Quick Verdict
Prevagen and Neuriva are two of the most popular nootropics, but they are also among the worst I’ve tried.
Prevagen has only one active ingredient, and Neuriva uses two, which pales in comparison to good nootropics.
This would not be such an issue if the ingredients were proven effective, but the studies behind them are shady and almost certainly strongly biased, which is why both companies have faced legal trouble for false claims.
This is why I suggest you avoid them and instead try Noocube. It’s one of the best non-stimulant nootropics, and it offers excellent value for anyone just getting into natural brain boosters.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Neuriva |
| Dosage | Draw |
| Short-Term Effects | Draw |
| Long Term Effects | Draw |
| Third-Party Testing | Draw |
| Clinical Research | Draw |
| Side Effects | Draw |
| User Reviews | Draw |
| Price | Neuriva |
Winner
I can’t recommend either Prevagen or Neuriva. Both have been poor underdosed formulas. NooCube is a better nootropic supplement with a solid formulation for non-stimulant brain gains.
What Is Prevagen?
Prevagen is a dietary supplement marketed for its potential benefits in improving memory and overall brain health. It contains a unique active ingredient called apoaequorin, a protein derived from jellyfish.
Apoaequorin is believed to support cognitive function by helping to maintain calcium levels in brain cells, which is crucial for proper cell function and communication.
Prevagen is often promoted as beneficial for older adults who may experience age-related memory decline, but its claims’ efficacy and validity have been controversial.
Prevagen is produced by Quincy Bioscience, a biotechnology company based in Madison, Wisconsin.
Founded in 2004, Quincy Bioscience focuses on developing products that support cognitive health and combat age-related memory loss.
The company has garnered significant positive and negative attention due to its aggressive marketing campaigns and the controversy surrounding the scientific evidence behind its flagship product, Prevagen.
My Prevagen review breaks down the formula and my experience (including lawsuits)
What Is Neuriva?
Neuriva is a brain health supplement that supports cognitive function, including memory, focus, and learning. It is formulated with two primary active ingredients: coffee fruit extract and phosphatidylserine.
Neuriva is marketed as a natural option for those looking to boost their cognitive abilities, particularly in areas such as concentration and mental clarity.
Neuriva is produced by Schiff Vitamins, a global consumer health company and a subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser.
Schiff, established in 1936, is known for its wide range of nutritional supplements, including popular brands like Airborne and Move Free.
With the launch of Neuriva, the company has entered the competitive brain health market, leveraging its established reputation and extensive distribution network.
My Neuriva review breaks down the formula and my experience.
Prevagen vs. Neuriva Main Differences
Benefits
Prevagen’s primary goal is to improve memory and maintain normal cognitive function. To accomplish this, the supplement uses the unique component apoaequorin, which is considered to act by altering calcium levels in neurons, which play an important role in neuronal signaling.
Apoaequorin may increase and maintain normal calcium levels, hence boosting cognitive performance and alleviating moderate cognitive decline.
Another advantage of Prevagen is its minimal risk of adverse effects compared to other medications containing many more ingredients.
Neuriva aims to enhance mental performance, focusing on areas such as memory, learning, focus, and mental clarity.
It contains coffee fruit extract, which is believed to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. This protein supports the growth and maintenance of neurons, promoting brain plasticity and cognitive function.
Additionally, it includes phosphatidylserine, a naturally occurring phospholipid in the brain that helps maintain the structure and function of cell membranes, supporting processes like memory retention and recall.
Ingredients
Unlike most other nootropics and especially potent ones, Neuriva and Prevagen have very shallow ingredient lists with two and one active ingredients, respectively.
Prevagen relies on a single active component- a protein called apoaequorin, which is found in bioluminescent jellyfish.
Prevagen’s apoaequorin is used to reduce the development of Alzheimer’s disease and increase verbal learning abilities and working memory in healthy or mildly cognitively impaired individuals [1].
