Cognitive Health
The latest from Cognitive Health on Vitalspell.
Lion's mane and memory: what human trials actually show
Lion's mane and memory claims look bigger than the evidence. Human trials show mixed, mostly small effects, with the clearest signals in impairment.
Why 'normal' vitamin B12 may miss brain aging risk
Vitamin B12 levels that look normal on a blood test may still miss low active B12 linked to slower processing and white-matter injury in aging brains.
Why common dementia risks may hit women harder
Hypertension, diabetes, and hearing loss may impair cognition more in women than men, a new analysis of over 17,000 older adults suggests.
Can creatine blunt sleep-loss brain fog? The 2026 study
Creatine and sleep deprivation met in a 29-person crossover trial that found modest cognitive protection, but only at an unusually high acute dose.
Lower brain choline may mark anxiety, not a supplement fix
A meta-analysis of 25 brain-scan datasets found lower cortical choline in anxiety disorders, but that signal is not proof that supplements will help.
More
Omega-3 supplements accelerated cognitive decline in older adults, study finds
A 2026 analysis of over 800 older adults found omega-3 supplement users declined faster on three cognitive measures than matched non-users. Reduced brain glucose metabolism, not amyloid buildup, appeared to drive the effect.
Hearing loss slows the walk before it dulls the mind
A 57,183-person Apple-Michigan cohort confirms hearing loss tracks with slower walking. Layered with the ACHIEVE trial and the Lancet Commission, hearing is now a leading indicator of how older adults age.
Caffeine improves attention by small but real margins, finds largest meta-analysis to date
A meta-analysis of 31 randomised trials and 1,455 participants found that acute caffeine intake produces modest but reliable improvements in both attention accuracy and reaction time. The dose-response curve tells a more nuanced story: more caffeine keeps speeding you up, but accuracy peaks and then declines.
Brain health supplements: what the evidence says about what works
Brain health supplements are a multibillion-dollar market built on promises most products cannot back. Only multivitamins and creatine have consistent trial data, while most other products sell on claims the research simply does not support.
Limited evidence links creatine to better cognition in older adults
A systematic review of six studies finds creatine may benefit memory and attention in adults over 55. The evidence is thin, with only one of six studies rated methodologically 'good.' The authors say high-quality trials are needed before clinical recommendations.
Bacopa monnieri outperforms Ginkgo biloba for working memory, analysis finds
A 2026 network meta-analysis of 29 trials found high-dose Bacopa monnieri substantially outperformed Ginkgo biloba for working memory in healthy adults, though the comparison relies on indirect evidence with no head-to-head trials.
Oral citicoline combination linked to cognitive gains in prodromal dementia patients
A two-centre observational study of 100 patients with prodromal dementia found that a daily combined citicoline supplement was associated with improvements across multiple cognitive domains and mood over six to nine months, though the observational design cannot establish causation.
Phosphatidylserine supplement improved short-term memory in Chinese MCI trial
A 12-month RCT in 190 Chinese older adults found that a supplement containing phosphatidylserine, ALA, and Ginkgo improved short-term memory and executive function. But the combination-product design and a low PS dose make it hard to know which ingredient actually worked.
L-theanine plus caffeine improved attention within two hours, meta-analysis finds
L-theanine combined with caffeine produced small-to-moderate gains in attention switching and digit vigilance within two hours of ingestion, a meta-analysis of 15 RCTs found. The benefits were real but modest, and confidence intervals revealed substantial uncertainty around the effect sizes.
Raisins and tart cherry beat ginkgo for memory in a landmark meta-analysis
A 2026 network meta-analysis of 25 RCTs found raisins and tart cherry ranked highest for learning and memory, while a Bacopa monnieri compound led in executive function. Ginkgo biloba sat mid-pack.
Lion's Mane extract showed no overall cognitive improvement in acute trial
A double-blind trial in Frontiers in Nutrition found that a single 3-gram dose of Lion's Mane fruiting body extract did not significantly improve overall cognition or mood in healthy young adults, though fine motor dexterity improved on the pegboard test.
The Vitalspell brief
Evidence-based supplement science — weekly in your inbox.
Subscribe