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You see it every day, even if you don't watch a lot of TV. In my limited TV watching, these ads are everywhere. And as a retired RN and Public Health Nurse, they turn my stomach! Please do not be fooled by people touting over the counter pills that are supposed to improve your memory, or that imply that you can prevent dementia by taking them.
Fake claims
Here's the truth: The Alzheimer's Foundation, a worldwide nonprofit organization, does ongoing research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. They tell us that approximately 7M people in the U.S. have this disease or another kind of dementia. Don't you imagine that if there were a cure or even a pill to help prevent dementia, this well established organization would know about it? The truth is, we don't have a quick-fix pill that will prevent, slow or cure dementia. The promoted products in ads on TV make unfounded, non scientific claims about memory loss.
Federal regulation
The FDA regulates medications, generally. It does not regulate dietary supplements. Just about anyone can market a dietary supplement and claim it does just about anything until it comes to the attention of Federal regulators or courts. For example, in 2024, a Federal court ordered the manufacturer of Prevagen to stop claiming that it improves memory or cognitive function, ruling that these claims were not supported by scientific evidence. To say it "protects" memory or makes people "feel better" about memory is a way around the restriction. We have no data from solid, peer-reviewed clinical evidence showing that Prevagen prevents or slows the progression of dementia.
Likewise, there is no evidence that Neuriva prevents dementia, nor slows, or stops dementia. You'd never know it from the broad insinuations in commercials that it is going to keep a person's brain from degenerating. Carefully worded, commercials are about feeling good and having an improved memory. So much for the dietary supplement (cherry extract and phosphatidylserine) that may lead you to believe that dementia prevention is so easy--just take a pill. If that were true 7 million people wouldn't have dementia.
Social media
Deep fakes on social media with AI generated images of famous people would also have you belive that you only need to eat something, a mashed blueberry secret recipe every day, for example, to prevent dementia. They are even worse than TV commercials about pills. The promoters of the "secret recipe" which, of course, you have to buy, can make any outrageous claim they want. These aren't even dietary supplements. They are fake claims, trying to sell hope.
Conclusion
Researchers all over the world are working every day to understand the complex causes of dementia. Millions of dollars are spent on trial medications that so far do not stop or cure the disease. We know it's not just bad luck or heredity. We do know that like heart disease, a healthy lifestyle is preventive. I'm aiming for that healthy lifestyle all the time. Meanwhile, forget over the counter pill manufacturers making unscientific claims. Likewise, the clearly fake recipe claims for dementia on social media. Ignore them! There is no quickie way to protect your brain health with a pill.
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