Prevagen is offered in three versions: Regular strength has 10 mg of apoaequorin, Extra strength contains 20 mg, and Professional variant contains 40 mg.
Neuriva has a basic mix with only two active components. The first ingredient is coffee fruit extract. Coffee fruit grows on the same plant as coffee beans, and the extract is used to make Neurofactor, a nootropic supplement.
Studies of people supplementing with Neurofactor have observed higher levels of BDNF, which is necessary for brain function. This boosts reaction time and decision-making accuracy [2, 3].
While the trials show great potential, they have one major flaw: they were conducted and analyzed only by the manufacturer of coffee berry extract.
The other active element in Neuriva is phosphatidylserine. Unlike coffee extract, phosphatidylserine is a well-studied nootropic drug that improves cognitive function in older adults and people with neurological diseases [4].
Neuriva is available in three versions: Original, Plus, and Ultra. The variation is in the amounts of each ingredient.
The Original has 100 mg of coffee fruit extract, the Plus contains 200 mg, and the Ultra includes an additional component known as Alpinia Galanga, which is also unsupported by research like Neurofactor.
Stimulant vs. Non-stimulant
A big distinction between nootropics is between ones that use stimulants and others that don’t. Most of the time, the stimulant is caffeine, which has well-known and powerful energy and mental capacity-boosting effects.
However, it also has some drawbacks, so not all products include caffeine in their formulations.
Neither Prevagen nor Neuriva contains caffeine or other stimulants, so they are safe for caffeine-sensitive individuals to use at any time of the day.
Short vs. Long-Term Effects
Dietary supplements generally require consistency to deliver their full scope of benefits, which is even more accurate for non-stimulant nootropics.
Neuriva and Prevagen’s short ingredient lists mean you must invest much time in them before noticing tangible benefits.
Prevagen’s clinical trials, which claim considerable advantages, were conducted after 90 days. Although the study is highly questionable, this is the company’s recommended timeline for assessing effectiveness.
Clinical Research and Lawsuits
For Prevagen, the primary study cited by its manufacturer, Quincy Bioscience, suggests that its active ingredient, apoaequorin, can improve cognitive function in older adults experiencing mild memory loss.
The study included 218 participants aged 40 to 91. Compared to the placebo group, the control group showed slight improvements in verbal learning and recall after 90 days of ingesting 10 mg of Prevagen daily.
The study has several problems and is not considered a legitimate claim to efficacy. First, it was only recently peer-reviewed and was done in-house by the parent company producing Prevagen.
Secondly, the subjects had only self-reported memory loss problems, and such groups are more susceptible to the placebo effect.
Critics, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and various scientific experts, note major flaws in the study, such as small sample sizes and potential biases.
These concerns have led to legal challenges regarding the validity of Prevagen’s marketing claims, with allegations that the supplement’s benefits are not significantly greater than those of a placebo.
Neuriva has had similar legal troubles based on its claims of efficiency. It was accused of falsely advertising its products as clinically and scientifically proven to improve brain performance, which violated consumer protection and other regulations.
This applies to all three variants of Neuriva. Since the settlement, Reckitt Benckiser (Neuriva’s parent company) has committed to improving its labeling and marketing practices, including eliminating the phrase “clinically proven” from labels, social media, websites, and advertising.
Side Effects
Both Neuriva and Prevagen are generally safe but can cause side effects in some users. Prevagen’s main ingredient, apoaequorin, may lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, sleep disturbances, and rarely, allergic reactions.
Neuriva’s ingredients, coffee fruit extract, and phosphatidylserine, are usually well-tolerated but may cause mild side effects like restlessness, jitteriness, or gastrointestinal discomfort.
I didn’t get adverse side effects from either product, which was a relief given my equally uneventful positive experience.
User Reviews
The biggest factors in Prevagen and Neuriva’s popularity are their availability in large physical stores, on Amazon, and aggressive marketing campaigns.
