Address the problem of memory and mental decline at the source: In your brain

While mental stimulation, diet, and healthy habits are all important to overall well-being, they don’t necessarily provide direct support to your brain – the bodily organ most obviously associated with memory and cognition. But earlier, we told you about five chemical and biological processes within the brain that researchers associate with memory and mental decline. To recap:

1. Too many toxins. Environmental toxins and even common iron can accumulate in your brain over time, impairing memory and mental clarity.
2. Disappearing levels of acetylcholine (ACh): This is a critical neurotransmitter that helps facilitate nerve activity and signals for memory, thinking, and many other functions.
3. Lack of glucose to fuel the brain. As we age, many of us lose our ability to regulate blood glucose and insulin metabolisms – so our brains aren’t getting the glucose fuel needed for optimum function.
4. Brain inflammation. Like other parts of the body, the brain can get inflamed, impairing its function.
5. Your brain may be lacking air. The blood vessels that feed your brain cells can function less efficiently as you age, limiting the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your brain.

The unique combination of ingredients in Advanced Brain Power are designed to address all 5 issues. Here’s how:

Memo-Q™ BF-7 Silk Protein

Promotes ACh neurotransmitter production and preserves braincells associated with memory formation.

There’s a protein in the silk spun by mulberry silkworms that has been long used in traditional Asian medicine. Some decades ago, Western medical practitioners started putting it to use as well: for skin grafts, plastic surgery, wound healing, sutures, even repairing bones and internal organs. Called silk fibroin or Brain Factor-7 (commonly shortened to BF-7), this unique substance contains massive amounts of essential amino acids – the “building blocks” of protein – endowing it with exceptional biological power. It promotes a healthy inflammatory response. It fights free radicals. It has even been shown to protect nerve cells.

Towards the end of the last century, Korean scientists started exploring the question of what this unique silk protein could do for brain cells. After a series of studies showing that that BF-7 significantly reduced cognitive decline and improved the health of brain cells in animals, they started studying its effects on humans, knowing that it had a long history of safe use in traditional medicine. What did they find?

In 2022, Stohs and Bucci conducted a review of “all known studies” for the prestigious journal Molecules and concluded (with typical academic understatement) that silk proteins “exhibit beneficial cognitive effects with respect to memory and learning, attention, mental focus, accuracy, memory recall, and overall memory and concentration.” As we’ve already noted, those benefits are largely attributable the increased production of ACh (acetylcholine) which facilitates communication between neurons, enabling the brain to process and recall information effectively. They also noted two other critical cognitive health benefits:

• Increased presence of a chemical called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor,” or BDNF, which helps support the survival of existing neurons (brain cells) and promote new growth
• Increases of a protein called p-CREB, which is known to play a positive role in cognitive functions, including memory formation and consolidation

Sage

Preserves ACh levels, enhances memory, and improves cognitive speed.

The name of this ancient herb literally means “wise person,” with good reason. For centuries, herbalists and natural healers have written about sage’s impact on those with memory issues – and modern science has confirmed: Sage actually works to protect your memory. How?

Your body produces an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase that actually consumes the ACh neurotransmitters which are essential to brain health. But in an often-cited study from 2008, British researchers gave Sage extract to people aged 30 to 60, and found that it effectively neutralized this enzyme. As a result, their ACh levels rose by 52% – within just a few hours.

Rapid cognitive benefits. This rapid rise in ACh levels contributes to surprisingly quick improvement: Studies have shown that a single dose of sage can improve memory test scores within just 60 minutes. The fast action of sage extract makes Advanced Brain Power an excellent choice for those looking for immediate improvements in cognitive function.

Chromium and Biotin

Help moderate the blood sugar spikes that affect glucose uptake and brain function.

Put simply, glucose – a form of sugar – is the main source of fuel for your brain. But in order to get that fuel, your cells have to be “sensitive” to insulin, because that sensitivity instructs cells to take in glucose. And if your cells are not sensitive to insulin, you won’t get enough glucose to fuel your brain.

The problem is that food and other factors can cause glucose to spike in in your bloodstream, where it can affect every cell in your body – including your brain cells. That, in turn, affects memory and cognition. It isn’t just a problem for those with diabetes: The CDC reports that as many as 1 in 3 people may be suffering from blood sugar spikes and an insulin problem—or are on the verge of having one.

Chromium picolinate, the bioavailable form of chromium found in Advanced Brain Power is an essential trace mineral that plays a significant role in the body's metabolism and insulin action, the hormone crucial for regulating blood sugar levels. By improving insulin sensitivity, chromium helps ensure that glucose and other nutrients are utilized effectively throughout the body and brain. And in fact, studies published in reputable journals such as Psychopharmacology indicate that stable glucose levels facilitated by chromium can have positive effects on cognitive performance, including enhanced memory, sharper focus, and improved recall.

