This two year double blind trial gave 271 people over 70 with mild cognitive impairment either high dose folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 or a placebo, and scanned the brains of a subgroup at the start and the end. Brain shrinkage was slower in the group taking the B vitamins, and the difference was largest in people who started with high homocysteine. Faster brain shrinkage went along with worse cognitive test scores at the end.
The brain shrinks with age, and faster in people with mild cognitive impairment, a state of memory problems that does not yet interfere with daily life. Faster shrinkage is linked to later Alzheimer's disease. One thing that tracks with it is homocysteine, a blood amino acid whose level depends heavily on folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. The researchers asked whether lowering homocysteine with high doses of these vitamins would slow brain shrinkage.
This was a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Oxford, registered as VITACOG. Of 646 people screened, 271 aged over 70 with mild cognitive impairment were randomized and 266 started treatment. The active tablet contained 0.8 mg folic acid, 0.5 mg vitamin B12 and 20 mg vitamin B6, taken daily for two years, against a matching placebo. Randomization was by telephone through independent statisticians with full allocation concealment. The main outcome was the yearly rate of whole brain shrinkage, measured from MRI at start and end by an automated method called SIENA. 168 volunteers had usable scans at both points: 85 on vitamins, 83 on placebo, a mean 24.3 months apart.
Homocysteine fell 22.5% on vitamins and rose 7.7% on placebo, a 31.7% difference at the end. Plasma folate rose about 270% and vitamin B12 roughly doubled.
This trial measured brain shrinkage, not thinking. The authors state it was not powered to detect an effect on cognition, and the cognitive link they report is a post-hoc correlation, not a treatment result. Three vitamins were given together, so the trial cannot say which mattered. The main analysis rests on 168 people, a subset of the 271 randomized. Subgroup findings come from small numbers, and the authors say they should be read with caution. P values were not adjusted for multiple comparisons. More people dropped out of the vitamin group than the placebo group, 28 against 20. The tablets were donated by Meda AB and Recip AB, which also part-funded the study alongside several charities and the Medical Research Council. A. David Smith, the lead author, is named as an inventor on two University of Oxford patents covering folic acid to treat Alzheimer's disease and could benefit financially if they are exploited. He and Helga Refsum have received speaking fees from Recip AB and from Axis-Shield, which makes the homocysteine assay equipment.
This is a randomized trial with a clear result on its chosen measure: B vitamins slowed brain shrinkage by about a third over two years. It does not show any improvement in memory or thinking. The trial was not built to test that, and the cognitive results were reported separately. Nor does it show that anyone avoided Alzheimer's disease. Participants were over 70 and already had mild cognitive impairment, so the result does not automatically extend to healthy or younger people. The benefit was concentrated in those starting with high homocysteine and absent in the lowest quarter, so any effect appears to depend on where a person starts. The authors call for trials to test whether this treatment delays Alzheimer's disease, an open question rather than a finding.
That depends on the specific medication and formula. A few, like blood thinners with CurQLife or blood pressure medication with MaxiNOs, are worth a direct conversation with your doctor first. Check each formula's own FAQ section for specifics, or ask your health coach.
No, and we'd rather be upfront about it. Bacopa, the plant in BacoZest, has published human studies, though they used other bacopa extracts. OptiNOs and MaxiNOs each have human studies sponsored by their maker, Laila Nutraceuticals, which haven't been published in a journal. CurQLife's research is still early, from lab and animal studies, and we label it that way.
It depends on what you're building your routine around. BacoZest is built around bacopa, which is studied for memory.* OptiNOs supports strength and muscular endurance alongside resistance training.* MaxiNOs was studied for healthy blood vessel function.* CurQLife's research is still at the lab stage. Your health coach can help you pick a starting point.
All four are built around plant extracts. OptiNOs was reported as well tolerated in its human study, and published bacopa studies reported no serious side effects. CurQLife's safety data so far comes from lab and animal testing. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Because the patented ingredients behind our four formulas went through dedicated research, and research costs real money. A generic curcumin or bacopa supplement hasn't been tested in the form you get from us. You're paying for an ingredient with research behind it, not just a label.
Generic ingredients often haven't been studied in the specific form you're buying. Our four core formulas use patented ingredients, and we show you the research behind each one, including where it's still early.
It depends on the formula. In its study, MaxiNOs blood vessel response was higher than placebo 2 to 3 hours after the first dose.* OptiNOs and bacopa were studied over 6 and 12 weeks of daily use, so give them time. CurQLife is meant to be taken daily.
Yes. BacoZest, OptiNOs, MaxiNOs, and CurQLife are built for different goals, and none of them contain stimulants. They haven't been studied together, so ask your health coach how to fit them into your routine.
