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by Keith Chartier
The brain is the organic conductor of the body’s complex symphony. It ensures that all the body’s disparate parts—organs, hormones, arms and legs—work together in harmony. The brain, however, is not entirely self-sufficient. The more than 100 billion brain cells that govern the body are unable to manufacture the chemicals necessary to function properly. Therefore, the brain relies on receiving those nutrients—through food or supplement—in order for it and the body to work in concert.
“Brain health is important because consumers are expressing more interest in products that can help with their memory, alertness and mental ability,” said Cheryl Myers, director of health sciences at Enzymatic Therapy Inc. “They are also looking for products that can reduce migraines, in addition to preventing the occurrence of cognitive conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and/or Alzheimer’s.”
Whether it is a high-powered executive, a student or a mother who works from home, it is safe to say that everyone needs to be bright, alert and functioning well. But today’s fast-paced lifestyle has made it difficult for people to keep the brain operating at its peak. “There are so many distractions going on in today’s society—like e-mails and cell phones—that distract us,” said Pete Maletto, chief science officer with Mind Sports Nutrition. “So people are looking for ways to increase their work productivity.”
“The brain’s self regulating system does not protect itself from internal stresses,” said Grace Ormstein, M.D., medical director of Himalaya USA. “Since human beings today live high-paced lifestyles, resulting struggles with emotional, environmental and spiritual stresses can cause the brain to deplete its supply of essential nutrients much quicker.”
There has also been a significant rise in the amount of processed foods eaten by Americans, foods that are notoriously deficient in the nutrients the brain needs to stay on top. People are therefore looking to dietary supplements to fill the nutritional void left by the foods they eat.
It is the baby boomer generation, however, that has really brought this category forward due to the increase of brain debilitating diseases, one of the most harmful being Alzheimer’s. “Baby boomers want to live longer and healthier lives, making a ‘fit and healthy’ brain essential,” said Corinna Benoit, national sales manager with Nordic Naturals. “This generation is willing to supplement and change dietary habits to improve health in this area and increase longevity.”
The plight of the older generations has sparked an interest in brain health preservation among the younger generations, who have witnessed the pain and suffering of debilitating cognitive diseases. As a growing number of consumers search for brain health supplements to fit their needs, it’s vital for retailers to know what ingredients are out there as well as how to market them to customers.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants can help preserve the long-term structural and functional integrity of the brain by countering the rust of oxidative damage in neural tissues. These supplements are particularly important to older people looking to boost cognitive ability, as the aging brain struggles to heal oxidative damage that has built up over time.
Oxidation harms the nucleic acid, carbohydrate, protein and lipid parts of the brain. Once this happens the cells cannot reverse the damage,1 which can hurt a person’s motor and cognitive performance, and possibly contribute to diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).
