Doctors Best Natural Brain Enhancers with AlphaSize + SerinAid, Supports Memory & Attention, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, Vegan 60 Veggie Caps

** Updated review, January 2017. Here I will share some of the research results that I have read about the ingredients that are in this product. For space consideration I can only provide a small amount of info and what I am trying to do is to provide enough info for you to choose whether you want to look up the research to learn more about it. For that reason, the authors and the year of publication are also given here for you. Also, please note that I am not an MD, and this is not medical advice. I also tell you how you can go about finding out more information about the research on supplements both on-line and in the community, and what might be helpful to learn about if you haven't had the particular background to study in this area, before. If you do have the background, then go ahead and skip that last bit.A small sampling of research on glycerophosphocholine and phosphatidylserine:1) Brain health: Kidd PM. (2005). This article is clearly written and has some excellent basic explanations as this author reviews numerous research studies that show commonalities to many neurogenerative disorders, and how providing the support needed by the mitochondria to produce energy can be beneficial. It has helpful illustrations, too, and the complete study is readily available online for anyone to review. It includes dosages for those with neurodegenerative disorders, and the text makes suggestions for prevention, too. Here is one statement related to the ingredients in the product reviewed, here: "Acetyl L-carnitine (ALCAR), glycerophosphocholine (GPC), and phosphatidylserine (PS) provide mitochondrial support and conserve growth factor receptors; all three improved cognition in double-blind trials. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is enzymatically combined with GPC and PS to form membrane phospholipids for nerve cell expansion." I chose this statement to quote here so that readers can benefit from knowing that it is worth looking into the ingredients in this product further, and that brain health is not one-and-done; it requires ongoing nutritional support, and the ingredients in the Doctor's Best Brain Enhancers work together with other necessary nutrients.2) Athletic performance: Bellar D, LeBlanc NR, & Campbell B. (2015), Published their study that compared αGPC against a placebo, using a cross-over design so that they could compare athletes against each other as well as against their own performance. At a dose of 600 mg taken for 6 days, there was significant improvement in their measure of lower body force production. The improvement in upper body force production didn't quite meet statistical significance. It was quite close; better upper body performance was there and in the right direction. With another athlete or two in the study it is possible that the statistical test would have been met as the design with only 13 athletes meant that a great degree of change was required to meet "statistical significance."3) Physiological responses: Kawamura T, Okubo T, Sato K, Fujita S, Goto K, Hamaoka T, & Iemitsu M. (2012). These researchers measured plasma secretions after a single dose of 1000 mg of GPC using a placebo-controlled, cross-over design. They found increases in growth hormone secretion and hepatic fat oxidation that went along with the increased choline levels.4) Inflammation: Tőkés T, Tuboly E, Varga G, Major L, Ghyczy M, Kaszaki J, Boros M. (2015). Various forms of injuries can be made worse by the inflammatory response that follows. These researchers compared 3 groups: one without any added GPC, another that received GPC before injury, and the third received GPC after injury. Studies like this cannot be done on people, so they used rats to examine whether GPC seemed to make any difference in the inflammatory response. GPC after injury was associated with better status on 5 measures. Having GPC prior to injury also was related to better levels on those same 5 measures plus 3 more measures. They concluded that GPC is protective and appears to be anti-inflammatory.It is my hope that this update is helpful to those wondering whether there really is a role for these ingredients in supporting the health of the brain and the rest of the body. Yes, there is. Is it everything? No, of course not. Happily, research keeps changing and advancing, so none of us are ever done learning about it. If you live in the US, then nutrition is currently not part of routine medical care. Odds are, you need to take the ball on learning about all of this, and then check out the supplements that interest you, specifically. It is helpful to realize that generally, the typical American diet does not provide all of the nutrients that are needed. There are also regional differences in what is in the soil, so even if you grow your own garden and eat recommended vegetable servings many times over, if you are not supplementing the soil then you could still be deficient. For those who are not trained in this research area, exploring it can be hard at first, but we all get better at the things that we keep doing, so keep doing it! The more you read research, the more you will understand and the easier it will get. Just be tough on your brain- don't let it be lazy, everyone's brain likes to take the easy way out. Instead, when you encounter key stuff that you don't understand, look that up, too! It does get easier and easier if you keep at it, and if you keep nurturing your brain with the nutrients that it needs, sleep and oxygen, of course! :D This one review can't do everything, and no one person will have all of the expertise needed for you- remember we all have differences in our genetics and genetic expression, in our diets, exposures to things that alter the demands on our bodies, and if there is a particular diagnosis or medications involved, then that can make a difference, too. That is why I sought a doctor that focuses on wellness, and brought this supplement in to my doctor with all of the ones that I was already taking. He could see that I was already taking the Acetyl-L-Carnitine and the Omega-3s (look up that first study in the list above) and he put me onto the other supplements that he felt were indicated for me and my health, personally. I had to get help elsewhere for things that are related to genetics, because that is a different field- not the one that my MD studied. Ultimately. which brands I buy, and what I put into my own body is my responsibility, so I read. I read, and read, and read. Instead of the least expensive supplement, I look for ones produced by companies that I have come to trust over time, that are offering the right dose in the right form, according to research studies. Still, those change over time, and sometimes what I take or the amount that I take changes, too. There are no easy, quick answers. I choose to be glad that we will never be bored. :)Keep asking questions, and looking up those answers! I hope that this review gave you a start! Begin by looking up any of the studies that interest you, here. Try the NIH research database- some of the research described was supported by your tax dollars, so the last government administration gave you free access to the supported research, online. Research that was not federally funded might not be available online. If there is an article that might help you and it is not online, then try going to the libraries that are supported by your tax dollars- there may be ones that are part of public universities, tax-supported medical centers, legal centers, etc. Ask them to show you how to search the "peer-reviewed literature in health." Call ahead on access and hours; you may need to bring parking money and also money to make copies of things that you want, a flash drive to save things that you can download, and a notebook to take down info and make note of things that you might want to follow up on, etc. You'll quickly need to start organizing your downloads in a way that makes sense for you. Your access to tax-funded libraries usually does not mean that you can also have the privilege of checking out materials so allow time to do your work, there. To get in, though, you should be able to just show ID- any official ID, it does not have to show that you are a student, just a tax-paying resident, pretty much. The subscriptions for the research databases are very expensive; not every library will subscribe to all of them. If you cannot get what you need where you are, then you can see whether you can find out where the closest access is. I have driven to different cities to get particular articles or search certain databases, sometimes. Another possibility is that if you cannot get the full-text of a particular article and it seems like it is exactly what you need, you can try to contact the author. If you are very humble, specific, and appreciative in asking, and the author is very kind, and there is no agreement in place that the publisher alone can distribute the work (so the author is free to send it out), then you just might be able to get it that way. It is not something that you can do a lot, but occasionally it might work. Only the corresponding author could be expected to respond (the report will indicate which author that is), and sometimes the contact info does get out of date, so this approach is always a "maybe." They are busy people- that's good, we want their research to get done, so your request should be short and respectful, and if you get a one-line response back, know that in research-world, that means that the person is respecting your time, too. No life stories, no fluff. Still, responding with a "thank you," regardless of the answer you got, is what is expected.So, there you go! Some research on the ingredients in here, and a how-to-DIY so that you can stay up-to-date. It is work, it takes time. It's also fun and rewarding. If you do not have the background in an area that you want to understand, then look for free on-line courses. More and more of them exist. Those that are on basic "research methods" for those in health fields are helpful in better understanding approaches to this kind of research, the different stages and levels, etc., as there are basic standards. If you aren't familiar with "statistical significance" and how that is different from "clinical significance," then learning that, and just enough stats to know what researchers are talking about will help, too. I sure gave you some extra in this review. Cool, eh? :D Well, if it's not, you could have stopped reading, LOL! If you kept reading, then at least give me a "helpful" vote; there must be something in here that kept you reading! All the best to you, in your learning and in your health.** End of update. Previous review follows: **I brought this in to my doctor to see if he would approve. He said, "Oh, I take this!" :) Enough said.

