Rescuing memory requires improving brain function. The brain is arguably the body's most intricate organ, using more than 20 percent of the body's energy. It needs all the nutrients the other organs need, and more. Fortunately, many next-generation memory ingredients offer substantial promise backed by clinical research.

Probiotic bacteria that may confer health benefits when taken by mouth are becoming increasingly fascinating to brain researchers. A small but meaningful number of controlled clinical trials indicate that dietary supplementation with specific strains of probiotics can positively influence emotions and mental performance.

In clinical trials, a combination of two well-characterized probiotic strains when taken by mouth consistently improved both digestive function and mood. Another strain improved anxiety in people with chronic fatigue. Other well-characterized probiotic strains have shown promise for improving memory and other cognitive functions. We are at the point of having defensible structure-functions claims for probiotic brain benefits. Here come the neurobiotics!

From the burgeoning clinical research, it is now clear that the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are essential for brain health across the entire human lifespan. They protect against loss of brain structure and function, and they can improve memory, attention, other cognitive functions, mood, behavior, personality, vision and a plethora of healthy brain functions.

For more information on these and other ingredients drawing increasing interest for potential cognitive health applications, read INSIDER’s Boosting Brain Health Digital Magazine. Looking to discover what’s on the frontier in terms of new applications for ingredients in the cognitive health area? Join us for the Next-Gen Ingredients for Brain Health panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at SupplySide West 2017.

Parris Kidd, Ph.D., earned his doctorate in cell biology-zoology from the University of California, Berkeley. Beginning in 1984, while a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research investigator at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, he published authoritative texts on antioxidants that launched him into nutritional medicine. In 1994, Kidd helped establish phosphatidylserine (PS), then glycerophosphocholine (GPC). His brain formulas have earned awards from the dietary supplement industry. Kidd is chief science officer and director of quality for BrainMD Health. He collaborates with the Amen Clinics to develop clinically validated products for memory, mood, behavior and healthy aging.