Numerous clinical studies point to the importance of an antioxidant-rich diet to preserve the brain’s ability. University of Perugia, Italy, researchers found that patients had mild cognitive impairment when certain antioxidants were found at lower levels in the body.2
These antioxidants included vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E, and carotenoids such as lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene. University of Washington, Seattle, researchers give additional reason to increase consumption of antioxidants to ensure optimal cognitive performance over a lifetime—they found those who supplemented with antioxidants (vitamins A, C or E, plus selenium or zinc) had a 34-percent lower risk of developing cognitive impairment and a 29-percent lower risk of experiencing cognitive decline, compared with non-antioxidant users.3
Vitamin E, in particular, seems to be one of the most neuroprotective antioxidants, especially against AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.4,5 Italian researchers found people with low levels of vitamin E were more likely to be demented or suffer from some form of cognitive impairment.6 And a six-year study from Rush University, Chicago, found people could slow the brain’s decline by taking vitamin E, alphatocopherol and alpha-tocopherol equivalents, and gamma-tocopherols.7
Other forms of vitamin E that have shown similarly positive results are tocotrienols. Carotech’s Tocomin® might be a particularly protective form of vitamin E; one mechanism by which the ingredient protects cognitive function is by crossing the blood-brain barrier and protecting neurons from glutamate-induced neurodegeneration, a major contributor to pathological cell death within the nervous system and a factor in development of AD, stroke and other neurodegenerative disorders.8,9,10
In addition to vitamins E and A, one vitamin-like compound involved in better brain function is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a highly mobile electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and powerful antioxidant.11 CoQ10 levels decline with age,12 which speeds up oxidative damage, and studies have shown that supplementation with the compound could be a preventive measure against AD, PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.13
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is another potent antioxidant. It is soluble in both water and fat, enters the cells in a highly usable form, and is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier.14 ALA has been studied for its support of healthy memory and mental focus.15 An open observational study examined the effect of ALA on older adults and found there was significant improvement in memory.16
Ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium is located in the bones, but one percent is located in the nervous system. Just as antioxidants round up free radicals attempting to oxidize brain cells, the body produces calcium-binding proteins that protect brain cells from calcium ions. Over time, though, the body produces less of this protein, leaving the brain susceptible to AD and PD. Quincy Bioscience President Mark Underwood discovered a protein from a jellyfish called aequorin, branded as Prevagen™, which he said is a cousin of the protein in the human body. In an unpublished animal study funded by Quincy Bioscience, researchers found Prevagen reduced cellular death by 28 to 45 percent.
“Imagine a surge protector for your computer,” he said. “The computer works fine during normal electrical flow, but when you have a spike, that’s when you can have damage. We are adding the surge protector to the system that allows the extra calcium that enters the cell during the aging process to be buffered.”
Fatty Compounds
Fatty compounds are another group of supplements that can help boost brain function. Fish oils, in particular, have seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, with health gurus such as Andrew Weil touting their benefits. Fish oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which supply the raw material needed to build lean body mass as well as the building blocks the body needs to produce brain tissue and neurotransmitters that are vital to peak brain function. In particular, fish oil is rich in the long-chain omega-3 PUFAs eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA thins the blood, which can lower blood pressure and reduce the likelihood of a stroke. DHA plays a vital role in creating and taking care of the brain’s neuronal tissue.
“DHA is absolutely critical for a well-functioning brain; 25 percent of the total brain fat is composed of DHA,” Benoit said. Nordic Naturals produces fish oil blends and Arctic cod liver oil with DHA and EPA. “This vital nutrient affects how fast and efficient the brain cells pass information, plus it assists in the making of brain cells and their repair.”
Kyowa Hakko USA harvests its fish oil product from the bodies of fish, which are then purified through a scientific process and turned into supplement form. “Fish oil can aid in preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Karen E. Todd, director of marketing with Kyowa Hakko. “It has also been associated with better memory, clearer thinking and heart health.”
Be sure to purchase pharmaceutical grade fish oil, however, since this is the process that removes the heavy metals found in fish due to pollutants, Todd added. If it is not of this grade, customers can run the risk of consuming dangerous materials such as mercury.
Acetylcholine (ACh) is a major neurotransmitter in the brain used in memory, focus, concentration and muscle memory. And in order to boost the brain’s performance, it needs a fatty compound called choline. Maintaining healthy levels of ACh can help athletes maintain focus and muscle memory throughout the length a competition, Maletto said. Choline is the main ingredient of Mind Sports Nutrition’s Mind Drive formula, which is being marketed heavily to the golfing world as a way to improve the game and perform at a more consistent level.