When used in combination with biotin – also known as Vitamin B7 – protection from sugar spikes is enhanced. Biotin is involved in the metabolic processes that convert food into energy, and plays an essential role in regulating blood sugar levels. Together, chromium and biotin help provide the brain with a steady supply of glucose-fueled energy, which is essential for maintaining cognitive performance and preventing mental fatigue.

Biotin is also crucial for the health of the nervous system because supports the maintenance of myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that ensures efficient transmission of nerve signals. This protection helps assure optimal brain function, maintaining clear and rapid communication between neurons.

Luteolin

Promotes normal inflammatory response in the brain.

Inflammation, a natural bodily process, is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps your body fight off infections. On the other hand, when inflammation gets out of control it can lead to serious health problems. And it when spreads to the brain, inflammation impacts special cells called microglia, leading to cognition problems.

Microglia function like housekeepers in your brain, clearing away dead neurons and other cellular debris, while also helping to maintain the myelin sheaths around nerve cells. They’re not only essential, but abundant: about 10% of the cells in your brain are microglia.

However, like other cells, these microglia can get stuck in a cycle of inflammation, and when that happens they don’t function well. Cellular debris can pile up, slowing down your memory, and keeping you from concentrating.

In 2008, researchers at the University of Illinois found that several plant compounds called “flavonoids” have the ability to calm down overactive microglia, promoting a healthy inflammatory response in the brain. One of these flavonoids is called luteolin, and it’s one of the only antioxidants that can cross the blood brain barrier to dampen microglial activity – acting almost like an “off switch” for inflammation in your brain. And further research supported by The National Institutes of Health indicates the potential to reduce age-associated inflammation in the brain, resulting in better cognitive health.

Resveratrol

Protects the microscopic capillaries in your brain, helping to promote healthy blood flow.

As arteries age, they tend to get stiffer, which increases blood pressure. And that can affect the tiny, sensitive capillaries that feed oxygenated blood to the inner reaches of your brain. So an aging brain can have up to 20 percent less blood flow than a younger person’s brain. And in fact, research published in the prestigious journal Hypertension shows that even slight rises in blood pressure can speed up memory loss and trigger cognitive decline in middle and older age.

Resveratrol, a plant compound found in the skin of grapes, berries and dark chocolate, became famous some years ago due to the so-called “French Paradox.” Scientists discovered it’s the reason French people can eat a rich, high-fat diet, yet rarely suffer the cardiovascular problems that plague North Americans: They get a lot of resveratrol from drinking red wine. Not in the habit of drinking red wine every day? When taken as a supplement, Resveratrol can help keep your arteries supple, support healthy blood pressure – and improve memory and cognition.

One study in the Journal of Neuroscience found that people taking 200mg resveratrol showed a significant improvement in their ability to remember words, compared to those who took a placebo. Another study in Nature Scientific Reports concluded that “resveratrol treatment in late middle age can help improve memory and mood function in old age.”

Resveratrol also supports the other ingredients in Advanced Brain Power by promoting healthy inflammation levels throughout the body and brain, and improving BDNF levels – the chemical that protects existing brain cells and promotes new growth.

Baicalin

Helps clear out toxins, promote healthy inflammatory response, and boost BDNF levels.

Like luteolin, baicalin is a powerful flavonoid for brain health. Also known as Chinese Skullcap, it has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

If you get easily distracted, or sense that you’re just not thinking as clearly as you once did, your doctor may call it “brain fog.” That can be caused by a range of issues, including inflammation and blood sugar imbalances which we’ve already discussed. But hidden toxins – which are everywhere in our modern world – may also be at fault. As toxins and chemicals accumulate in your body and brain, they can damage neurons and slow down thinking. And one of the most surprising toxins may be iron, which is among the most common elements on earth.

A ground-breaking study from UCLA found people with the most iron in their brain were also most likely to suffer from cognitive decline. They performed worse on memory tests and were most likely to suffer from permanent memory loss. Your brain is also susceptible to damage from free radicals and oxidation. Consider: When you bite into an apple then leave it for a few minutes, it turns brown inside. That’s oxidation, like the rust you see on an old metal tool. In the body, oxidation has been linked to many health problems – and may even speed up aging. Baicalin helps clear away cellular debris that can turn into toxins in your brain. And it supports the other ingredients in Advanced Brain Power by promoting a healthy inflammatory response in your brain, and boosting your brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps you grow new brain cells.