"Brain-boosting" shake goes on sale

A brain-boosting milkshake that is said to reduce symptoms of early Alzheimer's goes on sale in the UK Monday, it was announced here. "Souvenaid", which costs 3.49 pounds per 125 ml bottle, contains a cocktail of nutrients needed to build new connections in the brain, the makers said. The makers, Nutricia, claim the once-a-day product has been clinically shown to improve memory in mildly affected patients. Prof. Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, however, urged people to spend their money elsewhere. "People shouldn't get excited that an off-the-shelf drink is going to transform the lives of people with dementia," he said. Around 800,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, more than half with Alzheimer's disease. As the population ages, the number of dementia sufferers is expect to soar to 1.7 million by 2051, the health authorities said. Souvenaid is said to be the result of more than a decade of research into the nutritional needs of people with early Alzheimer's. A key feature of the disease is the loss of synapses, or connections in the brain, which are vital to memory. People with Alzheimer's are known to lack certain nutrients necessary for synapse-building, it is noted. Souvenaid is therefore designed to boost levels of these nutrients. In a randomly controlled clinical trial involving 259 patients from six European countries, Souvenaid produced statistically significant improvements in episodic memory over 24 weeks. This is the memory of life events occurring at specific times and places, such as a birthday party. As of today, the drink will be sold in pharmacies throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Prof Ballard said that "While past studies of this product have showed some benefits for memory, there is no evidence that it has an effect on other aspects of thinking or everyday life, and there was also no benefit on other symptoms of dementia.