typical supplemental doses.
Hypericum perforatum, included for mood support on the reasoning that low mood worsens concentration. It has reasonable evidence for mild-to-moderate depression. It is also, by a wide margin, the ingredient here that most needs checking against your medicines before you buy.
Major interaction risk. Strongly induces CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, reducing the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives, warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants, ciclosporin, HIV antiretrovirals, some cancer medicines including imatinib and irinotecan, digoxin, theophylline and anticonvulsants. Risk of serotonin syndrome with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tramadol, triptans and dextromethorphan — potentially life-threatening. Causes photosensitivity. Stop at least two weeks before surgery. Full detail on the safety page.These references concern individual ingredients. Their inclusion does not indicate that any organisation named endorses or is affiliated with Brain Memory Keeper, and research on an ingredient is not evidence about a finished product.