Citicoline is another fatty compound that has a positive effect on brain power.17 It is synthesized from choline in the body and helps maintain the structural integrity and ability of neuronal membranes. “Citicoline helps brain cells communicate by keeping the membranes in good condition,” Todd said. “Research evidence suggests that citicoline may help maintain healthy memory and thinking ability.” A University of Rome study found that citicoline had a positive effect on, at least, short- to medium-term memory.18
Another study, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gave memory impaired rats a dose of citicoline for three months and found improvement in memory, which was likely an effect from a strengthened neuronal membrane.19 Kyowa Hakko— supplier of Cognizin® citicoline—funded an unpublished study that found enhanced memory in mice given the ingredient.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a fatty compound that has been found to help memory and slow age-related brain decline. It’s largely involved in signal communications in the brain and, like choline and citicoline, strengthens the neuronal membranes. PS supplement material is usually extracted from soy, egg and bovine brain.20 Enzymotec, which brands PS in products such as SharpPS™ and OmegaPS™, said the modern Western diet can lead to low intake of PS and could actually contribute to brain degeneration down the line. A study from Israel’s Tel Aviv University found that the cognitive abilities of elderly volunteers were improved by taking three 100 mg doses of plant-source PS each day.21 The researchers said the study proved plant-sourced PS could be a viable option over bovine-sourced PS.
Botanicals
Ayurvedic herbs are making a comeback in the dietary supplement market. Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing developed in India thousands of years ago. One such herb is the brain-friendly Bacopa monniera, which grows in India and has a long history of folk use.22 Bacopa has antioxidant properties and supports the parasympathetic nervous system, which is sometimes called the “rest and digest” system.
In a recent study, bacopa was compared to a placebo in its support of healthy memory and cognitive function in healthy adults between the ages of 40 and 65.23 Testing on attention, memory storage, and memory retrieval was completed three times within the study period. The results demonstrated that bacopa provided more support in remembering new information than the group taking placebo.
P.L. Thomas (PLT), in alliance with Laila Nutraceuticals in India, is one supplier of bacopa extract. In a recent trial on the PLT product, 46 volunteers ranging from age 18 to 60 took 300 mg/d of bacopa extract.24 After 12 weeks, a significant improvement in verbal learning, memory consolidation and speed of early information processing was shown in the active group compared to placebo.
“Bacopa is good food for nervous deficit due to injury, nervous exhaustion or in case of hyperactive firing between neurons,” said Ormstein. Himalaya brands bacopa on its own and includes the herb in its supplement cocktail called MindCare.
Ginkgo biloba is harvested from the oldest species of trees growing on the planet, according to Todd. She added it has been used for more than 5,000 years and is known to help combat memory loss and agerelate circulation problems. Ginkgo biloba has been well studied for its supportive effect on neurological processes and cerebral health. Its components are also involved in free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity, resulting in the support of healthy cognitive function.25,26 In a recent study, healthy volunteers were given either ginkgo or placebo for two days, and the results demonstrated that ginkgo provided support for healthy memory.27 Another study looked into the effect of ginkgo on four cognitive measurements in healthy volunteers: speed of attention, accuracy of attention, speed of memory, and quality of memory.28 The researchers found ginkgo provided support of several cognitive measures—especially in the “speed of attention” score.
Some berries are actually rich in antioxidants known as polyphenols, which provide some of the most powerful nutritional and therapeutic benefits offered by the botanical world. Researchers from the University of Barcelona, Spain, fed rats various vegetable and fruit extracts and found blueberry extracts were particularly effective in reversing age-related deficits in neuronal signaling.29 Further, clinical trials from Tufts University, Boston, showed blueberry supplementation in rats reduced age-related declines in spatial memory tasks.30 And strawberry extract given to rats for eight weeks reversed age-related deficits in several neuronal parameters by enhancing release of dopamine from striatal slices, benefiting synaptosomes, and improving performance on the accelerating rotating rod test and Morris water maze tests.31 And Russian and Spanish research on bilberries has shown rats supplemented with bilberry extract and vitamin E showed improvement in cognitive deficits.32
Another botanical boon to cognitive function is extract of French maritime pine bark. Research conducted by scientists from Loma Linda University, Calif., has shown treatment of a rat cell line with pine bark extract (as Pycnogenol®, from Natural Health Science) protected against beta-amyloid-induced apoptosis, one of the pathological features of AD.33 And a study from the University of Florida, Gainesville, showed Pycnogenol inhibited death of neurons exposed to ethanol, which could mean the compound protects cognitive function in individuals who consume alcohol.34
Tea is one more herbaceous ingredient with neuroprotective effects. A review from the Eve Topf and USA National Parkinson Foundation Centers of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research in Haifa, Israel, noted tea flavonoids (catechins) have been reported to possess potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities useful in countering age-associated cognitive decline and neuronal loss in neurodegenerative conditions including AD, PD and Huntington’s diseases; and inhibit neuronal death in a wide array of cellular and animal models of neurological disorders.35 The authors of the review wrote tea is an iron chelator, a boon to patients with neurological diseases, since it has been observed in these disorders that there is an accumulation of iron at sites where the neurons die.