Prevagen has tens of thousands of Amazon reviews. The high ratings indicate that consumers are satisfied with it. Nonetheless, when you start reading reviews, many say they experienced no improvements.
Some customers also complain about the cost, which, in the versions with higher apoaequorin concentration, is comparable to many other nootropics with dozens of components.
Neuriva also boasts an incredibly high score of 4.2-5 from thousands of reviews, which I honestly find perplexing.
Many reviewers say they have experienced improved memory, but many share they don’t. Generally, the picture looks equally split between people who have felt some benefits and those who haven’t.
Price
| Nootropic | Regular Strength | Plus Strength / 60 Servings | Extra Strength | Extra Strength / 30 Servings | Pro Formula |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neuriva | $26.31 30 servings ($0.94 per serving) | $37.92 Neuriva Plus ($1.26 per serving) | |||
| Prevagen | Regular Strength 30 servings $39.95 ($1.33 per serving) | Regular Strength 60 servings $74.95 ($1.25 per serving) | Extra Strength 30 servings $59.95 ($2.00 per serving) | Extra Strength 60 servings $109.95 ($1.83 per serving) | Pro Formula 30 servings $89.95 ($3.00 per serving) |
My Experience With Prevagen and Neuriva
Unfortunately, but in line with my expectations, my experiences with Prevagen and Neuriva were poor. Not because I suffered from side effects but because the positive ones were also completely missing.
Given the reputation of both supplements, marred by lawsuits and misleading labeling, I still decided to give them a fair shot and conducted 30-day tests.
As expected, I have no positive results to share. I didn’t experience better energy, memory, focus, or any of the other promised benefits of Prevagen and Neuriva.
Even if they have the capacity to positively influence my mental capacity, I would need to take them for months, and I don’t see how this is worth it, given the availability of significantly more potent nootropics.
Can You Take Neuriva and Prevagen Together?
You can take Neuriva and Prevagen together as they have non-competing ingredients. However, since both brain supplements are ineffective, taking them together won’t lead to enhanced cognitive function any more than taking them separately.
Should You Choose Prevagen or Neuriva?
I strongly recommend you avoid Prevagen and Neuriva. They are among the epitome of poor trade practices and have used unproven claims about their effects.
Even the scientific studies they claim prove effectiveness have been conducted very unscientifically.
While they are cheap, and I can’t exclude the possibility of them having benefits for some people, their uses are limited and require prolonged intake for even minor effects.
There are many other nootropics formulated with a mix of proven ingredients that really can enhance cognitive abilities.
One product I keep returning to and often recommend is Noocube. It’s designed for long-term brain changes and perfectly balances price and effectiveness.
Winner
NooCube Brain Productivity
Non-Stimulant Nootropic For Instant Brain Boost
A better nootropic formulation than Neuriva and Prevagen.
CHECK CURRENT DEALS
References
- Moran, D. L., Underwood, M. Y., Gabourie, T. A., & Lerner, K. C. (2016). Effects of a supplement containing apoaequorin on verbal learning in older adults in the community. Adv. Mind Body Med, 30, 4-11.
- Reyes-Izquierdo, T., Nemzer, B., Shu, C., Huynh, L., Argumedo, R., Keller, R., & Pietrzkowski, Z. (2013). Modulatory effect of coffee fruit extract on plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects. British Journal of Nutrition, 110(3), 420-425.
- Robinson, J. L., Hunter, J. M., Reyes-Izquierdo, T., Argumedo, R., Brizuela-Bastien, J., Keller, R., & Pietrzkowski, Z. J. (2020). Cognitive short-and long-term effects of coffee cherry extract in older adults with mild cognitive decline. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 27(6), 918-934.
- Kang, E. Y., Cui, F., Kim, H. K., Nawaz, H., Kang, S., Kim, H., … & Go, G. W. (2022). Effect of phosphatidylserine on cognitive function in the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis., 54(1), 52-58.
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