Nutricia spotlights proprietary brain-boosting supplement’s healthy aging benefits

01 May 2023 --- Nutricia, the medical nutrition division of Danone, recently launched Souvenaid in the US for the first time. The supplement contains the company’s nutraceutical ingredient, Fortasyn Connect, which is a proprietary blend of nutrients designed to help synaptic functioning in the brain.

At the same time, Innova Market Insights reveals that cognitive support claims in supplements is increasing, with a 2% year-over-year growth when comparing global launches from 2021 and 2022.

NutritionInsight speaks with Dr. Steven Yannicelli, Nutricia North America’s VP of medical and scientific affairs for Souvenaid, about the growing market for cognitive support supplements and the science behind the company’s functional ingredient.

Can you provide more information about how Souvenaid works to strengthen synapses?
Yannicelli: Just because you consume nutrients doesn’t always mean your body can utilize them for memory function. To help strengthen synapses, our brains need adequate levels of three key nutrients – uridine, choline and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). But our brains can’t utilize these nutrients well on their own without other vitamins and nutrients – folate, other B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium, for example – to support them. 

Dr. Steven Yannicelli, Nutricia North America’s VP of medical and scientific affairs for Souvenaid.According to the late neuroscientist Richard J. Wurtman, MD, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the formation of synapses depends on the synthesis of phospholipids from these three essential precursors. However, many Americans don’t get nearly enough of these nutrients in their daily diet for optimal synapse support, which could help their memory health. 

How is Souvenaid different from other memory supplements currently available in the US market?
Yannicelli: Souvenaid is the only supplement specifically formulated to support memory function by strengthening synapse connections through specialized nutrition and is the first and only memory supplement that supports memory function through a specialized blend of nutrients that help strengthen synapses.

During normal aging, memory decline is linked to changes in the brain and the functioning of synapses – the brain connections that make it possible to create and recall memories. One daily 4 oz serving of Souvenaid powers synapses with the right nutrients at the right levels, using its proprietary formula Fortasyn Connect, which cannot be found in any other memory supplement. 

Fortasyn Connect is a well-researched blend of key nutrients that are understood to help support synapses in the brain. This combination and concentration of each nutrient is nearly impossible to get from a typical diet alone.

Souvenaid targets synapses – the connections in our brains – that make memory possible. As we age, the synapses in our brain start to break down at a faster rate than the brain makes new ones, which is a main reason for memory decline. 

Souvenaid comes ready-to-consume, but for the best experience, shake well before use and serve chilled. Just like calcium strengthens our bones, the nutrients that make up Fortasyn Connect help strengthen how synapses function. This precise combination and concentration of nutrients, required to help strengthen synapses for supporting memory function, is difficult to take in with a typical diet alone and it cannot be found in any other memory supplement.

To obtain adequate amounts of these nutrients through diet alone, an adult would need to eat approximately –  3 oz of salmon, two large eggs, one orange, one cup of almonds, three cups of raw spinach and take two 300 mg uridine supplements each day.

The food providing these nutrients alone would cost about US$7.50 per day. An alternative option would be to consume one serving of Souvenaid. 

What kind of clinical studies have been conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of Souvenaid?
Yannicelli: Based on 60 years of scientific research into membranes and synapses and 20 years of product research and on a dietary survey including Americans aged 50 years and older, approximately 88% and 99% of Americans aged 50 years and older do not meet the Adequate Intake for choline and omega 3 fats, respectively.Souvenaid is intended for adults 45 years of age and older.

The impact of this from person to person will vary, and any benefits of Souvenaid are associated with continued, long-term use. Supporting your synapses is a process that takes time. Much like taking a multivitamin, you might not feel the nutrients Souvenaid is providing – but you’ll know your synapses are getting the nutrients they need for the long haul.

Is Souvenaid suitable for people of all ages and with various health conditions?
Yannicelli: In the US, Souvenaid is for adults over the age of 45, the time in the aging process when adults may begin experiencing memory loss that comes with the natural aging process. It is for those adults who are looking to be proactive in their long-term memory health, including those who have noticed that their memory isn’t performing how it used to.

Since Souvenaid contains fish oil (1200 mg DHA and 300 mg EPA), choline, uridine and B vitamins and some of these may pose an interaction or may become in excess if you are taking other supplements or medications so it is best to consult with your healthcare provider or pharmacist when starting on Souvenaid.

By William Bradford Nichols