Ingredients

Curcumin

Curcumin (Curcuma longa) is the active ingredient in the spice Tumeric and has recently seen an increase in attention from the Western medical community because of its herbal antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Curcumin serves as an anti-oxidant by combating free radicals, and as an anti-inflammatory by helping reduce irritation to tissues characterized by pain, redness, swelling and heat.

A major factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease is the development of beta amyloid plaque in the brain. Curcumin appears to directly bind to beta amyloid plaque and helps the immune system (microglia) remove amyloid protein. Click here for a further discussion of curcumin-related studies.

Bioperine

Bioperine® is a concentrated form of black pepper’s active ingredient, piperine. At one point in history, black pepper was the most desired spice in the world. The Age of Exploration and the establishment of European trade routes to the East were in part motivated by demand for such spices.

Bioperine® safely enhances the absorption and bioavailability of other nutritional supplements included in Neurcumin, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Coenzyme Q10, and Curcumin.  In fact, the administration of Bioperine® at the same time as intake of curcumin increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. Click here to read more about Bioperine®.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid and antioxidant found inside every cell of the human body, needed to convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy.  Alpha lipoic acid is the only antioxidant that is both water and fat soluble. It also appears to recycle other important antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione after they have been consumed.

Alpha lipoic acid was first demonstrated as a powerful “neuro booster” in animal models, protecting neurons from free radical damage caused by both beta amyloid and free radicals (hydrogen peroxide).  More recently, a human study and other publications suggest its supportive effect against damage from free radicals. Click here to read more about studies involving alpha lipoic acid.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble, quinone nutrient. It is a ubiquitous compound necessary for a number of reactions related to energy metabolism and is vital for the proper transfer of electrons within the mitochondrial oxidative respiratory chain. Since dysfunctional energy metabolism has been implicated as a contributing factor for a number of conditions, coenzyme Q10 is beneficial in the support of human bodily processes that maintain a state of good health for cadiac, neurologic, and immunologic systems.  Coenzyme Q10 has also been demonstrated to prevent lipid peroxidation as an antioxidant. Click here to read more about the supportive effects of Coenzyme Q10 on neurologic health.

Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed extract provides the most concentrated form of PCO bioflavonoids. PCOs serve as neuroprotective agents in the protection of blood vessels, and also are among the few dietary antioxidants that readily cross the blood-brain barrier. Their hemodynamic, free radical scavenging, and cholesterol-lowering abilities help support healthy brain vessels. They maintain blood vessel health, enhance blood supply to the brain, and reduce the viscosity of blood.

PCOs further support vascular health by strengthening blood vessel walls. This is of particular importance to diabetics since they are especially prone to vascular fragility.  By readily traversing the blood-brain barrier, they are able to prevent injuries related to oxidative stress from free radicals and aid in recovery from free radical damage. By preventing beta amyloid accumulation in the brain cells, they may also prevent the formation of toxic plaques. Click here to read more about grape seed extract and the benefits of PCOs.

Green Tea

Green tea has been used for medicinal purposes in India and China for nearly 5,000 years.  Green tea extract is derived from leaves of camellia sinensis, the same plant of origin of black and oolong teas. There are many health benefits associated with Green tea extract, which include potential cancer-fighting properties and strong antioxidant effects that protect the body from toxic free radicals.

Green Tea Extract is an excellent source of potent, bioflavonoid rich compounds that are high in polyphenols, which are a special class of bioflavonoids.  Catechins, and in particular Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), is the most important polyphenol and has the strongest antioxidant action.  Moreover, recent studies are beginning to establish the vast potential health benefits of green tea, especially in supporting heart health and cellular integrity. Click here to read more about the benefits of green tea.

Vitamin C

Free radicals and other reactive oxygen species can be formed from external insults or internally as molecular byproducts of basic cellular metabolism. Neurons are especially vulnerable to damage caused by free radicals, which is believed to be one pathway for the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have suggested that antioxidant vitamins may help protect the brain against damage caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen species, including cognitive impairment. Click here for a further discussion of the studies related to Vitamin C and cognition.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of free radicals formed when fat undergoes oxidation. Researchers are still trying to determine if reducing free radical production can prevent or delay chronic diseases associated with free radical production. Many claims have been made about Vitamin E’s ability to promote health and prevent and treat disease. Click here for a further discussion of the role of vitamin E as it pertains to heart disease and cognitive decline.

Vitamins B6, B12 & Folic Acid

Folate, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 are required for the metabolism of homocysteine, an amino acid derived from consumption of meat (including red meat, chicken and fish).  Deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to increased plasma homocysteine concentrations and is a risk factor for ischemic stroke.  In addition to stroke, elevated homocysteine levels are thought to be responsible for a variety of other health conditions. Click here for a further discussion of homocysteine.

Of all the risk factors responsible for stroke, hyperhomocysteinemia (increased levels of homocysteine in the blood) is the one most directly influenced by diet.  It is therefore important to correct deficiencies in nutrients that help manage homocysteine levels.  Remarkably, supplementation of folate, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12 can lead to a decrease and even the normalization of elevated homocysteine levels. One study concluded that this could be effectively accomplished after fifteen weeks of vitamin therapy.  The efficacy of these vitamins in lowering homocysteine levels has been verified by other studies.