The estimate is alarming: 35 million people globally have Alzheimer’s or a form of dementia, according to the 2009 World Alzheimer Report.

And in the next 40 years, this number may prove to be just the beginning, as the report went on to state that the number is expected to nearly double every 20 years, hitting 115.4 million people by 2050.

While these numbers may at first appear shocking, they can be explained, in part, because the average lifespan increased from 70 years of age to 78 since 1960, according to the World Bank. This increased aging has consequences on the brain, as it becomes more prone to inflammation and oxidation, which causes free radical damage to brain cells, believed to be involved in age-related cognitive decline.

But whether it’s a severe condition such as dementia or the first instance of memory loss, cognitive decline is not inevitable or untreatable. An entire category of products has arisen set on improving cognitive function and brain efficiency, which has made great strides in the first decade of the 21st century.

“According to information from Nutrition Business Journal, the market for cognitive products in the US
Exceeds $3 billion and is growing at more than 13 percent. Nutritional supplements for cognitive enhancement grew 122 percent from 2002 and now exceed $300 million,” said Matt Phillips, president of the Irvine, Cabased Cyvex Nutrition, Inc. These encouraging numbers have made a large influence on the state of the category. In fact, according to Blake Kraemer, sales manager with Chemi Nutra (White Bear Lake, MN), “Five years ago, you could find a functional/ supplement product in a convenience store. Now in such stores, you are finding numerous products in shot, beverage and capsule forms that cater to specific functions such as energy, focus, etc.” Ingredients for Thought Veterans to the dietary supplement industry will remember that as the industry began to gain mass appeal, Ginkgo biloba was the primary botanical researched and marketed for cognition and memory support. To this day it is still one of the most touted ingredients in the category, even after the December 29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported ginkgo extract as being ineffective in reducing cognitive decline in older adults with normal cognition or with mild cognitive impairment.

In response to this study, Mark Blumenthal, American Botanical Council (ABC) founder and executive director, commented, “The age of the subjects is quite advanced, at an average of 79 years at the beginning of the trial. This age group is not typical of the age of both healthy people and those with mild cognitive impairment who use ginkgo for improving mental performance.” “It is important to put this study into context and to remember that there is a large body of previously published evidence, which suggests that Ginkgo biloba may help improve cognitive impairment in older adults,” stressed Douglas MacKay, ND, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).

In addition to ginkgo, a multitude of other ingredients are beginning to take their own share of the mental health spotlight as a result of some compelling scientific validation. Here are some of the most promising: DHA: For the human brain, which is itself 60 percent fat, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), one of the essential fatty acids, comprises 25 percent of that fat.

Found in coldwater fatty fish as well as in seaweed, bodies naturally produce small amounts of DHA. However, we need to obtain more from our diets, which has led to an influx of supplements and fortified foods featuring the omega-3 fatty acid.

EPAX AS (Aalesund, Norway), supplier of the EPAX 1050TG product containing 430 mg/g DHA, supported a study concerning DHA’s effect on dementia in elderly people in Sweden several years ago. “The conclusion was that you could reduce the risk and slow down the onset of mild dementia by administrating DHA as supplement during the trial period,” said Baldur Hjaltason, sales director with EPAX AS.

“This was a pioneering work that has been supported by other studies later.” PS: Back in 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted two significant health claims to phosphatidylserine (PS), a phospholipid which functions as a building block for brain cell membranes. First, “PS may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly;” and second, “PS may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly.” “[PS] has been demonstrated in clinical trials to improve memory, concentration, word recall and mood in middle- aged and elderly subjects with dementia and age-related cognitive
Decline,” echoed Steve Holtby, president and CEO of Soft Gel Technologies, Inc. (SGTI, Los Angeles, CA). “For older adults with moderate cognitive impairment, PS has produced consistently modest increases in recall of word lists.” A-GPC: Alpha-glyceryl phosphoryl choline (AGPC) is a nutrient that occurs naturally in the human body. According to Chemi Nutra’s Kraemer, whose company manufactures the AlphaSize® Alpha-glyceryl phosphoryl choline ingredient, after oral administration, A-GPC is converted to phosphorylcholine. “Phosphorylcholine migrates to the synaptic nerve endings found throughout the entire central nervous system, and in turn increases the synthesis and release of acetylcholine (AC),” he said. “AC is a vastly important neurotransmitter present in both brain and muscle tissue that plays a key roll in basically every cognitive function.” CoQ10: While antioxidants as a whole are gaining momentum due to their ability to neutralize tissue-damaging free radicals, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is one antioxidant that has gained particular notice in this category. “CoQ10 may be beneficial in preventing brain degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, in that it appears to slow the progressive deterioration of function in this disease,” said Holtby.