Soy has been shown to promote cognitive wellness, particularly among postmenopausal women. In a study by English researchers, 33 postmenopausal women (aged 50-65 years) not receiving conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were randomly given a soy supplement or placebo for 12 weeks.36 The women were subjected to a battery of cognitive tests; those who received the soy supplement showed significantly greater improvements in recall of pictures and in a sustained attention task as well as greater improvements in learning rule reversals and completing a planning task. Further, a trial from the University of California, San Diego, found healthy women who were postmenopausal at least two years and not using HRT, showed administration of a 110 mg/d soy isoflavone supplement (as Healthy Woman, from McNeil-PPC Inc.) improved test subjects’ scores on cognitive tests designed to measure verbal memory.37
The Chinese herb ginseng also has cognitive-enhancing effects, according to several clinical trials. One such trial, conducted at Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, gave Panax ginseng to healthy young adults; they subjected them to a 10-minute test battery.38 Blood glucose was measured prior to each day’s treatment, and before, during and after the post-dose completions of the battery. Administration of ginseng produced significant reductions in blood glucose levels at all three post-treatment measurements; the researchers concluded ginseng can improve performance and subjective feelings of mental fatigue during sustained mental activity, possibly due to acute glucoregulatory properties of the extract.
Quality Assurance
Retailers can encourage the development of higher quality standards for brain support products by asking questions of their suppliers. By insisting on clear, forthright answers to questions about a product’s health benefits, safety, and production quality, manufacturers become more prone to devoting more attention to quality. Usually several companies are involved in bringing a product to market, all of which play a part in quality assurance. Understanding the dietary supplement supply chain (grower to component supplier, to producer to distributor, to retail shelves) provides insights into how to ask questions about the quality of a product. By asking a manufacturer questions, each subordinate link in the chain is encouraged to respond by documenting the quality process in their operations. Thus, quality production is encouraged throughout the supply chain.
Among the important quality assurance questions retailers should ask of their suppliers:
Retailers should also look for transparency from their suppliers asking for the documents that they need to address the above issues. “Some salespeople are notorious for using marketing language instead of factual information to accomplish their goals of making a sale,” Benoit said.
Positioning the Message
There are, of course, a slew of brain-supportive dietary supplements on the market, and it can be a daunting task for a retailer to stay up on the latest trends and news. But think about the consumer walking through the front door looking for a little brain boost and being bombarded by a vast array of options.
“Retailers who have a basic understanding of the brain and its functions will be able to more comfortably help customers with their ‘brain related’ concerns,” Ormstein said. “Herbs and other supplements are essential food for the brain, bringing the brain cells closer to balance. However, the retailer has to be knowledgeable about the effectiveness of the product and be sure that the herbal formulation is based on primary (not borrowed) research and subject to high quality assurance during development. Only then will they easily suggest/recommend these products to their customers.”
Understanding the products to help consumers is one thing, but physically arranging them in the store another issue, which has limitless solutions. “I think that retailers want to target this to the market in which they are based,” Myers said. “When you look at the field of cognitive function there are many different ways a retailer can segment the market to serve their customers. For instance: children’s focus and attention, cognitive improvement, mental alertness, and proactive care.” Additionally, these products can be positioned in an area for students; especially during back to school time in the early fall.
