Actiful® - New Publication Reveals Physical and Mental Health Benefits in Elderly
Actiful® – New Publication Reveals Physical and Mental Health Benefits in Elderly
Press release
A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with Actiful® was recently published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Ageing. The study investigated whether Actiful® improves physical fitness and mental well-being in healthy elderly. Additionally, blood biomarkers for oxidative stress and endothelial function were measured. Key findings of the study were an improvement in handgrip strength, a measure of physical fitness, and psychological functioning facets, such as thinking, memory, learning, and concentration.
The study
The new research, published in the Journal of Nutrition Health & Ageing, was conducted by researchers at Maastricht University led by Dr Freddy Troost in collaboration with BioActor, the developer and manufacturer of the branded ingredient, Actiful®.
Actiful® is a citrus flavonoid and pomegranate complex designed to boost vitality and support energy levels for an active lifestyle. The ingredient is standardised for its content in highly bioavailable 2S-hesperidin, an important citrus flavonoid which already showed in previous BioActor studies the efficacy in improving blood flow and sports performances in both highly trained and recreational athletes.
The new study investigated whether daily supplementation with 700mg of Actiful® would affect physical fitness and psychological functioning in a healthy elderly population.
As life expectancy increases rapidly, the elderly population is growing in numbers. Ageing is one of the main risk factors for a wide variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline and reduced physical function. Therefore, strategies to support vitality in senior subjects are becoming increasingly relevant.
The methods
The study included 36 active seniors aged between 60-75 years old. The design of the clinical trial was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. All participants received both treatments and placebo: four weeks of supplementation with Actiful® and four weeks of supplementation with the placebo, separated by a washout period of 4 to 8 weeks.
During the intervention, participants completed the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire, a list of 100 questions created by the World Health Organisation and validated to assess the quality of life. In addition, a senior fitness test and handgrip measurements were performed, which are validated measures of physical performance.
Furthermore, nitrate levels were measured as a marker of endothelial function. Nitrate is considered an important signalling molecule involved in endothelial function by inducing vasodilation, leading to improved blood flow.
Oxidative stress was also evaluated by determining malondialdehyde (MDA) plasma levels. Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body and can damage cells, proteins and DNA, contributing to ageing.
The results
The study results indicate that four weeks of daily Actiful® supplementation significantly improved handgrip strength in healthy elderly. Handgrip strength is an important measure of physical fitness associated with reduced all-cause mortality, as well as increased cognitive function, mobility, and functional status.
According to the researchers, a potential mechanism that might be associated with improving handgrip strength is improved mitochondrial function. In fact, the role of hesperetin – the main metabolite of Actiful®, in mitochondrial functioning, increased intracellular ATP production, and mitochondrial spare capacity was already observed in vitro.
“With age, the number and functionality of mitochondria decreases. Dysfunctional mitochondria have reduced the capacity for producing ATP – our muscles’ principal energy source. Therefore, the next step is to confirm the effect of Actiful® on mitochondrial biogenesis and functionality in humans in vivo”, the researchers commented.
In addition to the handgrip strength, also psychological function improved after the 4 weeks of supplementation with Actiful®.
Specifically, the researchers found a significantly higher score for the treatment group than the placebo in the thinking, memory, learning, and concentration facet. As the quality of life is an important factor in successful ageing, improved psychological functioning is deemed increasingly relevant.
MDA and NO3 were also analysed as a measure of oxidative stress and endothelial functions. After supplementation, plasma MDA decreased compared to the placebo, a sign of improved oxidative stress status.
Finally, higher production of NO3 was observed. NO3 is an important signalling molecule involved in endothelial function by causing vasodilation in smooth muscle cells and can contribute to improving blood flow and exercise capacity, as demonstrated in previous studies.
Overall, the study results suggest that Actiful® consumption results in improved physical performance and better quality of life, which are two crucial factors in successful ageing.
“We are pleased with the results of this clinical trial, which includes improvements both in physical fitness and mental well-being, as well as improved oxidative stress markers. These results have piqued our interest regarding potential underlying mechanisms of action, which are currently being investigated in our new clinical trial.” Commented Sanne Ahles – clinical researcher at BioActor.
Opportunity for innovation
Actiful® has been developed to support vitality and energy levels contributing to healthy ageing. The active ingredient can already be found in various products on the market worldwide. Actiful® is easy to formulate, and it can be added to a wide variety of dietary supplements in several convenient formats, including gummies, effervescent tablets, capsules, ready-to-use sachets and drinks.
About BioActor
BioActor, based at the Maastricht Health Campus, Netherlands, is a life science company that has developed a range of proprietary bioactive ingredients for the nutrition & consumer health industries. The company focuses on the development of plant-based health ingredients for active living and healthy ageing. The goal is to provide the nutrition & consumer health industries with clinically tested innovations that confer a real health benefit to the consumer.
Feel free to contact BioActor via info@bioactor.com for more information on the possibilities that Actiful® has to offer.
Further information can be found on: www.actiful.eu and www.bioactor.com
