Brain Vitale by Designs For Health (DFH) 

Types: 60 caps (price shown) or 50g powder. You must login or register in order to view product options and prices for each.

New and Improved Brain Vitale!

Brain Vitale™ by Designs for Health has just become even better. The former Brain Vitale contained the two powerful brain revitalizing nutrients, Acetyl Carnitine and PhosphatidylSerine (PS), both capable of repairing brain neurons. These two ingredients are now reinforced with the mind-body nutrient GPC (GlyceroPhosphoCholine). GPC is a unique osmo-protectant, raises choline and generate unique omega-3 phospholipids to build cell membranes, and is a clinically proven brain revitalizer. These three brain supernutrients are assisted by Ginkgo biloba extract, which enhances the brain protection. The Phytosome® form of Ginkgo is at least twice as effective. Along with inositol, another key osmo-protectant and a precursor for second messenger action within the nerve cells, you have one amazing brain formula. Dr. Parris Kidd gives this formula a “thumbs up” and says, “This sets the standard for effective brain formulas.”

• Helps relieve depression
• Increases memory
• Repairs damaged neurons
• Slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
• Helps reverse senility
• Protects the brain from damage caused by stress
• Relieves emotional and physical stress
• Promotes mental alertness

• Mental alertness: ¼-1 tsp or 2-7 capsules per day
• Improved short and long term memory: ½-1 tsp or 4-7 capsules per day
• Increased learning capacity: ½ -1 tsp or 4-7 capsules per day
• Alzheimer's Disease: ½ -1 tsp. or 4-7 capsules per day
• Stroke victims: ½-1 tsp or 4-7 capsules per day
• Senility: 1 tsp or 6-7 capsules per day
• Depression: 1 tsp or 6-7 capsules per day

Read Customer questions and answers about Mental Health in our FAQ.

Research on GPC shows

* Naturally occurring in all our cells and mother's milk
* Unique type of metabolic protectant
* "Active" form of choline - has an added phosphate and glycerol group
* Water soluble and can cross the blood brain barrier (PC cannot)
* Effectively raises acetylcholine
* Improvements in attention,mental focus and cognition even if linked to Alzheimer's or poor brain circulation
* Numerous studies showing increased brain recovery following stroke or other injury
* Revitalizes master hormone functions from pituitary control in the elderly (growth hormone)
* Studies used 1200 mg per day in divided doses
* The largest stroke trial in Italy, 2000 patients, GPC helped 95% to improve
* GPC outperforms other cholinergic precursors: better than choline, PC, and citicholine (known as CDP choline)

What does ALC (Acetyl L-Carnitine) do?

* Critical energy cofactor for brain cells
* REPAIRS physically damaged neurons
* Helps stroke victims
* Helps prevent age related memory decline
* Increases learning capacity
* Enhances immune function

What does Ginkgo do?

* Improves microcirculation to the brain cells
* Helps enhance short and long term memory
* Helps improve mood
* Supports mental focus and energy
* Helps revitalize fading memory
* Protects the brain from stress induced neuronal death
* Balances catecholamine, serotonin and cortisol levels
* Phytosome® form is at least two times as bioavailable, with enhanced degree of efficiency

Can Brain Vitale be used with medications?
There have never been any contraindications found with the use of Acetyl-L-Carnitine,Phosphatidyl Serine, and known medications. Brain Vitale is often combined with anti-depressant medications with only positive results. This is because these two nutrients are natural to the body’s metabolism, and their effects are only positive on overall brain health and wellness.

Are there any side effects to this product?
Taken late in the day, this product may cause difficulty falling asleep due to its brain energizing properties.

Is there anyone who should not take Brain Vitale?
People with seizure disorders or epilepsy should avoid brain-energizing nutrients such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine.

How long will it take before I start feeling the effects of Brain Vitale?
Due to the instant assimilation of these nutrients when taken in powder form, you will feel results in as little as 20 minutes.

