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Supplement Blend Lifts Cognitive Scores in Postmenopausal Women, Trial Finds

A placebo-controlled trial found a supplement combining PQQ, GABA, caffeine and B vitamins raised overall cognitive scores in postmenopausal women.

By Dr. Josh Axe · November 14, 2026 · 1 source · Watch

At a glance

What they found: Postmenopausal women on the supplement scored 5.9 points higher on overall cognition than those on placebo after 6 weeks.
Who was studied: Healthy postmenopausal women over 6 weeks.
What it doesn't show: Whether the change lasts beyond 6 weeks.

A multi-ingredient dietary supplement raised overall cognitive test scores in postmenopausal women by 5.89 points compared with placebo, according to a trial published November 3, 2026 in BMC Nutrition.

5.89pt higher overall score

63women, 6 weeks

A trial published November 3, 2026 in BMC Nutrition found that a multi-ingredient dietary supplement raised overall cognitive test scores in healthy postmenopausal women compared with placebo. Researchers randomly assigned women 1:1 to a supplement with pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), caffeine, B vitamins and minerals, or a matching placebo, for 6 weeks. Sixty-three women completed the trial, 30 on the supplement and 33 on placebo, and were tested on a computerized cognitive battery at the start and end.

The primary measure, an overall cognition score called the Neurocognition Index, rose 5.89 points more with the supplement than placebo (95% CI 1.27 to 10.52). Memory rose 7.86 points more, cognitive flexibility 7.57 points more, and visual memory 7.97 points more than placebo. Executive functioning trended favorably but fell just short of significance. Complex attention moved opposite the overall pattern.

PQQ supports mitochondria, the cell structures that generate energy the brain depends on heavily. GABA is a calming brain chemical involved in nerve signaling, caffeine affects alertness, and B vitamins fuel the chemical reactions that power brain cells. The authors concluded this combination was linked to improved overall cognitive performance and gains in specific memory and executive domains in postmenopausal women, a time when complaints like fuzzy memory are common.

Study decoded

Dr. Axe • The Health Wire

This was a small, 6-week trial, so a larger, longer study is the next step to confirm findings and check whether benefits last. Complex attention moved opposite the main pattern, unexplained by the researchers. The combination was tested as a whole, not ingredient by ingredient, so results don't show what any single nutrient did alone.

Dr. Axe’s Take

A 5.89-point jump in cognitive scores over 6 weeks is a real signal worth paying attention to, especially for women dealing with menopausal brain fog, even from one trial this size. The physiology backs it up: PQQ supports the mitochondria that power brain cells, B vitamins feed those same pathways, and GABA supports calm nerve signaling. I'd build those same pathways through food first, leafy greens and fermented foods for B vitamins, plus steady sleep and blood sugar control, which hit the same energy and nerve-signaling systems this study points to.

— Dr. Axe

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Study summary

Who: 63 healthy postmenopausal women completed the trial (30 supplement, 33 placebo).
Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 6 weeks.
Dose: Multicomponent supplement with PQQ, GABA, caffeine, B vitamins and minerals, daily for 6 weeks, versus matching placebo.
Primary result: Neurocognition Index rose 5.89 points more with supplement than placebo (95% CI 1.27-10.52).
Secondary: Memory +7.86 pts, Cognitive Flexibility +7.57 pts, Visual Memory +7.97 pts vs placebo; Executive Functioning trended favorably but not significant; Complex Attention moved opposite overall pattern.
Funding / conflicts: Investigator initiated. No outside funding was used. The authors declare no competing interests.
Date: Nov 3, 2026