i am thinking of trying "focus factor". i've been struggling w/ memory & focusing. any suggestions?

Question:

Answers:
No dietary supplement has been proved to improve memory, you would probably be just wasting your money;

Focus Factor

Claims, Benefits: Improves memory and mental abilities.

Bottom Line: Some interesting ingredients, but this formulation is not backed by research. No product on the market will boost your memory.

Full article, Wellness Letter, August 2003:

Unforgettable (The Price, That Is)

According to the many ads for Focus Factor, the reason you are forgetful, don’t think clearly, and can’t find the car keys is that you are "starving" your brain, because food isn’t nutritious any more. This claim has been used to sell everything from fertilizer to mineral supplements. But, as we’ve said, it just isn’t true.

Focus Factor is a cocktail of 40 ingredients (half of them found in a basic multivitamin/mineral pill), including the following:

• Choline. This nutrient is a type of fat that is plentiful in foods. Yes, choline is important for the brain and nervous system, and yes, the developing fetus needs it, but there is no evidence that consuming extra choline in adulthood will do anything for memory.

• DMAE. This brain chemical helps the body produce choline. As a supplement it is sold for everything from reducing facial wrinkles to making you smarter. But it’s very unlikely that DMAE can do any of this.

• DHA. This is an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish. The idea that eating fish and its oil is good for the brain persists, and may-be there’s some truth in this. But DHA in a pill is not likely to help (see our October 2001 article).

• Vitamins, such as C, E, B6, B12, and folic acid. Elderly people with low blood levels of B vitamins are more likely to be mentally impaired. That may simply reflect their poor diets, as well as reduced absorption by the body. It’s unlikely that well-nourished people can improve their memory by taking vitamins.

• An herbal bouquet, including huperzine A, vinpocetine, and others. Huperzine is under study as a potential Alzheimer’s drug. There is as yet no solid evidence that it works. It is sold for memory enhancement in Europe, but there’s no proof that it, or any of the other herbs in Focus Factor, is effective.

Nothing in Focus Factor, which might well be called Hocus Pocus Factor, is new. Even if some of the ingredients proved useful, there’s no guarantee the product contains what it claims to contain. Nor is this formulation backed by research. The price is significant—$50 to $75 plus shipping for a month’s supply.

There is no product on the market that will boost your memory. The best thing to do about Focus Factor is forget it. Looking for even higher profits, the manufacturer also sells a formulation for children. Children don’t need this product—it won’t smarten them up in school, and there’s no evidence it’s safe for them.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, August 2003

Source(s):
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/ds/dsFocusFactor.php

3 weeks ago - Report Abuse

More Questions and Answers

The consumer health information on youqa.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.

i am thinking of trying "focus factor". i've been struggling w/ memory & focusing. any suggestions?

Health Resources