Improving Memory and Reversing Senility
Over thirty studies show that Acetyl-L-Carnitine slows or prevents age related decline in mental function.1 1.5 g/day of Acetyl-L-Carnitine given to 236 older adults for forty-five days significantly increased the effectiveness of performance on all the measures of cognitive functioning, memory performance, and constructional thinking.2 Twenty adults given 1.5 g of Acetyl-L-Carnitine experienced reversal of many of the signs of brain aging.3 Alcoholics with cognitive impairment have also benefited from Acetyl-L-Carnitine.4

Relieving Depression
Acetyl-L-Carnitine is one of the most valuable compounds for relieving depression naturally.5,6 It does so through increasing the energy of brain cells. Energy allows brain cells to communicate better, and a social brain is a happier brain. Acetyl-L-Carnitine also increases levels of compounds such as Acetylcholine, which is essential for healthy mood levels.

Speeding Stroke Recovery
One hundred sixty patients who had suffered from a stroke a year or more ago were given 1.5 g of Acetyl- L-Carnitine a day for eight weeks. This led to increased speed of recovery, as well as improved mood and attention span.7

Slowing Alzheimer's
Thirty Alzheimer's patients given Acetyl-L-Carnitine for 6 months saw dramatically less mental deterioration.8 One year treatment with Acetyl- L-Carnitine in 130 patients with Alzheimer's also led to a slower rate of mental decline in 13 of the 14 outcome measures.9 A total of over 600 patients with Alzheimer's have been studied in over twenty years of research,10 confirming that Acetyl-L-Carnitine benefits Alzheimer's patients.11-13 Acetyl-L-Carnitine may also be of benefit in the management of Parkinson's disease.14

Helping Damaged Nerves and Diabetic Neuropathy
Animal models of sciatic nerve injury show that Acetyl-L-Carnitine dramatically increases the speed of nerve healing and prevents loss of nerve function.15 Acetyl-L-Carnitine should be considered in all cases where physical injury to neurons occurs, including brain injuries from car accidents and other causes.16 Those with brain injuries report that Acetyl-L-Carnitine-especially when combined with phosphatidyl serine-significantly improves overall brain function, attention span, and learning ability. Acetyl- L-Carnitine has also been found helpful in the management of diabetic neuropathy17 especially when combined with lipoic acid and GLA.18

Immune System
Acetyl-L-Carnitine has also been found to be a powerful immune enhancer. This is due to its ability to promote the health of the nervous system, which in turn governs the activity of the immune system. Acetyl-L-Carnitine may offer specific to HIV patients.19,20 and those with tuberculosis.

How Phosphatidyl Serine (PS) benefits Memory and Recall
Memories are formed when a group of brain cells-neurons-talk to each other. Together, neurons create a memory of an event, such as where the keys are, where you put the remote control, or where you parked the car. In order for memories to be both formed and recalled, neurons must talk to each other. Without PS, such communication among neurons is difficult if not impossible. With PS, neurons communicate more effectively. That is why PS has such positive effects on memory, recall, and overall brain function.

Helping Age Related Memory Loss
As we age, most of us lose some memory function. PS may help to reverse or slow this process.21-23 Seventy-five patients with age-related memory impairment were given 300 mg of PS per day for 12 weeks. PS led to improved performance tests related to learning and memory tasks of daily life.24 Another study of thirty-three patients with dementia showed equally promising results. This 8-week study of 300 mg per day of PS showed that PS can significantly improve overall brain wellness in those with dementia.25

Slowing Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating ailment that destroys the memory of older adults. While there is no cure for Alzheimer's, nutrients like PS may help slow the progression and even reverse some of the symptoms of this disease.26-28 Eighteen patients with Alzheimer's disease given 400 mg of PS per day for 6 months experienced a wide range of positive effects on memory and recall.29 Twenty-five patients with Alzheimer's disease given 300 mg of PS for 12 weeks also saw improvements in brain function. This study also showed that PS may have the most benefit when given in early stages of Alzheimer's.30

Relieving Depression
The effects of phosphatidyl serine on cognitive, affective and behavioral symptoms were studied in a group of 10 elderly women with depressive disorders. Patients were treated with placebo for 15 days, followed by PS at 300 mg/ day for 30 days. PS induced consistent improvement of depressive symptoms, memory and behavior.31

How to Take PS
As with any brain-energizing nutrient, PS is best avoided near bedtime as it may prevent sleep. It is best taken with or before breakfast and lunch. If you are taking PS to treat any medical condition, or are taking medications, especially psychotropic medications, it is advisable to take PS with the guidance of your health care practitioner. PS is derived from soy, and is suitable for vegetarians. The beneficial level of intake of PS according to human research is anywhere from 100- 800 mg per day. Most studies in humans where PS has been used to optimize brain function used 300 mg of PS per day. After an initial loading phase with PS, long term supplementation at l00 mg per day may be sufficient for most adults to maintain optimal brain levels of PS.

