Bacopa Monnieri + Ginkgo Biloba + Lecithin

Bacopa monnieri increases neuron density in the hippocampus, the area that plays an important part in learning and memory. It changes how the cholinergic system works, which leads to better attention and cognitive processing, and finally to better working memory.

Ginkgo biloba leaf extract protects neurons from oxidative damage, potentially preventing the progression of tissue degeneration in patients with dementia. It also improves blood flow throughout the body and restores the balance between prostacyclin and thromboxane A2, which results in improved vasoregulation. Vascular contraction and better venous tone are thought to come from phosphodiesterase inhibition and the release of catecholamine. Its beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease are also due to the inhibition of toxicity and cell death induced by beta-amyloid peptides. It has been proposed that the extract 1) inhibits monoamine oxidase A and B, 2) inhibits catechol-O-methyl transferase (an enzyme that breaks down adrenergic transmitters), and 3) increases the number of alpha-adrenoreceptors in the brain, since these decline with age.

Lecithin is a good source of choline. Phosphatidylcholine is a precursor of choline for acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis, and choline increases the accumulation of acetylcholine within the brain. Acetylcholine is important for many brain functions, including memory, so raising the concentration of this neurotransmitter results in better memory. Apparently, lecithin speeds up ACh synthesis in the brain by making more choline available. Lecithin has been tried in the treatment of dementia, alone or together with an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI).