Brain supplements: omega-3, phosphatidylserine, ginkgo and lutein, and how to read the label

Brain supplements is a broad name for a shelf that holds very different things: fish oil and algae omega-3s, phospholipids like phosphatidylserine, herbs like ginkgo biloba and bacopa, lion's mane mushroom, and, a step along, the lutein formulas on the eye health shelf. This guide explains what each of these dietary supplements is, the forms it comes in and how to read its label.

It's for anyone comparing bottles on our brain health shelf, for themselves or for a parent, and it's a label guide rather than a list of promises. We describe ingredients, forms and amounts so you can compare with confidence. For how much to take, follow the label on the product you choose. And supplements sit alongside sleep, good food and moving your body; they don't replace any of them.

What's on the brain health supplements shelf

Read the ingredient amounts, not the name on the front: two "brain" formulas can share almost nothing.

Omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil: EPA and DHA

Omega-3 fatty acids are the best-known ingredient on this shelf. The two that matter on a supplement label are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is one of the main structural fats in the human brain and in the retina of the eye, and it's also found in breast milk. Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel are the main food sources of EPA and DHA. The plant omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), comes from flax, chia, hemp and walnuts, and from some vegetable oils.

When you compare fish oil supplements, look past the total oil. A 1,000 mg softgel might hold 1,000 mg of fish oil but far less EPA and DHA. Add the EPA and DHA figures together for each serving, then check how many softgels or teaspoons make a serving. "High DHA" formulas lean toward DHA, "high EPA" formulas the other way. Our omega-3 label guide goes deeper into fish oil, cod liver oil and algae.

AquaOmega makes a High DHA fish oil from wild-caught South Pacific anchovies. Carlson, a family company making fish oils since 1965, puts 800 mg EPA and 500 mg DHA in each teaspoon of its lemon liquid. Closer to home, Nature's Way of Canada, based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, makes NutraSea fish oils and NutraVege, a plant-based omega-3 from algal oil.

Plant-based omega-3 from algae

Fish get their omega-3s from algae, so algal oil gives EPA and DHA without fish. NutraVege Omega-3 Plant Liquid Gels hold 300 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA from Schizochytrium algal oil in a plant-based softgel. Whole Earth & Sea, which grows and makes its supplements in British Columbia, has a vegetarian Marine DHA softgel from the same kind of algae.

Nature's WayNutraVege Omega-3 Plant Liquid Gels300 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA from algal oil, plant-based softgel. From Dartmouth, NS. 30 softgels.Shop →

Phosphatidylserine and choline

Phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine are phospholipids, the fats that make up cell membranes throughout the body. PS is found in especially high amounts in brain cells. Supplements are usually made from soy or sunflower lecithin, and the label states the milligrams of PS or phosphatidylcholine per softgel, which is much smaller than the lecithin it comes from.

Choline itself is a nutrient sold in several forms, and the form is the first thing to check:

• Phosphatidylcholine: the main phospholipid in lecithin. Natural Factors gives 420 mg from 1,200 mg of soy lecithin per softgel.
• Glycerophosphocholine (GPC): a building block of cell membrane phospholipids, sold as capsules or, from Designs For Health, as a lightly sweet liquid.
• Choline bitartrate: a simple salt form, often paired with inositol in capsules.

Natural Factors, a British Columbia company with its own organic farms, makes both: the PS is soy-free, from sunflower, while the phosphatidylcholine comes from soy lecithin, which matters if you avoid soy.

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest tree species on earth, a tree native to China with fan-shaped leaves that turn bright gold in autumn. Its seeds have a long history in traditional Chinese medicine, but modern ginkgo supplements are made from the leaves, not the seeds.

Ginkgo extract is usually standardized, and the classic label reads "24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones", the two groups of compounds the extract is measured by. You'll also see a ratio such as 50:1, meaning 50 parts of dried ginkgo biloba leaves went into one part of extract. Naka, an Ontario supplement maker since 1991, pairs 60 mg of standardized 50:1 extract with 340 mg of whole ginkgo leaf in each capsule. St. Francis Herb Farm makes a ginkgo tincture in the Ottawa Valley.

NakaGinkgo Biloba60 mg standardized extract (24% / 6%) plus 340 mg whole leaf per capsule. 120 capsules.Shop →

Bacopa and lion's mane

Bacopa monnieri, also called brahmi, is a small creeping herb with a long history in Ayurvedic tradition. Extracts are measured by their bacosides; AOR, a Calgary family company since 1991, standardizes its Bacopa Enlighten to 50% bacosides A and B at 300 mg per capsule. Like most herbs, bacopa is taken steadily, as the label directs.

Lion's mane (Hericium erinaceus) is the shaggy white mushroom that grows on hardwood trees. Products differ in which part of the mushroom they use: Host Defense grows certified organic mycelium on organic brown rice and freeze-dries it, while other brands use the fruiting body as a whole powder or an extract. The label tells you which. Our mushroom supplements guide explains mycelium, fruiting body and extract ratios.

Magnesium L-threonate and acetyl-L-carnitine

Magnesium L-threonate is a form of magnesium bound to threonic acid, and it's the form you'll find on the brain health shelf rather than the general magnesium shelf. Read the label for elemental magnesium: Naka Platinum Magnesium L-Threonate gives 144 mg of elemental magnesium from 2,000 mg of Magtein magnesium L-threonate in its daily serving. Our guide to the best form of magnesium compares threonate with bisglycinate, citrate and the rest.

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) is an acetylated form of L-carnitine, the amino acid derivative the body uses in energy production. Designs For Health gives 800 mg per vegetable capsule.

NakaPlatinum Magnesium L-Threonate144 mg elemental magnesium from Magtein per daily serving. 90 + 30 vegetable capsules.Shop →

Also on the shelf: L-theanine, rhodiola and citicoline

A few other ingredients turn up in brain health supplements. L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves, sold on its own or paired with magnesium. Rhodiola is a herb from cold, mountainous regions, measured by its rosavins and salidroside. Our adaptogens guide covers both. Citicoline (CDP-choline) is another form of choline, found in some multi-ingredient formulas, and B vitamins and vitamin E show up in many brain formulas too.

Eye health: lutein, zeaxanthin and more

Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow carotenoids found in leafy greens, egg yolks and corn, and they're the two carotenoids concentrated in the macula, the centre of the retina. Most supplements get them from marigold flowers. Labels list milligrams of each, and sometimes say "lutein esters", the form found in the flower, which the body converts to free lutein.

Eye formulas often combine lutein and zeaxanthin with other nutrients: bilberry, vitamins A, C and E, zinc and copper. Platinum Naturals, a Canadian maker since 1996, puts 20 mg of lutein and 2.5 mg of zeaxanthin in Total Vision Care, one softgel a day, with bilberry, grape seed extract and vitamins in a base of fish oil. CanPrev Eye-Pro is a vegetable-capsule formula with black currant extract, antioxidants and minerals. Natural Factors Lutein gives 40 mg of LuteinRich lutein with zeaxanthin from marigold petals.

CanPrevEye-Pro FormulaBlack currant extract, antioxidants and minerals. 60 veggie capsules.Shop →

How to read a brain supplement label

1. Find the medicinal ingredients. Every licensed product lists them with amounts. Blends can hold six or more, each in a smaller amount than a single-ingredient product.
2. Check the form. Magnesium L-threonate vs bisglycinate, mycelium vs fruiting body, choline as GPC vs bitartrate: the form is part of the product.
3. Look for standardization. Herbs list a marker (24% flavone glycosides for ginkgo, 50% bacosides for bacopa). Omega-3s list EPA and DHA.
4. Count the serving. Some products need two or three capsules for the amounts on the front.
5. Check what you already take. B vitamins, vitamin E and zinc appear in many brain and eye formulas and in multivitamins, so compare labels side by side.
6. Read the source. Fish, algae, soy, sunflower, gelatin or vegetable capsule: useful if you avoid any of them.
7. Find the NPN. An eight-digit NPN on the label shows the product is licensed for sale in Canada, and its statement of use, the health claim it's licensed to make, is printed beside it.

Questions we get a lot

Fish oil or algae omega-3: which should I choose?

Both give EPA and DHA. Fish oil is the classic choice and comes in softgels and flavoured liquids; algal oil gives the same two fatty acids without fish, which suits vegetarians and vegans. Compare the EPA and DHA per serving rather than the total oil.

What is ginkgo biloba made from?

Ginkgo supplements are made from the leaves of the ginkgo tree, usually as an extract standardized to 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones. Ginkgo seeds are a different thing, used in traditional Chinese medicine and cooking.

What is phosphatidylserine?

Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid, one of the fats that make up cell membranes. Supplements are usually made from soy or sunflower lecithin and list the milligrams of PS per softgel.

What is lutein?

Lutein is a yellow carotenoid found in leafy greens and egg yolks, and with zeaxanthin it's concentrated in the macula of the eye. Supplements usually come from marigold flowers and list milligrams of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Is lion's mane a brain supplement?

Lion's mane is a mushroom, and you'll find it on both our mushroom shelf and our brain health shelf. Check whether a product uses mycelium or fruiting body, and whether it's a whole powder or an extract.

Shop brain and eye supplements in Bedford, Dartmouth or online

You'll find omega-3s, phospholipids, ginkgo and lion's mane with our brain health supplements, and lutein formulas on the eye health shelf, at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth, open seven days. In HRM, order by 11 am with Luminate Express for same-day delivery, or choose pickup. Everything here is shelf-stable, so it ships across Atlantic Canada in 1 to 3 business days, and orders over $80 ship free anywhere in Canada.

Sources: product labels and listings for the items shown. This article is general information, not medical advice.