Research Review

Ginkgo biloba prevents mobile phone-induced oxidative stress in rat brain.
Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Feb;340(1-2):153-62.
Ilhan A, Gurel A, Armutcu F, Kamisli S, Iraz M, Akyol O, Ozen S.

BACKGROUND: The widespread use of mobile phones (MP) in recent years has raised the research activities in many countries to determine the consequences of exposure to the low-intensity electromagnetic radiation (EMR) of mobile phones. Since several experimental studies suggest a role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in EMR-induced oxidative damage in tissues, in this study, we investigated the effect of Ginkgo biloba (Gb) on MPinduced oxidative damage in brain tissue of rats.RESULTS: Oxidative damage was evident by the: (i) increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels in brain tissue, (ii) decrease in brain superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and (iii) increase in brain xanthine oxidase (XO) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities. These alterations were prevented by Gingko biloba treatment. Furthermore, Gb prevented the MP-induced cellular injury in brain tissue histopathologically.
CONCLUSION: Reactive oxygen species may play a role in the mechanism that has been proposed to explain the biological side effects of mobile phone, and Ginkgo biloba prevents the Mobile Phone-induced oxidative stress to preserve antioxidant enzymes activity in brain tissue.

Prevention of age-related spatial memory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease by chronic Ginkgo biloba treatment. Stackman RW, Eckenstein F, Frei B, Kulhanek D, Nowlin J, Quinn JF.
Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA. stackman@ohsu.edu

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive decline and deposition of beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques in cortex and hippocampus. A transgenic mouse AD model (Tg2576) that overexpresses a mutant form of human Abeta precursor protein exhibits age-related cognitive deficits, Abeta plaque deposition, and oxidative damage in the brain. We tested the ability of Ginkgo biloba, a flavonoid-rich antioxidant, to antagonize the age-related behavioral impairment and neuropathology exhibited by Tg2576 mice. At 8 months of age, 16 female Tg2576 and 15 female wild-type (wt) littermate mice were given ad lib access to tap water or Ginkgo biloba (70 mg/kg/day in water). After 6 months of treatment, all mice received Morris water maze training (4 trials/day for 10 days) to assess hippocampal dependent spatial learning. All mice received a 60-s probe test of spatial memory retention 24 h after the 40th trial. Untreated Tg2576 mice exhibited a spatial learning impairment, relative to wt mice, while Ginkgo biloba-treated Tg2576 mice exhibited spatial memory retention comparable to wt during the probe test. Spatial learning was not different between Ginkgo biloba-treated and untreated wt mice. There were no group differences in learning to swim to a visible platform. Soluble Abeta and hippocampal Abeta plaque burden did not differ between the Tg2576 groups. Brain levels of protein carbonyls were paradoxically elevated in Ginkgo biloba-treated mice. These data indicate that chronic Ginkgo biloba treatment can block an age-dependent decline in spatial cognition without altering Abeta levels and without suppressing protein oxidation in a transgenic mouse model of AD.

Ginkgo biloba normalises stress-elevated alterations in brain catecholamines, serotonin and plasma corticosterone levels.
Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2003 O;13(5):321-5. Shah ZA, Sharma P, Vohora SB.
Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Faculty of Science, Hamdard University, 110 062 New Delhi, India.

Stress and depression and associated mental health problems have increased tremendously in modern times. The search for effective and safe alternatives from natural sources especially plant products should, therefore, continue. Forced immobilization is one of the best explored models of stress in rats and the role of corticosterone, serotonin and catecholamines, i.e. norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) is well documented. Numerous studies have shown that Ginkgo biloba has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties and utility in cerebrovascular insufficiency and impaired cerebral performance. We investigated the effect of G. biloba on whole brain catecholamine, serotonin and plasma corticosterone levels following 1, 2 and 4 h restraint stress using HPLC and also plasma corticosterone using luminescence spectrophotometry. G. biloba extract (14 mg/kg p.o.) restored restraint stress-induced elevation in whole brain levels of catecholamines (NE, DA), 5-HT and plasma corticosterone to near normal levels. Further studies are warranted to explore the clinical potential of this encouraging lead in the management of stress and to elucidate the mechanisms involved.