Could Scallops and Jellyfish Be Key for Brain Health?

The World Health Organization estimates the number of people living with dementia worldwide to be as high as 55.2 million as of 2019, and this number continues to increase. Dementia is a broad term encompassing Alzheimer disease, Lewy Body dementia, cerebrovascular dementia, and mixed dementia. Patients can live with cognitive impairment for years, resulting in a negative impact on daily functioning and requiring expensive health care interventions.¹

A brain surrounded by medications | Image credit: © Oly Cazac | stock.adobe.com

Regardless of measures to prevent cognitive decline, lifestyle factors and environmental factors often contribute to faster brain aging. As a result, the brain supplement market is rapidly growing.¹

A recent study presented in Alternative Therapies compared the effectiveness of 2 available brain supplements in improving cognitive function. This study was small, with a total of only 30 participants, 15 in each arm. Using 2 standardized tests [abbreviated mental test score (AMTS) and standardized mini-mental state examination (SMMSE)], the study compared results at baseline and after 90 days.²

The researchers tested the supplements Daiwa Brain Health and Prevagen. Both products are commercially available.

The primary ingredient in Daiwa Brain Health is Hokkaido scallop oil plasmalogen (HSOP). Found in scallop cell membranes, HSOP is a phospholipid with antioxidant activity. Levels of plasmalogen decline with age and show a correlation with the degree of dementia symptoms. Plasmalogen, given orally, reduced brain inflammation and memory impairment in animal studies.²

The second supplement, Prevagen, contains Apoaequorin, a protein found in a species of jellyfish. A review of common supplements for cognitive function discussed 2 studies of Apoaequorin, both funded by this product’s manufacturer.² The first examined the effects on in vitro rat brain slice and showed that Apoaequorin may be neuroprotective through a neuroimmunomodulatory mechanism.³ The second study, with 218 human participants, examined the difference in test scores using the AD8 screening tool at baseline and then at 90 days. This study did not show any statistically significant results across the population.²

In this newly published study, the groups tested included the same number of men and women with only a slight difference in the mean age of the participants. The researchers provided participants with the supplements monthly to encourage continued participation. They were instructed to take the supplements by mouth once daily.²

At baseline, test results were similar between the two groups.After 90 days, the HSOP group showed improvement in scores for both the AMTS and SMMSE tests, whereas the Apoaequorin group did not show similar results.²

The authors did not discuss this study’s limitations. Sample size was an obvious concern, and longer studies and more research would be beneficial. But these study results suggest that HSOP has an advantage over Apoaequorin in improving memory test scores. HSOP is a safe, commercially available option that may help prevent progression to dementia.

REFERENCES

1. Pescatore F. Comparison of Daiwa Brain Health (Hokkaido Scallop Oil Plasmalogen) and Prevagen (Apoaequorin) on Cognitive Function: An In-Office Pilot Study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024;30(10):18-20.

2. Frolov A, Wadood A, Kelley BJ. Review of Supplements That Patients Commonly Report Using for Dementia. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2024; 13(24):7541. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm132475412.

3. Detert JA, Adams EL, Lescher JD, Lyons JA, Moyer JR Jr. Pretreatment with apoaequorin protects hippocampal CA1 neurons from oxygen-glucose deprivation. PLoS One.2013;8(11):e79002. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079002