Supplements for Brain Health?
Turns out ginkgo biloba isn't all it's cracked up to be. What might be worth popping
by Hallie Levine, AARP, August 7, 2018 | Comments: 2
Getty Images
Taking steps to keep your brain healthy as you age is certainly a wise move, and studies show that things like healthy eating, exercise and getting enough sleep can significantly lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. As for popping “brain-boosting†supplements, sales of which increased 74 percent between 2006 and 2016, the jury is a little more mixed.
"There are a lot of supplements out there that don't work,†cautions Majid Fotuhi, M.D., medical director of NeuroGrow Brain Fitness Center in McLean, Va. One of these supplements is one you've no doubt heard of — ginkgo biloba. One study published in the medical journal The Lancet Neurology of almost 3,000 adults over age 70 with memory complaints found that this herb didn't reduce rates of developing Alzheimer's compared to those who took a placebo. Similarly, faddish DHEA supplements also recently failed to pass muster in studies.
https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2018/brain-supplements-memory-loss.html?intcmp=HEA-BRH-FEED