Consumer Reports on Memory-Improving Dietary Supplement MemoProve: Don't Bother

Memoprove says its' pills will "improve memory, alertness and concentration with a patent pending blend of neuropeptides." True?

Their support seems impressive. On their website they quote the former head of geriatric psychopharmacology at the National Institutes for Mental Health: "MemoProve is the first product in his opinion to improve symptoms of mild age-related memory problems as measured by both improved neuropsychological test performance and reports of improvement by study subjects." And they cite published research that their pills improve short-term memory by 15%.

But the doctor from NIMH, Thomas H. Crook III, is affiliated with the company. And the research, of which Crook was the lead author, was sponsored by MemoMind's Austrian parent.

Add another downside: it will cost you $600 / year.

Consumer Reports consulted UCLA's resident memory expert, Gary Small, and other unnamed consultants and concluded:

Until there’s better evidence, our consultants say save your money. Other once promising memory-boosters, such as ginkgo biloba, choline, and antioxidant vitamins, have shown unimpressive results in larger well-done studies.

But there's still he-said, she-said at work. Crook published "The Memory Cure" and "The Memory Advantage;" Small authored "The Longevity Bible," "The Memory Bible," and "The Memory Prescription," and offers memory training through the UCLA Center on Aging. In short, they're both brain entreprenuers -- not a bad thing, but Small was probably not the right person to opine on the Memoprove regimen.

Where does that leave us? Like Consumer Reports, we think it's best to wait and see -- until someone without skin in the game can tell us if MemoProve is effective -- or not.