Myers added the way retailers set their store will depend on the clientele. For instance, a store based in a retirement community is going to set up the section very differently than a store that serves a suburban setting with lots of school age children. Depending on what that target demographic is, the retailer can even cross-merchandise certain brain health products. “I would recommend cross merchandising certain products in sections related to brain health,”
Benoit said. “For example, a store might have a ‘Brain Health’ section as well as a ‘Healthy Mood’ section and a ‘Memory’ section. This gives the consumer a bit more help in making a selection based on their particular brain need.”
People’s focus on brain health often languishes until one day, as an adult, they forget what they had for breakfast that day, which might spark an interest in dietary supplements. Yet, as a child the brain is in the most important stage of development. This makes it imperative for parents to take charge of what is being put in their child’s body.
“Parents should be extremely cautious regarding what supplements they give their children,” said Eric Anderson of P.L. Thomas (PLT), a marketer of bacopa. “First and foremost, a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is important. Fatty acids like DHA/EPA [docosahexaenoic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid] may be considered for supplementation in addition to fish sources. And products with established safe long-term use, like bacopa, may be considered.”
Generally when babies are breast fed, they get these important omega-3 fatty acids through breast milk, but if a mother doesn’t have a high level of these on board then it’s difficult to have a lot of them in breast milk. A lack of polyunsaturated fatty acids could stunt cognitive development in children; many experts say that pregnant and lactating women should ensure high dietary intake of these compounds. In fact, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, increasing maternal DHA intake by 100 mg/d during pregnancy and lactation might increase the intelligence quotient (IQ) of offspring by 0.13 points.39
A study from the University of Kansas, Lawrence, showed infants whose mothers had high DHA levels at birth scored higher on psychophysiological tests and distractibility paradigms and had greater focus during free-play over the first and second years.40 And a Norwegian study published in Pediatrics showed pregnant women supplemented with 10 mL/d of fish oil from gestational week 18 through delivery, and during the first three months postpartum while breastfeeding, produced offspring with higher scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children at four years of age than did offspring of mothers given an equivalent dose of corn oil over the same time period.41
“Health is a lifelong endeavor,” said Cheryl Myers, director of health sciences at Enzymatic Therapy Inc., which markets Eskimo Kids, a fish oil supplement for children. “You start to think about health before your baby is even born. There are a few products that I recommend for children, because as children grow and develop, their little tiny bodies are sensitive to substances that maybe adult bodies are not; so I think we need to proceed cautiously. However, all children need a good multivitamin.”
And just as with the adult products, retailers face the task of positioning these products effectively so parents can make good choices for their children. “Children’s supplements should have a separate section,” said Corinna Benoit, whose company Nordic Naturals produces a fish oil blend. “This is because an average mom does not want to purchase an adult product for their child. They want the ‘children’s’ version with exact dosage and other considerations that make compliance easy.”
Another company specially formulating for the children’s brain health arena is Himalaya USA; its MindCare Jr. is the same formulation as MindCare for adults, but only half the dose. “MindCare Jr. has been proven safe and effective through several clinical trials conducted with children,” said Himalaya’s medical director, Grace Ormstein, M.D.
“In the children’s section, there could also be a ‘brain development/maintenance’ area that addresses learning focus, etc.,” Benoit said. “This also supports ‘high need’ children (issues such as autism, attention deficit disorder, etc.) that require supplementation.” significant reductions in blood glucose levels at all three post-treatment measurements; the researchers concluded ginseng can improve performance and subjective feelings of mental fatigue during sustained mental activity, possibly due to acute glucoregulatory properties of the extract.
For a full list of references to this story, visit www.naturalproductsmarketplace.com after Sept. 1, or e-mail hgranato@vpico.com.
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