Extracts from Blueberries and Green Tea Boost Cognitive Performance

Researchers at the University of South Florida have developed a proprietary supplement called NT-020 that may improve cognitive performance in aging adults. The supplement was provided in a clinical trial consisting 105 adults between the ages of 65 and 85.

The supplement contains extracts from blueberries and green tea along with vitamin D3 and amino acids. Researchers at USF wanted to take a deeper look into the dietary benefits for improving cognitive performance, rather than examining the often-researched effects of physical activity and brain training.

Fifty-two of the participants in the study received the NT-020 supplement while the other 53 were given a placebo. The results of the two-month study showed an improvement in cognitive processing speed among the 52 that received the supplement, but no improvement among the participants that took the placebo. Memory tests were given before and after the supplements were taken.

Seeking to provide answers for cognitive improvement among aging adults, the researchers closely examined polyphenols, an antioxidant found in blueberries. This antioxidant helps regulate oxidative stress and inflammation, which can impact cognitive health.

"In the future, having markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as brain-based measures of functioning, may allow us to identify the manner by which this compound, as well as others, may influence functioning," Paula C. Bickford, PhD, and Brent Small, PhD, concluded in their study, found in this USF Health article.

Their NT-020 supplement was patented by the University of South Florida and is commercially available as NutraStem®.

After the promising results of their study, Bickford and Small plan to conduct future trials with longer intervention periods in order to further understand the effectiveness of the supplement.

To read more about the study as well as cognitive health, click here.