Memory

Overview

SupplementDEX lists 3 supplements studied for memory across 5 trials. The strongest indexed signals include Caffeine, Melatonin, Phosphatidylcholine. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for full ratings across all supplements.

Effect graph

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Relevant supplements

Relevant supplements sorted by DEX Score.


Caffeine	★★★★★	Medium
Phosphatidylcholine	★★★★★	Low
Melatonin	★★★★★	Low

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Studies

Find individual evidence reviews for supplements sorted by DEX Score.

3 supplements for and rated at least stars. All purchase bands. No minimum star filter.

CaffeineView supplement →

Consider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeMediumEvidenceMediumTrustHigh

Evidence Review

Taking caffeine in doses around 65-200 mg can help improve memory recall, especially for college students and people who are extroverted.
Studies show caffeine can boost memory performance by up to 30%, especially in the morning when people might feel less alert.
However, caffeine doesn’t seem to help everyone as people with introverted personalities did not see memory benefits in some studies.
Caffeine helps by making you more alert and awake, which can improve memory.
More research is needed to understand if caffeine helps other groups of people or those who are more introverted.

Browse 3 studies

RCTCaffeine, extraversion and working memory2013n=128

In 128 adults, 65 mg caffeine benefited working memory serial recall and reaction time more in extraverts than introverts, while caffeine alone sped encoding of new information regardless of extraversion.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 65 mg
Population: Adults
Participants: 128

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RCTCaffeine enhances working memory for extraverts2010n=59

In 59 participants in a double-blind crossover study, 200 mg caffeine enhanced working memory performance specifically in extraverted individuals, consistent with dopamine-related mechanisms.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 200 mg/day
Participants: 59

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RCTCaffeine's effects on true and false memory2009

In a DRM false-memory paradigm, 200 mg caffeine increased recall of both studied words and critical lures versus placebo, intensifying semantic associations rather than selectively improving accurate memory.

Effect: No Benefit
Dose: 200 mg/day

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MelatoninView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

There is not enough evidence to determine if melatonin has any benefit for memory.

Browse 1 study

RCTMelatonin improves memory acquisition under stress independent of stress hormone release2008n=27

In 27 healthy men under psychosocial stress, melatonin 3 mg improved memory acquisition under stress independent of cortisol or catecholamine changes versus placebo.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 3 mg
Population: Men
Participants: 27

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PhosphatidylcholineView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceLowTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It’s not certain if taking phosphatidylcholine helps memory.
One early study found that a single large dose improved some memory tests in healthy college students, but more studies are needed to confirm these effects.

Browse 1 study

RCTEffect of phosphatidylcholine on explicit memory1993n=80

In 80 college students, phosphatidylcholine 25 g raised explicit memory on serial learning at 90 minutes postingestion; 10 g showed no significant effect.

Effect: Benefit
Dose: 10–25 g
Population: Adults
Participants: 80

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Evidence visualised

Same ratings as above, aggregated so you can see coverage and imbalance.

Purchase-guidance distribution

How many supplements fall in each purchase band

Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 3 supplements for memory (5 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Share
Caffeine	★★★★★64%	3	60%
Melatonin	★★★★★44%	1	20%
Phosphatidylcholine	★★★★★44%	1	20%

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Overview

Effect graph

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Studies

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