SGTI’s ingredient CoQsol-CF® is a completely solubilized form of coenzyme Q10 in a proprietary matrix.

“Using Soft Gel’s crystal-free (CF) technology, CoQH-CF™ was created,” Holtby continued. “This unique soft gel delivery system with Kaneka QH™ allows individuals who are unable to process CoQ10 effectively on their own (primarily Baby Boomers and those with disorders of elevated oxidative stress) to increase plasma levels of CoQ10 in its reduced form.” Vinpocetine: Vinpocetine is derived from vincamine, an alkaloid found in the periwinkle plant Vinca minor. It is a cerebral vasodilator, a substance that improves blood flow preferentially to the brain.

“Vinpocetine has been shown to do this by altering the rheological properties of blood,” said Cyvex’s Phillips. “This makes vinpocetine of particular therapeutic use in treating a myriad of illnesses associated with insufficient blood flow to the brain.” Cyvex currently supplies its BioVinca® Vinpocetine, which, according to Phillips, carries an impressive body of solid scientific evidence backing claims of cognitive enhancement in humans. “Vinpocetine is the only mental dietary supplement for which a direct mechanism of action has been proposed and scientifically verified,” he added.

Additional Promising Research Phillip’s noted that a population study from Finland has developed a new scale that can predict a 20-year risk for dementia: “[a] sort of a ‘brain aging speedometer,’” he said.

In this study, called CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia), 1,409 randomly selected individuals aged 65-79 from Eastern Finland had been surveyed for their weight, height, cholesterol and blood pressure levels. The investigators re-examined the participants about 20 years later in 1998 for signs of dementia.

“Obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are some of the culprits this study identified,” explained Phillips, “so keeping these under control is imperative.” Added to those findings, a 2009 study followed 3,113 men aged 40-79 across Europe and found that higher blood levels of vitamin D were associated with better performance in tests of attention and speed of information processing.

“This study raises the question of vitamin D’s role in memory and cognition and hopefully further studies will be conducted,” said Bradley West, ND, Nordic Naturals Inc.’s (Watsonville, CA) research advisor.

Target Consumers Presently, Baby Boomers represent the most targeted segment of this market.

Fears of cognitive decline are so prevalent in this population that in a recent study, Boomers proved more afraid of memory loss than cardiovascular diseases and even cancer, said EPAX’s Hjaltason.

However, there are other key demographics that are fairly wide-open for manufacturers that will prove crucial for growing this category. First on the list: college students. “College students are keen on [attaining or maintaining] steady mental energy, clarity and improved cognition ability and memory retention. This, to us, is an underserved market, as many college students turn to stimulatory energy drinks to achieve this,” said Cyvex’s Phillips. “We encourage our marketing partners and the industry to create and market responsi
Ble cognitive-support supplements to this group.” Second: the 30-40 age group, since age-related cognitive decline can begin showing up during this period.

According to Phillips, members of this particular group tend to chastise themselves rather harshly when they forget something and it is quite common to hear someone in this age group half jokingly, half fearfully utter, “must be early Alzheimer’s.” “Many of the individuals in this group are also taking care of elderly parents and seeing firsthand the damaging effect of cognitive decline,” he added. “This observation causes many to take a closer look at their own cognitive health, and what they can be doing now to stave off dementia and other cognitive ailments.” Steps to a Brighter Future According to Elzaphan Hotam, CEO for Enzymotec USA (Morristown, NJ), more strides need to be taken for the memory and cognitive health market to meet its full potential. The future success, he said, will be determined by combination products offering a synergistic benefit as well as other features to enhance the consumer’s experience.

Phillips agreed that the market has not reached its potential quite yet, but added that the market is still looking for new delivery systems, i.e. beverages, food bars, etc. “This is an attractive growth market in which many customers are looking to develop new products,” he said. “We continue to see a growing interest in these types of products. We fully expect this category to grow at a record rate as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age.” Since Baby Boomers will continue to influence this category for many more years (the US Census Bureau estimates there will be more than 50 million Boomers by 2030), Chemi Nutra’s Kraemer recommended manufacturers diversify their marketing efforts. “Many in this target market are hesitant to change. They still place orders and ask questions via phone. They still want that element of human contact,” he said.

“On the other hand, others have embraced the internet age—educating themselves on products online and also ordering their products online.” As a final note, Holtby recommended manufacturers launch products that focus on clear brain-support benefits, “as people respond more favorably and openly to positive claims such as, ‘improvement in problem solving ability’ and ‘enjoy clearer memory.’” This, he added, will help debunk the message that brain cells just naturally die as a result of aging and that memory loss, dementia and senility are normal facets of getting older.