A 12-week supplementation of middle-aged individuals with subjective memory complaints also resulted in a significant increase in plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an important neurotrophic factor involved in memory and learning, compared to placebo.
Additionally, supplementation with vitamin E, astaxanthin, and grape juice extract led to significant reductions in plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), a reactive carbonyl compound and marker of oxidative stress.
“[G]”The promising improvement in episodic memory in this study suggests that the dietary supplement may have a protective effect on this brain region,” wrote the researchers from the Australian Clinical Research Centre, Murdoch University, Australia, and Pharmanex Research, Utah, “however, this needs to be confirmed in future trials.”
Research details
The researchers recruited 100 people between the ages of 40 and 70 to participate in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Participants were divided equally into two groups: one group received a daily supplement containing 12 mg of vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol), 9 mg of astaxanthin, and 250 mg of grape juice extract, and the other group received a placebo.
Results showed that the antioxidant-rich supplement produced greater improvements in episodic memory compared to placebo, but no improvements were recorded in working memory or verbal learning.
Additionally, based on data from the Everyday Memory Questionnaire, a secondary outcome measure of cognitive performance, participants in the active supplement group reported a 42% improvement in their memory over the study period, compared with an 18% improvement in the placebo group.
When it came to BDNF, the researchers reported that levels increased by 46% over the 12 weeks in the active supplement group, compared with a 24% increase in the placebo group.
“Our findings suggest that the increase in plasma BDNF by dietary supplements may confer neuroprotective effects via their ability to increase this important neurotrophic factor,” the researchers wrote. Nutrients. “BDNF is essential for neuronal survival and growth, and the signaling cascades initiated by BDNF and its receptors are key regulators of synaptic plasticity.”
For MDA, the data showed a non-significant 12.5% decrease in the active supplement group, but a “nearly significant” 26.5% increase in the placebo group.
The researchers said the “encouraging findings from this study” should be validated and expanded in future studies conducted in larger sample groups and with “more comprehensive cognitive assessments and evaluation of additional mechanisms of action.”
sauce: Nutrients
2024, 16(11), 1770; Source: 10.3390/nu16111770
“Investigating the effects of dietary supplements on cognitive function, stress, eye health, and skin satisfaction in adults with cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial”
Author: AL Lopresti et al.
