Cerebra is a dietary supplement manufactured by a company called Boston Brain Science. The manufacturer describes the supplement as a "Next-Generation Brain Health Formula" and suggests that it can help users "Stay Sharp At Any Age."
But does Cerebra contain ingredients shown in medical studies to support brain function and cognition? Does the supplement contain any questionable additives? Does it cause side effects? And how do real customers rate and describe Cerebra?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Cerebra to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective for cognition, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll discuss the potential for side effects, feature real Cerebra user reviews and highlight pros and cons of the supplement.
Key takeaways:
- Contains research-backed active ingredients for cognition
- Free from unhealthy inactive ingredients
- We currently recommend Cerebra
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in Cerebra are shown below:
Citicoline is the first active ingredient, and is included at a dose of 500 milligrams (mg). This ingredient has been studied in a number of clinical trials for its effects on brain function.
A 1996 clinical trial found that citicoline improved memory in healthy older adults, but the doses used were 1,000 mg and 2,000 mg per day, or 200% to 400% of the amount in Cerebra.
A 2021 clinical trial reported that citicoline at the same dosage as in Cerebra was effective for improving memory in elderly adults with age-associated memory impairment.
Another medical study with healthy adults as trial participants found that citicoline improved a specific type of memory called free recall, which refers to the ability to remember previously-learned information in any order.
Bacopa monnieri extract is the second ingredient, and is included at a 300 mg dose. This is a well-studied nootropic compound used in other popular memory supplements such as Prevagen.
A 2016 medical review reported that Bacopa extract improved memory in healthy, young adults after only six weeks of treatment at the exact same dose as in Cerebra.
SerinAid is a patented form of phosphatidylserine. This is an effective ingredient for brain health but may be underdosed.
An extensive medical review published in the Nutrition journal analyzed results from 127 clinical trials on phosphatidylserine and brain health.
The study authors concluded that the compound “supports cognitive functions” and “reverses biochemical alterations and structural deterioration in nerve cells,” but the effective dose range was listed as 300 mg to 800 mg per day, or 300% to 800% of the dose in Cerebra.
We cannot locate any clinical trials suggesting that 100 mg of phosphatidylserine is effective for improving any parameter of brain function in healthy adults.
One benefit of Cerebra is that its inactive ingredients, shown below, should be safe and non-toxic:
Overall, we consider Cerebra likely to improve memory and support cognitive function, because two of the three active ingredients appear effectively dosed, and the other ingredient may be underdosed but still has research-backing as a nootropic.
Does Cerebra Cause Side Effects?
Cerebra doesn't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so it's challenging to say for certain whether or not the supplement causes side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its active ingredients.
We do not consider Cerebra likely to cause side effects in healthy adults based on its formulation.
Citicoline is a safe and non-toxic compound produced endogenously (which means the body produces it naturally), and has been studied in human trials at doses much higher than that in Cerebra and has been found safe.
Bacopa monnieri extract is one of the most well-studied herbal compounds and has a favorable safety profile. A dose equivalent to 180,000 mg was found to cause no adverse effects in a clinical trial published in the BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies journal.
The safety of phosphatidylserine has been shown in human trials at doses up to 300 mg per day, which is 300% higher than the dose in Cerebra.
Customers Rate Cerebra
The manufacturer of Cerebra, Boston Brain Science, has been reviewed over 100 times on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website, and has an impressive 4.36 out of 5 star rating at the time of this article.
Customers like "Neal Stewart" claim that the brand is responsive and helpful:
"I am most impressed with the personal service I just received by actually speaking with a Cerebra employee by the name of [redacted]. She was warm, personal and knowledgeable about the Cerebra product. I look forward to results that I will get from taking your supplement."
The majority of health companies that we've reviewed on Illuminate Health have a customer review rating under 2 on the BBB site, since many consumers go to that site to complain about a product or service, so we consider this a good sign about the legitimacy of the brand and product.
Boston Brain Science also responds to consumer complaints on the site and attempts to resolve them, which is another good sign in our opinion about the brand's diligence and trustworthiness.
Our Clean Nootropic Picks
Illuminate Labs Ginkgo Biloba Extract is our top herbal nootropic pick.
A medical review published in the Psychopharmacology journal found that ginkgo biloba supplementation improved attention and cognitive performance in healthy, young adults.
Mind Lab Pro by Performance Lab is our top multi-ingredient nootropic pick.
This is the first Illuminate Labs Certified supplement, and has been shown to be effective for short-term cognitive improvements in two clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals.
Cerebra Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Cerebra in our opinion:
Pros:
- Effective formulation
- Should improve memory
- Should support brain health
- No questionable additive ingredients
- Uses trademarked active ingredients which may have higher quality standards
- Brand website is easy to use
- Shouldn't cause side effects in healthy adults
Cons:
- Expensive
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Phosphatidylserine may be underdosed
