Hubby has been most interested in supplements of late.
This is largely due to having more energy from the B vitamins and better mobility from taking Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements.

Now, his attention has turned to memory enhancement; which is also an interest of mine.

Has anyone heard of Phoshatidylserine? Is this similar to Ginko Bilboa? Would one have an advantage over the other?

What other supplements might aid in mental acuity?

Thank you.

We just don't have good studies on them.
Gingko increases circulation and also affects blood clotting. And can cause headache.

Phosphotidylserine is made from Lecithin. It forms cell walls.
Buying it purified can be expensive. Taking lecithin (in granular form), will supply choline and
be more useful I think.

When I was going thru menopause, I was at the time working contingent and had to know 6 different computer systems. I could not handle that well.
So I started SAMe for my bad knee, and it helped my mental clarity quite well.
So I am partial to SAMe.

But then there is Vinpocetine-- but it affects blood clotting too:
http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetCo...chunkiid=21841

This is a fairly big topic...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic

If any of these nootropics were grand, we'd sure hear about them by now.

If you want to have a "feeling of wellbeing and alertness"...you can try Yerba Mate (organic form)
There is a tea, by EcoTeas that is unsmoked and organic and very nice. (Google them)
I use this for improving bile flow. But it also makes you "feel good" and is very popular in S. America for
this purpose.
There is an herbal extract now by Jarrow...which I use when I run out of the bags,
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=194

Yerba is very nice... very high in antioxidant value (almost double green tea).
Also has nutrients, etc regular teas do not. It is green, and not unpleasant.
So give that a try. You will be pleasantly surprised at it! I was!
I do not recommend the smoked or fermented type. Buy only green/organic.

I think you may be leaving out the obvious Mrs D---which is hard to believe.

Omega 3s Fish Oil!!
I swear to god, my memory is 2 to 3 times sharper when I got this stuff in my system.

Long chain fatty acids as found in fish oil, are crucial to brain functioning.

ALL the functions, including memory.

I've been looking into getting Pramiracetam for memory - though from what I've read its lacking in human studies that show improvement in memory...maybe I'll just stick to fish oil.

Again, no good studies (on humans, anyway), but pregnenolone is promoted to improve memory & mental clarity.

I started taking it about 2 years ago, after testing showed my levels to be well below minimum. As a test, I played some of the memory games at lumosity and elsewhere until my scores plateaued. Following taking pregnenolone for a few weeks, my scores increased noticeably before plateauing again. I also began feeling better in other ways.

I wouldn't bother with it if I hadn't tested so low to begin with, or without my doctor's nod.

I wasn't looking for memory improvement (not that I couldn't use more still); I just came across that claim in researching it. If I were looking for something specifically to help memory (I should, but I keep forgetting to... ) I'd probably look for something else.

Doc

That is a great supplement for many reasons Dr. Smith.

Piracetam and piracetam-like drugs: from basic science
to novel clinical applications to CNS disorders.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20166767



Application of nootropic agents in complex treatment
of patients with concussion of the brain.

Pramistar = pramiracetam

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18418926



Experience in the application of pramistar, a new nootropic preparation, in the
treatment of memory disorders in patients with cerebrovascular pathology.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/14965012/



Memory training and drug therapy act differently on memory
and metamemory functioning: evidence from a pilot study.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1865300



Systemic administration of pramiracetam increases nitric oxide
synthase activity in the cerebral cortex of the rat.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/8557218



Pramiracetam effects on scopolamine-induced amnesia in healthy volunteers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/15374306/


Placebo-controlled study of pramiracetam in young males with memory
and cognitive problems resulting from head injury and anoxia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1786500



Amnesia-reversal activity of a series of N-[(disubstituted-amino)alkyl] -
2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamides, including pramiracetam.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/6716406



Involvement of a steroidal component in the mechanism of action
of piracetam-like nootropics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2137359/



Elevated corticosteroid levels block the memory-improving
effects of nootropics and cholinomimetics.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/1410129



The effect of pramiracetam (CI-879) on the acquisition of a radial arm maze task.

'' This procedure permitted a distinction between working memory (short-term)
and reference memory (long-term). Both doses of pramiracetam significantly
improved performance in the reference memory component of the task, but
did not significantly affect the working memory component. ''

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/3088666/

*edit*

[ wow this is an old Post but just thought would pass on that a product called Prevagin is sold it has a protein that helps with memory/aging I have not tried it my dr Weil book was looking at last night actually mentions going herbal first you can look up info at Know the Cause.com

nadh? any one tried it? was recommended by a friend.