Neuriva vs Prevagen - Which Is Most Effective?

Are Brain Supplements Effective In Improving Brain Function?

Interest in “brain pills” has taken off in recent years, helped by growing research on nootropics, compounds, natural or synthetic, that can support things like focus, memory, and overall brain function. Neuriva and Prevagen both take a very minimalist approach. Each uses just two active ingredients, and the doses are on the light side. More importantly, the specific ingredients they rely on aren’t widely accepted as effective for cognitive support. By contrast, the stronger products on the market tend to use a broader set of well-studied ingredients at amounts shown to help.

What Is Neuriva?

Neuriva was launched in the US just over 6 years ago. It was launched under the Schiff Vitamins brand, but the parent company Schiff Nutrition (who own and manufacture brands including Move Free and Airborne) was acquired by RB, a large multi-national pharmaceutical manufacturer and manufacturer of household cleaning brands, in 2012. Neuriva uses just two ingredients, both of which it claims are naturally sourced. The evidence over how effective these ingredients are in supporting brain health, particularly at the low levels used in Neuriva is inconclusive. The Neuriva range has three products tiers, Neuriva Original, Neuriva Plus and Neuriva Ultra. Neuriva Plus adds two more basic (and low cost) ingredients compared with Original - modest amounts of B6 (Folate) and B12. Neuriva Ultra also includes Alpinia Galanga extract, which may provide some support for increased alertness.

What Is Prevagen?

The Prevagen brand is owned by Quincy Bioscience, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements, but Prevagen is essentially their main brand and accounts for the majority of their business. The Prevagen range includes a couple of alternative formats (capsules and chewable gummies) as well as some more premium priced versions of their core Prevagen products which include an Extra Strength version (Prevagen Extra Strength simply uses 20mg of Apoaequorin, instead of 10mg - as we'll see this doesn't overcome the main issue with the product formulation, which is the use of an unproven ingredient). The Prevagen range also includes a Professional version (Prevagen Professional uses yet more Apoaequorin, with 40mg per serving, but nothing else additional). Finally, the chewable range includes Prevagen Original and Prevagen Extra Strength chewable gummies, with the same amount of Vitamin D and Apoaequorin as the capsule versions. 

Do Neuriva and Prevagen Really Work? Scientific Studies And Results

Neuriva

A study was conducted into Neuriva's effectiveness, compared to taking a placebo. The study only lasted for 42 days and the authors claim the results suggest some overall improvement to cognitive performance and memory. However, it's challenging to ascertain whether the results are likely to be replicable - particularly as the brand's claimed method of action wasn't seen. In other words, no measurable difference was found in BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) between the test group and those taking the placebo. Similarly, no performance difference was seen between the two groups in the cognitive tests used in the study (EMQ test, Go or No-Go Test).

Prevagen

Quincy Bioscience, the manufacturer of Prevagen cites a single piece of research as the basis for the claims made by the brand. However, the research was essentially conducted by the brand itself and isn't peer reviewed, meaning the results may not be objective or replicable. The manufacturer claimed apoaequorin, the main active ingredient in Prevagen (and it's only real ingredient aside from a regular dose of Vitamin D (which could be more cost effectively bought elsewhere), works by improving brain cell membrance health and neuron connectivity. However, this wasn't borne out in the research and the claims made by the brand were legally challenged. It's interesting to note that following the legal ruling on the brand's claims, the claims made by the brand on its website are now very sparse. There's no clear explanation on the role of apoaequorin in supporting brain health or brain function, just general claims relating to where it's sourced from and that it's generally well-tolerated.

Comparative Study

One study has attempted to compare the two supplements, specifically in comparing their ability to reduce brain plaques, which are in part now believed to be responsible for decline in memory function. While this study claimed both brands might help reduce fibrils and tau tangles, the study is neither peer reviewed nor publicly available. It's therefore prudent to treat these anecdotal results with caution.

Scientific Basis

Neuriva

There is some scientific evidence that coffee fruit extract used in Neuriva may help increase BDNF levels. BDNF is important in supporting learning and memory. The research is however in its preliminary stage and should be taken as directional, rather than conclusive.

The scientific support for phosphatidylserine is much more established. It's widely accepted in the scientific community as being widely used by the body as part of the protective layer for every cell, including brain cells. It's also believed to help in protecting brain function as the body ages. More importantly, it works to increase acetylcholine (ACh) the means by which the brain transmits signals from the brain.

Prevagen

The main ingredient in Prevagen is apoaequorin, a protein derived from jellyfish. Apoaequorin isn't generally recognized as a nootropic substance. It's an ingredient only used by Prevagen and one on which no independent studies have been conducted. This lack of recognition as a useful ingredient in promoting brain function or memory means that the ingredient's standing as an effective means of improving memory rests solely on a single piece of research conducted by the brand itself. The research and the historic claims made by the brand are both problematic, as I've discussed. There is therefore no real research, let alone scientific support for the use of apoaequorin as a brain supplement ingredient. Additionally, there is some evidence that apoaequorin is broken down by the body before being absorbed, meaning it cannot be effective as a brain supplement, at least not when taken orally.

