Novel Solution

Results from a clinical trial of a nutritional drink called Souvenaid were recently published in The Lancet Neurology. Souvenaid is a medical drink containing Fortasyn Connect - a combination of fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients.

Dr Doug Brown, Director of Research and Development at Alzheimer's Society, said, 'This medical drink has been shown to slow the decline of thinking skills in people with mild memory problems who also have early signs of Alzheimer's disease on a brain scan or a lumbar puncture test.

This group of people don't benefit from Alzheimer's drugs, so this drink is one option to consider alongside regular exercise, avoiding smoking an eating a healthy, balanced diet to keep their memory sharp.

This trial of Souvenaid did not meet the success criteria that would be needed for developing new drugs, so we cannot be confident of the drink's benefits.

Although there was less cognitive decline in people taking the daily drink over two years, the same number of people still went on to develop dementia as those who had a fake drink every day. We certainly can't conclude that the drink slows progression of Alzheimer's disease.

People who are worried about their memory should not rush out and buy this drink without first talking to their doctor to find out if it could be suitable for them. There are many causes of memory decline, including normal ageing, so it's important people are investigated for underlying Alzheimer's disease before taking this medical drink, or any kind of treatment.