At YLabs, we aim to give you an unbiased opinion of different brain supplements to determine if they are effective and safe based on our research of information about these supplements on the web.
NEURIVA ULTRA REVIEW AT A GLANCE
Neuriva Ultra is the latest supplement in the Neuriva line-up, made by Schiff Vitamins. It is a natural brain supplement intended to support your mental alertness, fueling 7 indicators of brain health, according to the manufacturer.
While we haven’t personally used Neuriva Ultra, our research of its ingredients led us to conclude that this supplement is not what it claims to be.
While it uses the well-studied phosphatidylserine which can support your memory and mood to an extent, the rest of the ingredient profile of Neuriva Ultra looks unconvincing—from the unproven coffee fruit extract to basic B vitamins you can buy at your local drug store.
Not only that, but Neuriva Ultra costs over $59.99 per bottle (a month’s supply). While no supplement is a miracle pill for the brain, we believe you can find more effective supplements for your memory, cognitive function, and productivity at this price range.
About Neuriva Ultra
Neuriva Ultra is an over the counter dietary supplement made to support your mental alertness. It contains natural ingredients like Aplinia Galanga Extract and Coffee Fruit Extract, which are said to enhance 7 indicators of brain health:
- Accuracy
- Learning
- Concentration
- Focus
- Memory
- Reasoning
- Mental Alertness
Neuriva Ultra is the third and the latest product in Neuriva series. The previous two are Neuriva Original and Neuriva Plus.
The difference between Neuriva Ultra and previous Neuriva versions is in ingredient dosages (Neuriva Ultra contains more coffee fruit extract), the addition of the Alpinia galanga extract (Cognivive), and price (Neuriva Ultra is significantly more expensive than the other two).
You might wonder; do these relatively minor changes justify the high price tag of Neuriva Ultra? That’s what we’re going to find out!
Who Makes it?
Neuriva Ultra is made by Schiff Vitamins (Schiff Nutrition International), one of the best-known supplement companies in the U.S.
Schiff Nutrition International
Schiff Vitamins is a company originally founded in 1936 by Joe Weider, a bodybuilding icon and entrepreneur. It was the first sports nutrition company of its kind at the time.
Over the years, their range of products has expanded. They now sell everything from omega-3 fish oil, to joint health products, to brain supplements like Neuriva.
In 2012, Schiff was bought out by a British consumer goods company for 1.4 billion USD.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients in Neuriva Ultra:
- Vitamin B6 – 1.7 mg
- Folate – 680 mcg
- Vitamin B12 – 2.4 mcg
- Cognivive – 300 mg
- Neurofactor – 200 mg
- Phosphatidylserine – 100 mg
Let’s have a closer look to see what these ingredients do, and if they can benefit your brain function.
Vitamin B6, Folate & B12
There are 8 essential B-group vitamins. Neuriva Ultra contains three of those: vitamin B6, B9 (known as folate), and B12. Because they are essential, our body needs to get these vitamins through food or other sources in order to perform and maintain basic functions—including those related to the brain.
Now, a person who is deficient in B vitamins due to poor diet, genetics, illness, or other factors, they may experience negative cognitive effects. With the exception of vitamin B12, not many people are deficient, though. Even B-12 deficiency is not common, only in certain groups of people like the elderly and vegans.
With that said, we don’t find these B vitamins to be a bad choice. They can be helpful.
Cognivive™
Cognivive (alpinia galanga extract) is a plant from the ginger family. It may have some benefits similar to ginger, such as being an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
But as far as brain health goes, Cognivive lacks evidence.
Neurofactor®
Neurofactor is a patented name for coffee fruit extract. It’s the key ingredient in all Neuriva supplements—in Neuriva Ultra its dose is the highest compared to other Neuriva versions.
Neuriva’s marketing materials suggest that this coffee fruit extract can boost BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). By doing this, coffee fruit extract is said to stimulate brain cell connections, leading to improved mental alertness.
The problem is, we have next to no solid evidence that shows this to really be the case. There is only one study that suggests benefits of coffee fruit extract on brain health, but this study doesn’t use exactly the same type of ingredient.
As it stands, coffee fruit extract is a questionable nootropic. We don’t recommend it as one of the most effective natural brain health supplements.
Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a molecule naturally found in our brain. It helps the brain cells to communicate with each other, along with protecting them from damage. It may lead to a reduction in stress as well as improved cognitive function.
It’s the only ingredient in Neuriva Ultra that, in our opinion, may lead to noticeable cognitive improvement over time (in addition to B vitamins assuming you’re deficient in them).
Thoughts on Neuriva Ultra’s Formula?
Neuriva Ultra is a supplement that may lead to a slight improvement in your memory and cognitive function. But looking at its price (we’ll discuss that more later on), it’s a terrible value for money in our opinion—we can’t put it any other way.
It’s missing many of the core ingredients found in our recommended brain supplements, including citicoline (CDP-choline), Lion’s Mane Mushroom, pine bark extract, and l-theanine, among others.
Side Effects: Are There Any?
Neuriva Ultra is unlikely to cause negative side effects to most people. Its ingredients are known for being relatively safe, and their doses are light in Neuriva Ultra. As with any supplement, though, there is a chance you might get negative reactions. You should always talk with your physician before taking any supplement.
Pricing
Neuriva Ultra’s standard price is between $69.99-79.99 at most stores. However, there are sometimes discounts available, with the price being as low as $39.99 per bottle (60ct). Make sure to look around for best deals.
People’s Feedback
Neuriva Ultra’s rating on Amazon is 4.3/5 stars out of over 4077 reviews. As with most supplements, the majority of opinions on Neuriva look good, with some reports of people either not experiencing the results they wanted, or having negative side effects.
Final Thoughts
Neuriva Ultra is far from the best nootropics in our eyes. It lacks core ingredients that would make it more potent at supporting mental alertness and other aspects of brain health.
The use of unproven coffee fruit extract and Alpinia galanga extract add to its list of downsides.
For the price that it charges, we can’t recommend Neuriva Ultra as one of our best all-in-one brain supplements on the market.
What do we recommend?
– Click to See The Current Top 3 Highest-Rated Brain Supplements –
You may find our nootropic analysis archives useful if you want to look at other supplements we’ve researched.
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