I was diagnosed with chronic depression about a decade ago. The last 3 years symptoms have gotten much worse, bad enough that I need help daily to be moderately functional. I've spent 2 years trying a motley of supplements, and alot of what I take regularly helps a lot. But this....The first day I took this when it kicked in (less than 30 mins), I think I cried from joy or came close to it. My depression fog disappeared and I could..."see" how much clearer my mind was before the depression got so bad. I feel like I understand myself again, like everything is mentally in its proper place. I haven't felt in control of my mind like this in about 15 years. I've been taking these for a few months and only take one a day, with all my other vitamins and supplements in the morning right before or after a cup of coffee. I haven't noticed any sort of side effect or adverse result whatsoever.I remember where my keys are, and what I have to do around the house, and I don't have to repeat things in convo 3 times to remember anymore. All my stress from being scatterbrained is gone so I can focus on just getting things done. ....I don't think this did all the heavy lifting, but it has definitely done what the other stuff has not. This was the final piece in my regimen to get me back to myself without going on antidepressants.I'm sure there are other brands that sell this nootropic blend. I've been using Doctor's Best for some of my other supplements for 3 or 4 years now. All through COVID, I've never had supply or delivery issues, the product is consistently effective and the price stays consistent and reasonable. I recommend this product specifically because the vendor company has proven itself to be reliable for me.

I've been using this product by Doctor's Best for about two months now. I waited because I wanted to give feedback after having taken it regularly for at least this amount of time. I have had success with Doctor's Best products in the past and this time was no different. It improved my attention a lot. My ability to focus when taking this supplement vs when not taking it is very noticeable. That is a huge deal for me as I have so much to do every day. However, I didn't see any improvements to my memory. It seemed to stay about the same. Also, I didn't like that you can't take it past 4 pm and between meals even though I understand why as it was explained to me. Overall, I like it and will continue to repurchase it for the benefits it did provide me in the way of attention.

I've purchased a couple other supplements from Doctor's Best and have been happy with the quality of their products and I was curious if this would help with my focus and memory. Unfortunately, I feel no difference after taking them. On the plus side it also didn't cause any negative side effects.