Supplements for Memory: What Human Studies Have Found

What the evidence shows

The creatine review covered older adults and found mostly positive links with memory and attention.
The healthy-adult probiotic trial reported alcohol-related memory-loss symptoms among several outcomes.
A Ghanaian school trial found improved scores on two cognitive tasks in children receiving more milk protein.
A DHA trial reported later visual-attention findings in preterm infants.
These studies examined different populations, supplements, and cognitive outcomes.

Older adults: creatine and cognition

A 2026 systematic review examined creatine and cognition in adults aged 55 and older. It included six studies with 1,542 people; 55.7% were women. Most groups included healthy older adults living in the community. One study examined older women with overweight.

Two studies tested creatine monohydrate in double-blind interventions. Four studies estimated creatine intake from dietary recall. Five studies reported a positive link with cognition, especially memory and attention. One study received a good quality rating, two received fair ratings, and three received poor ratings.

The review described the evidence as limited. It said creatine may be linked with cognitive benefits in generally healthy older adults. It called for high-quality clinical trials. It also named older clinical groups with cognitive deficits and measured creatine levels as future research topics. It also named factors such as body weight, muscle mass, diet, and activity as future research topics.

A randomized, double-blind trial studied 109 healthy adults aged 19 to 45 for eight weeks. One group received Bifidobacterium breve BBr60 at 1010 CFU/day. The comparison group received maltodextrin.

The trial reported higher HDL and lower total cholesterol with BBr60. It also reported better gastrointestinal symptoms and emotional states. Alcohol Dependence Scale scores fell, especially for symptoms linked to alcohol use, including post-drinking memory loss and tremulous delirium. Nepean Dyspepsia Index scores fell, suggesting less impact from stomach issues on daily life. Gastrointestinal Symptom Scale scores showed improvements in early satiety and appetite.

Overall emotional changes were not significant. Positive emotional scores rose, while negative emotional scores fell. The study reported good safety and tolerability. Its preclinical analysis found changes in metabolic pathways involving ABC transporters, arginine, proline, and tryptophan.

Children: milk protein and cognitive test results

A randomized, double-blind trial studied healthy Ghanaian children aged six to nine. It compared milk protein in school porridge with three control groups. The groups received 4.4 grams of milk protein. They received a mix of 4.4 grams each of milk and rice protein, or a non-nitrogenous placebo. The main cognitive test results were measured after 4.5 months.

Children receiving 8.8 grams of milk protein daily had greater gains in correct Pattern Recognition Memory responses than all other food groups. They also completed more Intra/Extradimensional Set Shift stages. Both differences had P values below 0.05. There were no group differences in linear growth.

Children receiving either amount of milk protein had higher fat-free body mass index than children receiving no milk. The reported effect size was 0.34 kg/m². The study concluded that the higher milk-protein group improved executive cognitive function compared with the other supplements. The group gained more lean body mass, but not more linear growth.

Preterm infants: DHA and later visual attention

A randomized, double-blind trial compared standard formula with formula containing 0.2% DHA. The study enrolled preterm infants. They received the formulas from about three days after birth until two months past term. At 12 months, researchers measured visual recognition memory and attention with the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence.

Compared with the control group, infants who received DHA had more looks and shorter looks when viewing familiar and new images. The abstract says this confirmed earlier evidence that DHA can increase information-processing speed. This applies to preterm infants who receive good amounts of linolenic acid.

The abstract also says DHA supplementation had stopped at two months, while the attention effects were seen at 12 months. These findings concern preterm infants and visual attention; they do not describe memory results in healthy adults.

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About this article

NootroWorld publishes research summaries, not medical advice. This article describes what studies have and have not established; it does not tell you what to take. Supplements can interact with medication, pregnancy and existing health conditions, and study populations often differ from your own situation. Discuss any personal decision with a qualified healthcare professional.