- Panel says no proof products combat dementia or improve brain health
- The expert panel was put together by the consumer watchdog Which?
- Also warned against using dementia tests after scrutinising a selection
Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor For The Daily Mail
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Manufacturers appear to be playing on customers’ fears by pushing products containing Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B and D and fish oil as a solution
Health supplements sold with claims they can boost the brain and even help stave off dementia are not backed up by reliable science, according to experts.
Manufacturers appear to be playing on customers’ fears by pushing products containing Ginkgo Biloba, Vitamin B and D and fish oil as a solution.
However, experts say there is ‘no robust evidence’ to show they combat dementia or improve brain health. The findings come from a panel of experts brought together by the consumer watchdog Which?.
The panel, including a GP, a dietitian and a professor of public health medicine, studied a selection of supplements sold on the high-street and online.
They included Bioglan Calamari Gold capsules, Efamol Brain Active Memory capsules, Boots Sharp Mind tablets and BrainSmart Memory capsules.
The Efamol supplement claimed the vitamins, minerals and herbal ingredients used could protect against vascular and brain cell damage.
The BrainSmart Memory supplement claimed to be a ‘step forward to improved memory and ultimately in the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s’.
Which? said it believed that the claims made for these two products were potentially misleading and could be illegal because they have not been approved by the European Food Safety Authority.
The panel was also concerned about claims made for the other products, including that they could maintain brain function, mental performance and memory. The Which? experts also warned against using dementia tests after scrutinising a selection, ranging from free apps to a £1,275 online test, saying they could lead to ‘false positives’.
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Research has shown that many of those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment do not develop dementia. The Dementia Test app failed to ask basic questions such as a person’s age and sex, which are the strongest risk factors for dementia. The Food for the Brain app recommended more tests and Vitamin B, despite those taking the test performing above or at the norm for their age.
Efamol told Which? that it did not intend to mislead consumers and was rigorously reviewing the claims made for its products.
Experts say there is ‘no robust evidence’ to show they combat dementia or improve brain health
BrainSmart said its product did not claim to prevent, cure or treat disease, and scientific data supported its efficacy, adding that the company complied with all rules and regulations. Alex Neill of Which? said: ‘It’s unacceptable that these companies are preying on people’s fears, making claims they simply can’t stack up.’
Which? noted advice that lifestyle changes could make a difference to the risk of dementia, such as eating a healthy diet, and regular exercise.
The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association, which speaks for the industry, said: ‘This report confuses those claims which can be made and those that cannot. EU regulators have fully authorised a number of claims in regard to brain function for a range of particular nutrients.’
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