Cognium vs Prevagen – which is better? Both are extremely popular brain supplements, so we were naturally curious to see which one is best for supporting our cognitive function.
If you can’t decide between the two, this in-depth Prevagen vs Natrol Cognium comparison will tell you all you need to know to make the final decision.
- Both of these products are categorized as ‘nootropic’ supplements. Just like a multivitamin nourishes your body, a nootropic supplement enhances your mind.
It’s worth keeping in mind (no pun intended), that these products aren’t regulated by the FDA. So it can be hard for a layperson to find a brain health supplement that really works, in the sea of junk that’s out there.
We don’t want you to waste money on expensive products that don’t work, so let’s see whether Prevagen or Natrol Cognium can hold up to scrutiny and do what their manufacturers claim.
– Both supplements are available on Amazon –
Get Prices: Prevagen | Natrol Cognium
Prevagen vs Natrol Cognium – The Basics
Prevagen Overview
Prevagen is marketed as a supplement that improves your memory. One bottle contains 30 capsules and it’s meant to be taken once per day with food.
The makers of this product, Quincy Bioscience from the USA, say that Prevagen can help with age-related mild memory loss.
We were a little suspicious about these claims right from the start, because this Prevagen only contains two ingredients.
The best brain formulas typically include more to cover all aspects of cognitive performance. Despite this, Prevagen is claimed to boost your:
- Executive function
- Short-term and Long-term Memory
- Cognition
The company that produces Prevagen has been sued in the past for false advertising claims by none other than the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
However, this didn’t seem to have much of an effect on the company as they continue to run the same ads to this very day – promoting images of jellyfish from which Prevagen sources one of its ingredients (more on that below).
Overall, we aren’t too impressed by what we’ve seen so far, especially considering that Prevagen’s website looks rather basic and outdated. But we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt – if Prevagen’s ingredients are good, the look of the website ultimately won’t matter that much.
Natrol Cognium Overview
Produced by a well-known company Natrol, Cognium is another popular nootropic, although maybe not as popular as Prevagen.
Natrol Cognium dosage is one tablet twice per day with your meals. Taken daily, it’s said to lead to these benefits:
- Improved memory
- Better word recall in 4 weeks
Similar statements as Prevagen, but can Natrol Cognium back them up with proven ingredients? And most importantly, is it safe?
The Ingredients
Okay, here we come to the most important part of this Prevagen vs Natrol Cognium comparison – the ingredients. Obviously, this is what will tell us if these products work or not, and whether they can live up to the hype.
Prevagen Ingredients
Prevagen’s formula only uses 2 ingredients as we said – they are vitamin D and Apoaequorin. Most of us know that vitamin D is beneficial for our health, and that many people don’t get enough vitamin D from the sun. So supplementing is always a good idea.
However, what about Apoaequorin? What kind of ingredient is this? It turns out, those jellyfish commercials from Prevagen’s makers pertain to a special kind of protein that’s found in the glowing jellyfish – Apoaequorin. According to the manufacturers, Apoaequorin in Prevagen can boost your memory and sleep. But what does the science say?
Well… it doesn’t say much! In fact, science on this particular ingredient is very weak. It hasn’t been shown to help with anything really. One study did find some positive results, but it was founded by none other than Quincy Bioscience, which means it could’ve easily been manipulated.
All in all, we’re not sure why there’s so much hype around Prevagen online. It must be the aggressive marketing from Prevagen’s manufacturers. The ingredient formula certainly doesn’t live up to it.
Natrol Cognium Ingredients
You’d think it can’t get worse than Prevagen, but Natrol Cognium is an even bigger disappointment. Looking at the formula, you’ll notice that there’s only one active ingredient on the label.
What ingredient is it? It’s Cera-Q powder.
Cera-Q is a protein that’s extracted from silkworm cocoons. This particular ingredient has a history of use in Korean cure. According to Natrol, Cera-Q works by providing antioxidants to your brain which can boost cerebral blood flow and protect aging brain cells.
Cera-Q is said to be particularly effective at clearing up your blood vessels in the brain from amyloid plaque, which is associated with mental decline. As a result, Cera-Q is marketed to promote:
- Youthful memory and cognition
- Optimal blood flow
- Improved learning
So, what does the science say about Cera-Q? The good news is, it doesn’t have any stimulant effects, which means it won’t make you jittery or cause energy crashes linked to caffeine.
However, it hasn’t been proven to have any sort of benefit either. In fact, there’s not a single reputable study to show that Cera-Q can help you in any way. The studies provided by Natrol are outdated Korean papers which are written by people who have a reputation for falsifying results.
And even if Cera-Q worked as it said, it still wouldn’t be as good as some of the best reviewed brain health supplements, because it’s just one ingredient. If you’re looking for complete brain optimization, then choosing a supplement that combines multiple proven ingredients is the way to go.
Our Thoughts on Ingredients in Prevagen vs Natrol Cognium
Both products are big letdowns. Whereas Prevagen has two ingredients, one of which is vitamin D and the other one doesn’t work, Natrol Cognium uses only one ingredient that isn’t proven to have any benefit either.
If we had to choose, we’d go with Prevagen because it at least uses vitamin D, which can offer some benefits for mood and cognition. Then again, it’s better to just buy a vitamin D supplement instead, or simply eat more foods rich in this nutrient (or go more often in the sun if possible). It’s much cheaper!
-Click to See The Current Top Rated Brain Supplements-
Side Effects
Prevagen is unlikely to cause you side effects. Although its main ingredient, Apoaequorin, is underresearched in terms of benefits, the website WebMD reports that it’s “possibly safe” when taken by mouth. As far as anecdotal evidence is concerned, most users haven’t reported any adverse effects from using Prevagen.
The same is with Natrol Cognium. Although ineffective, its main ingredient Cera-Q has been used in Korea for many years, and isn’t known to cause harm.
Customer Reviews
Prevagen is very popular on websites like Amazon, where it has over 4000 reviews. It boasts a score of 4/5, which is surprising when you consider how ineffective this product is. It’s either placebo or good marketing – or both!
Natrol Cognium is a bit less popular, but the difference isn’t big. Overall, it boasts a similar score on Amazon, and most users say they didn’t experience adverse effects from using it.
RELATED: The Three Best Brain Health Supplements on the Market
Price and Value For Money?
One bottle of Natrol Cognium, which will last you 30 days, costs about $20 on Amazon. It is cheap, yes, but what’s the point when it doesn’t work? It’s definitely not a good value for money!
Prevagen is a lot more expensive. It costs almost $40, depending on where you buy it. It’s a poor value for money as well. Besides the basic vitamin D, it doesn’t offer anything beneficial.
Conclusion on Cognium vs Prevagen
So that brings our Prevagen vs Natrol Cognium comparison to the end. These two supplements are very popular, but their ingredient profiles don’t live up to the hype.
We don’t believe that these products can do what they’re marketed to do. Which is, boost your memory, improve learning, and enhance cognitive function. The science isn’t on their side.
If you’re looking for a brain supplement that works, then here’s a tip: always choose the one that has ingredients that are backed by research. Preferably, at least 3-4 of them combined.
If you’re curious to find out which are the best brain supplements currently on the market, click on the image below to see our top 3 (we’ve picked them out of over 25 that we tested).
The 3 Best Brain Health Supplements
We’ve picked the top three leading nootropic stacks on offer right now to support your goals.
