TL;DR Alpha Brain vs Prevagen Summary
When it comes to Prevagen vs Alpha Brain, neither is the best brain supplement on the market for us. Prevagen only contains 2 ingredients—apoqeuorin and vitamin D. Apoaequorin lacks independent studies which prove it works, and vitamin D can be bought for much cheaper at your local drug store. Alpha Brain, while containing more ingredients than Prevagen, masks these ingredients’ dosages behind proprietary blends, making it hard to assess their effectiveness. Some key ingredients in Alpha Brain, like Alpha GPC, are underdosed. You should see some cognitive benefits from taking Alpha Brain, but for the price of $69.90 for one bottle, you could find better value for money elsewhere.
About the Supplements
Prevagen
Prevagen is an over-the-counter (OTC) dietary supplement for memory and healthy brain function. It belongs to a class of brain supplements known as nootropcis.
Made by Quincy Bioscience from Wisconsin, Prevagen is one of the most popular brain supplements you can find on the market today.
It contains 2 ingredients which are claimed to improve memory. Although anyone can take Prevagen, its marketing materials imply that it’s focused on the elderly.
- The key ingredient of Prevagen is apoaequorin, a protein derived from a glowing jellyfish, which is said to have unique benefits for brain health. We will explore if these claims hold any merit.
- You can find Prevagen in multiple versions (chewables and capsules) and strengths (regular strength, extra strength, and professional strength). It’s easy to take with the recommended dose of 1 capsule or chewable tablet per day.
Not all is shiny with Prevagen, though. Its makers – Quincy Bioscience – were sued by the New York’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for making false advertisement claims.
Alpha Brain
Alpha Brain is a dietary supplement, known as nootropic, intended to naturally enhance several of our cognitive functions. These include:
- Memory
- Processing speed
- Focus
Alpha Brain is a popular supplement in its own right, with celebrities like Joe Rogan backing it. But how effective is it really, and how does it compare to Prevagen?
The ingredients should give us the answer.
Ingredients
Prevagen
- Vitamin D – 50 mcg – also known as the “sunshine vitamin”, vitamin D is important for maintaining various aspects of our health, including mental well-being and cognitive function.
- Apoaequorin (10mg or 20mg in the “Extra Strength” version) – this is a protein extracted from a glowing jellyfish, thought to reduce calcium plaque in the brain. The theory is that this may result in improved memory and stave off cognitive decline. There’s only one problem with these claims—there’s next to no concrete evidence supporting them!
Alpha Brain
- Vitamin B6 – 10mg – vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin that has many functions in the body, such as affecting our cognitive function. However, most people don’t need extra vitamin B6 supplementation since deficiencies are rare.
- Onnit Flow Blend – 650mg – This blend contains tyrosine, theanine, oat straw extract, and phosphatidylserine. These ingredients have the potential to enhance your focus, information recall and processing, and mood.
- Onnit Focus Blend – 240mg – This blend contains Alpha GPC, Bacopa Monnieri, and Huperzine A. These three ingredients are relatively well-studied in the area of memory and cognitive enhancement.
- Onnit Fuel Blend – 60mg – This blend consists of L-Leucine and Pterostilbene. L-Leucine is an amino acid that plays a crucial role in muscle protein synthesis and is therefore often supplemented by fitness enthusiasts. It may not be the best nootropic out there, though. As for Pterostilbene, it’s an antioxidant compound similar to a molecule from red vine, called resveratrol, but it has far less evidence than resveratrol, so the effects you may expect from it are questionable.
Our Opinion of Prevagen vs Alpha Brain’s Ingredients
Alpha Brain has a big edge over Prevagen, simply because it contains far more ingredients, and the ingredients themselves are better evidence-backed that they may give you cognitive improvements.
Prevagen’s only two ingredients are, in our opinion, unlikely to produce significant results for your memory and other aspects of mental performance. As for Alpha Brain, you might notice a slight boost in your concentration, productivity, and mental sharpness and ability to keep track of things.
Then again, most of Alpha Brain’s key ingredients are hidden in proprietary blends, which makes it harder to tell how effective the ingredients might be.
When buying a nootropic (brain supplement), we always recommend looking for ones that don’t contain proprietary blends. When each ingredient has its exact dose clearly shown on the label, you can make a better assessment of how effectively and safely it is dosed.
Recommendations for Different People
Prevagen
Prevagen is marketed for people who want to improve their memory and protect cognitive function as they age. However, we can’t recommend it to anyone due to weak formula with only two ingredients, one of which is unproven (apoaequorin).
Alpha Brain
Alpha Brain is intended for everyone who is looking to enhance their brain function as a whole, including productivity, focus, and mental processing. Just as with Prevagen, though, we don’t recommend Alpha Brain to anyone. At its price range, better options can be found in our opinion.
Side Effects – Are There Any?
Neither Prevagen nor Alpha Brain are known for causing major side effects.
As with any supplement, there is always a risk of side effects (more so minor ones), depending on your medical history. These might include stomach upset, headache, and nausea.
If in doubt, you should always consult with your physician before taking any supplement.
Pricing
Prevagen
Prevagen’s starting price on the official website is $39.95 per bottle (30ct) for the “Regular Strength” version. Alternatively, you can get “Extra Strength” Prevagen for $59.95 per bottle (30ct) and “Professional Formula” Prevagen for $89.95 per bottle.
The only difference between these versions is the amount of apoaequorin per capsule, with the Professional Formula containing 40mg compared to 10mg in “Regular Strength” Prevagen. Since apoequorin isn’t proven to work at all in the first place, increasing the dosage may not result in more significant benefits. Therefore, choosing the “Professional Formula” version is unwise in our opinion.
Alpha Brain
As for Alpha Brain, the price is $69.90 per bottle (90ct) for one-time purchase. You can bring the price down by up to 35% if you choose to subscribe to recurring delivery and buy multiple Alpha Brain bottles in bulk.
Although it offers better bang for your buck than Prevagen, Alpha Brain is still far from the best value for money nootropic for us.
Final Thoughts
Alpha Brain and Prevagen are both overpriced nootropics that promise a lot, but their ingredients are either ineffective or underdosed.
While Alpha Brain is more likely to give you a cognitive benefit (mood, focus, and productivity) due to its better ingredient choices, it’s far from our favorite brain supplement in its price bracket.
We recommend doing more research before opting for either one of these supplements.
