Research and videos
Creatine: the research and Kevin's videos
Does creatine help the APOE4 brain, and is it safe to take long term?
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This page has no results from Phoenix members yet. It shows what published research says, and what Kevin and the experts say in his videos.
See what Phoenix members have measuredDoes creatine help the APOE4 brain, and is it safe to take long term?
Creatine probably improves memory a little, mostly in older adults, but the best long trial in older women found no benefit and overall thinking did not change. A small uncontrolled pilot in Alzheimer's, mostly APOE4 carriers, found brain creatine rose; real trials are still needed. It raises blood creatinine without harming healthy kidneys, so tell whoever orders your labs that you take it.
What the research says
Grade BAPOE4-specific evidence: limited
Creatine probably improves memory slightly, mostly in older adults, but not overall thinking; there is no evidence yet that it prevents dementia.
Key studies
Xu 2024, Front NutrGrade B
16 trials, 492 people: creatine improved memory; global cognition and executive function did not change.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)Prokopidis 2023, Nutr RevGrade B
8 trials in healthy people: memory improved, mostly in adults 66-76; almost no effect in the young.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)Alves 2013, PLoS OneGrade B
24-week randomized trial in older women: creatine, with or without strength training, did not improve cognition.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)
3 more key studies
Smith 2025, Alzheimers Dement (N Y)Grade C
Single-arm pilot, 20 people with Alzheimer's, 8 weeks: brain creatine rose 11% and some test scores improved; no control group.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)Gordji-Nejad 2024, Sci Rep
15 young adults: one creatine dose protected thinking during a sleepless night.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)Naeini 2025, BMC NephrolGrade A
Meta-analysis: creatine raises blood creatinine slightly without lowering measured kidney filtration.
Read on PubMed (opens in a new tab)
What Kevin and experts say
3 passages for, 2 against, 4 with a caution, 2 also discussed
Now showing: Dr. Kevin Tran · 7:13
Open on YouTube (opens in a new tab)For3 passages
Pooled trials show creatine helps memory.
“combined 16 randomized trial of about 492 people [creatine] improved memory”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
Creatine is an easy win for some.
“I think creatine can give some people a win. That's pretty easy”
Dr. Ashanthi Gajaweera, Board-certified neurologist, Menopause Society certified practitioner (Healthspan Neurology)
Creatine improved memory across 16 trials, with moderate confidence.
Dr. Kevin Tran
Watch the Short on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Against2 passages
A 24-week trial in older women found no cognitive benefit.
“a 24-week double blind placebo control trial in healthy older woman. Creatine with or without strength training did not improve cognition on any measures.”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
A 24-week creatine trial in older women found no brain benefit.
Dr. Kevin Tran
Watch the Short on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
With a caution4 passages
The Alzheimer's creatine result is early and uncontrolled.
“This was a single armed pilot. So there were no control group and it was only 20 people”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
The big older-adult effect rests on very little data.
“The older adult result rests on two studies 57 people between them”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
If your kidneys are weak, creatine safety is unknown.
“it can't tell you what creatine does to a kidney that's already struggling.”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
Tell your doctor; higher creatinine on creatine is expected.
Dr. Kevin Tran
Watch the Short on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Also discussed2 passages
Creatine for the brain is promising, not proven.
“The evidence for it is better than you would expect and thinner than the internet claims.”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
Low-risk and promising still is not proven.
“Promising [and] low risk is not the same as proven.”
Dr. Kevin Tran, Founder of The Phoenix Community, Doctor of Pharmacy, APOE4/4 carrier
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