The inclusion of Vitamin D in Prevagen is less controversial, but it's benefits are limited to those deficient in Vitamin D. In reality Vitamin D can be bought much more cost effectively and at higher doses, buying Prevagen is a very costly way to get a modest dose of Vitamin D.

Qualitative Review of Neuriva's Efficacy

Neuriva

Testing the Neuriva directly was simple enough. The product is easy to find and simple to take. With Neuriva including only small doses of just two ingredients, only a single capsule is taken per day - simple but in our experience not effective. We were unable to discern any obvious (or subtle) improvements to cognitive performance or memory. My tests included a group self-identifying as memory-impaired, and a group identifying as having normal brain function and memory.

Qualitative Review of Prevagen's Efficacy

Prevagen

The experience of trialing Prevagen was broadly similar, though we were perhaps more skeptical of Prevagen's choice of ingredients which may have further tempered expectations. No obvious improvements in cognitive function, or memory specifically, were found. Recall didn't improve for either our memory-impaired or regular testers. As with Neuriva, it was at least simple to source the product and simple to take the capsules. I didn't test the gummy version of the product but we would expect similar results due to the identical ingredient profile and comparable delivery mechanism (oral dose).

Estimate of Efficacy Relative To Similar Products

Dosage:

Neuriva and Prevagen each use two ingredients (albeit different ingredients), both products also use very modest amounts of active ingredients. Prevagen uses just 10.05mg of active ingredients. Neuriva uses uses only 200mg of active ingredients. Both products are missing many proven nootropic ingredients that more effective brain supplements include, such as Acetyl L-Carnitine, Lion's Mane and L-Theanine. For comparison, the most effective products available use up to 15 different proven nootropic ingredients and almost 3000mg of active ingredients.

Quality:

The small total amount of active ingredients in both Neuriva and Prevagen mean that most of the capsule content is filler material (non-active low costs ingredients to bulk out the capsule content - to make it easy to fill and to make it look 'full'. Neuriva uses titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide and rice bran as flow agents and fillers. Prevagen uses Magnesium Stearate, Modified Corn Starch, Salt, Soy Peptones and Sugar as flow agents and fillers. Both also use low cost cellulose capsules. Higher quality products use a clean ingredient profile - avoiding fillers and avoiding Titanium Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide and Magnesium Stearate. 

Efficacy:

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the low does and limited scientific support for the ingredients used in Neuriva and Prevagen, I didn't experience any significant cognitive benefits from either product. Both Neuriva and Prevagen appear to be following a similar marketing and product strategy - using a very low cost product and investing heavily in marketing. This can be a very effective business strategy when combined with clever product claims that bolster consumers' perceptions of the effectiveness of their products - but for the end user the difference made by the product can be very limited, or negligible. The difference is stark when comparing both brands with comprehensively formulated products like ThinkEase, where investment in the product itself appears to be the priority.

Cost:

Neuriva is priced at $28-34.99 for 28 capsules. Prevagen is similarly priced at $40 for 30 capsules. However, the low capsule count, small amount of active ingredients in each capsule and (for the most part) imperceptible results mean that we have to rank both products as fairly poor value for money. It's arguably worth investing a bit more and buying a product with a more proven ingredient profile. 

Safety Considerations and Potential Side Effects

Both Prevagen and Neuriva are considered as generally safe. Side effects are likely to be limited to mild stomach discomfort or light headaches. However, if you're taking any medications or have an underlying health condition it may be advisable to consult a healthcare professional before starting a new supplement routine.

Overall Assessment

Neuriva and Prevagen are simple products with very basic ingredient profiles. The science supporting the ingredients used in Neuriva is arguably marginally stronger, but it's still a very limited product and one which shouldn't be expected to make a significant difference to cognitive health, cognitive performance or memory for most people, most of the time. Prevagen relies almost entirely on an ingredient which no other brands have elected to use in their formulations, perhaps because it lacks clinical support and isn't well recognized as a nootropic in the scientific community. Neither product is likely to be detrimental or harmful in any way, but results are likely to be modest or simply not noticeable.

My advice would be to choose a product with a much more scientifically led formulation and one which uses a much broader spectrum ingredient profile. The top-rated product in my testing is currently ThinkEase - with its high dosages of clinically proven ingredients I found it to be effective in promoting increased cognitive function and in supporting memory.

References and Further Reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reckitt#:~:text=Reckitt's%20brands%20include%20the%20antiseptic,baby%20food%20brand%20Mead%20Johnson%2C

https://prevagen.com/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/galangal-root

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36929344/

https://prevagen.com/pages/apoaequorin-prevagen-jellyfish-connection

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10195946/

https://www.citizen.org/wp-content/uploads/madison_memory_study_august-1-2016_0.pdf

https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/Apoaequorin-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf