Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to nootropics.
Prevagen is a popular nootropic supplement, and the brand claims it's the #1 recommended memory supplement by pharmacists. Its active ingredient is a synthetically-derived protein that’s found in jellyfish, called apoaequorin.
But does Prevagen contain ingredients proven to enhance memory? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? What was our Product Tester's experience using Prevagen for a month straight? And why was the company warned by the FDA and FTC?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Prevagen to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also feature our Product Tester's honest experience purchasing and testing this supplement, highlight some questionable business practices and legal issues faced by the brand, and discuss the risk of side effects.
Key takeaways:
- Contains an active ingredient clinically shown to support memory
- False clinical claims caused FTC lawsuit
- We do not currently recommend Prevagen
We Tested Prevagen for a Month
One of our Product Testers named Joshua Martinez tested Prevagen for a month straight.
Here's his experience:
There was no flavor or scent at all, so if you are sensitive when taking pills, this would be a plus.
Prevagen arrived in a normal pill bottle, and the pills were normally sized so I didn't experience any issues with opening and using it.
I personally did not feel any sort of effects in my day-to-day, or during intensive thinking/working/brainstorming.
I would personally prefer drinking coffee to taking Prevagen, in terms of its nootropic effect.
I did not experience any side effects during the course of one month of Prevagen supplementation (which equates to a full bottle of use).
Overall, I would not purchase Prevagen again, and I rate this product 0/10.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Prevagen Regular Strength are shown below:
image source: https://prevagen.com/
Apoaequorin is a protein derived from jellyfish.
A medical review published in The Consultant Pharmacist journal found that this ingredient at the dose in Prevagen Regular Strength improved verbal learning and memory recall measures.
However, it's worth noting that the trial was funded by the manufacturer of Prevagen, which increases the risk of bias.
Vitamin D is the only other active ingredient.
Medical research shows that low levels of vitamin D are associated with accelerated cognitive decline, but we haven't come across any studies proving that vitamin D supplementation in healthy adults without deficiency improves cognition.
Sugar is an inactive ingredient which we consider to be a questionable choice for a memory supplement, given that added sugar intake is positively associated with cognitive impairment, according to a 2016 medical review.
Overall, we consider Prevagen Regular Strength to be potentially effective for improving memory, given the research-backed dose of apoaequorin.
Prevagen Sued by FTC
When the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspected Prevagen’s manufacturing facility, they found that the company didn’t have the required quality controls in place to ensure product quality.
An FDA warning letter states that Prevagen’s manufacturing facility “failed to establish release criteria for several manufacturing steps where control is necessary to ensure that specifications for identity, purity, strength and composition are met”.
In layman’s terms this means Prevagen wasn't ensuring that the products they sold contained the stated ingredients at the stated doses.
In 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Prevagen's manufacturer for deceptive advertising.
One of the most damning allegations about Prevagen in the above-linked lawsuit is that the company may not have been reporting cases of severe customer injury to the FDA, which is a requirement.
Some of their users were alleged to be experiencing an increase in seizures after taking Prevagen.
The FTC lawsuit also alleges that Prevagen's claims of being "clinically shown" to work are false and unsubstantiated.
We consider Prevagen’s claim of “#1 Pharmacist-Recommended Brand” to be questionable, given that Prevagen's manufacturer sponsored an article in the Pharmacy Times titled "Pharmacists' Guide to Recommending Prevagen."
In light of all of this information, we recommend avoiding all Prevagen supplements given how the company has historically conducted itself.
Does Prevagen Cause Side Effects?
Prevagen links out to three safety studies on their website about apoaequorin.
All three are animal studies.
While animal studies are useful for determining toxicity, we would not consider a compound proven to be safe based on animal studies alone.
One of the animal studies cited by Prevagen found no adverse effects when apoaequorin was administered at doses far higher than in Prevagen.
The FDA warning letter referenced in the previous section documented over 1,000 adverse events that were reported while taking Prevagen, including heart arrhythmias, chest pain and vertigo.
We would not necessarily assume that these reported side effects were caused by Prevagen, because there will be user complaints for any supplement with millions of users.
Even placebo pills can cause side effects, which is why placebo-controlled studies with human participants are so important. Only side effects experienced above placebo rates are considered to be legitimate.
The human trial on Prevagen reported no serious adverse events, and no higher side effect rate in the trial group than the placebo group, but there were only 218 total participants in the trial.
Overall, we do not consider Prevagen likely to cause side effects in otherwise healthy individuals based on the available data, but we urge the company to fund more human trials that are placebo-controlled to further prove the safety of their supplement.
Is Prevagen Extra Strength Better?
The ingredients in Prevagen Extra Strength are shown below:
image source: https://prevagen.com/
Apoaequorin is included at twice the dose (20 mg) as in Prevagen Regular Strength.
We would not recommend this supplement and consider its formulation to be inferior to Prevagen Regular Strength, because the dose in Prevagen Regular Strength is the dose that was used in the clinical trial on this ingredient.
While this supplement may be effective for memory enhancement, we cannot recommend it because we can't locate any medical studies proving the safety and efficacy of apoaequorin at a 20 mg dose.
This supplement also contains added sugar and a relatively high dose of vitamin D, which is a fat-soluble vitamin (meaning it's not as easily excreted in the case of overdose as water-soluble vitamins like B-vitamins).
Prevagen vs. Neuriva
Neuriva is another popular nootropic supplement, so consumers are often curious about which is the better option.
We reviewed Neuriva extensively in a separate Illuminate Health review, and we would recommend it over Prevagen (though we don't currently recommend either supplement).
Neuriva Original and Neuriva Plus both contain two effective nootropic ingredients that are clinically proven to work, and both of which have more research backing than we could find on the active ingredient in Prevagen.
And while Neuriva has also faced a lawsuit over health claims made on their website, we consider Prevagen's business practices to be more questionable overall in light of both FDA and FTC actions.
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.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Prevagen Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Potentially effective
- Legitimate clinical trial with favorable results
- Side effects seem unlikely based on formulation
- Our Product Tester didn't experience any side effects
Cons:
- Contains added sugar
- Received FDA warning letter
- Our Product Tester didn't experience any nootropic effects
- Sued by FTC for misleading claims
- Worse formulation than Neuriva
- Extra Strength contains unproven apoaequorin dose
