Study Aronia and cognitive fitness English
Aronia Berry Extract and Cognitive Fitness Study
In this study the effect of the consumption of berry extract on cognitive health and the vascular function in the brain is researched. Interested to know more about this ongoing project or interested in joining this study as a participant? Read more below.
What does the study entail?
In this study men and women will follow an intervention and a control period of 6 weeks each in a random order divided by a period of 12 weeks. During the intervention and control period you will be ingesting one capsule daily.
First, you will come to the facility for a screening visit and if after this you are eligible to take part in the study, you will visit the university in total 4 times for diverse measurements. Various measurements will be carried out on your vessels, and information processing through the brain and physical functioning will be identified. The function of the blood vessels in the brain are measured through an MRI-scan.
A reimbursement of a total of €275,- will be handed out after completed participation. Besides, we will also reimburse possible travel costs (€ 0,19/km).
We are recruiting participants! We are looking for men and women:
- 55 – 75 years of age
- BMI = 25 – 35 (Click here to calculate your BMI.)
Are you interested or do you have any questions? Please contact s.ahles@maastrichtuniversity.nl or fill out the following form:
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Study Aronia and cognitive fitness Dutch
Aronia Bessenextract en Cognitieve Gezondheid Studie
In deze studie worden de effecten van de consumptie van een bessenextract op cognitieve gezondheid en het functioneren van de bloedvaten in de hersenen onderzocht. Geïnteresseerd om meer te weten over dit lopende project of bent u geïnteresseerd om deel te nemen aan de studie als participant? Lees hieronder meer.
Wat houdt het onderzoek in?
In deze studie zullen mannen en vrouwen in willekeurige volgorde een interventie en een controleprogramma volgen gedurende 6 weken, gescheiden door een periode van 12 weken. Gedurende de interventieperiode en de controleperiode neemt u elke dag een capsule in.
Eerst komt u langs voor een vooronderzoek en als u geschikt bent komt u in totaal vier keer verspreid over 24 weken naar de universiteit voor diverse metingen. Er zullen verschillende metingen op uw bloedvaten worden verricht, en aspecten van de informatieverwerking door de hersenen en het lichamelijk functioneren worden in kaart gebracht. Het functioneren van de bloedvaten in de hersenen wordt gemeten met een MRI-scan.
De vergoeding voor deelname bedraagt in totaal €275,-. Bovendien worden de gemaakte reiskosten vergoed (€ 0,19/km).
We zoeken participanten! We zijn op zoek naar mannen en vrouwen:
- 55 – 75 jaar oud
- BMI = 25 – 35 (Klik hier om uw BMI te berekenen.)
Heeft u interesse om deel te nemen aan de studie of zou u meer informatie willen? Stuur dan een mail naar s.ahles@maastrichtuniversity.nl of vul onderstaand formulier in!
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Study ACE English
ACE Study
In this study the effect of the consumption of berry extract on cognitive health and eye function is researched. Interested to know more about this ongoing project or interested in joining this study as a participant? Read more below.
What does the study entail?
The study will last in total 18 weeks. During the intervention and control period you will be ingesting one capsule daily. First, you will visit the facility for a screening. If after this you are eligible, in the period of the following 18 weeks you will visit the university in total 4 times for diverse measurements.
Various measurements concerning information processing through the brain and the function of your eyes will be carried out.
A reimbursement of a total of €150,- will be handed out after completed participation. Besides, we will also reimburse possible travel costs (€ 0,19/km).
We are recruiting participants! We are looking for men and women:
- 18 – 35 years of age
- Non smokers
- BMI = 18 – 30 (Click here to calculate your BMI.)
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, send a mail to sanne.ahles@bioactor.com or fill out this form!
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Study ACE Dutch
ACE Studie
In deze studie worden de effecten van de consumptie van een bessenextract op cognitieve gezondheid en oogfunctie onderzocht. Geïnteresseerd om meer te weten over dit lopende project of bent u geïnteresseerd om deel te nemen aan de studie als participant? Lees hieronder meer.
Wat houdt het onderzoek in?
Het onderzoek duurt in totaal 18 weken. Gedurende de interventieperiode en de controleperiode, neemt u elke dag een capsule in. Eerst komt u langs voor een vooronderzoek en als u geschikt bent, komt u in totaal vier keer verspreid over 18 weken naar de universiteit voor diverse metingen.
Er zullen verchillende metingen voor de informatieverwerkig door de hersenen en de functie van uw ogen worden uitgevoerd.
De vergoeding voor deelname bedraagt in totaal €150,-. Bovendien worden de gemaakte reiskosten vergoed (€ 0,19/km).
We zoeken participanten! We zijn op zoek naar mannen en vrouwen:
- 18 – 35 jaar oud
- Niet-roker
- BMI = 18 – 30 (Klik hier om uw BMI te berekenen.)
Heeft u interesse om deel te nemen aan de studie of zou u meer informatie willen? Stuur dan een mail naar sanne.ahles@bioactor.com of vul onderstaand formulier in!
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Study Actiful 2 Dutch
Vitalize Studie
In deze studie wordt het effect van gecombineerd sinaasappel en granaatappel extract op de fitheid van gezonde personen van middelbare leeftijd onderzocht. Geïnteresseerd om meer te weten over dit lopende project of bent u geïnteresseerd om deel te nemen aan de studie als participant? Lees hieronder meer.
Wat wordt onderzocht?
In dit onderzoek bekijken we of het dagelijks gebruik van een voedingssupplement met actieve stoffen uit sinaasappel en granaatappel, een gunstig effect heeft op de fitheid van gezonde proefpersonen van middelbare leeftijd. Het onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd op de onderzoekslocatie van de Universiteit Maastricht in Maastricht of Venlo (Villa Flora).
Het onderzoek duurt ongeveer 14 weken, waarin u een testproduct of placebo inneemt voor 12 weken. U komt in totaal vijf keer naar Maastricht of Venlo. Eenmaal voor een screening, twee keer voor de testdagen en daarnaast nog twee keer kort voor het plaatsen van een beweegmeter (totale duur van ongeveer 6,5 uur). De volgende handelingen worden uitgevoerd:
- U vult vragenlijsten in over uw gezondheid, fitheid, lichamelijke activiteit en kwaliteit van leven
- U draagt tweemaal (gedurende 1 week) een beweegmeter
- Er wordt bloed afgenomen
- U gaat matig intensieve fietstesten uitvoeren
- Verder kunt u ervoor kiezen om mee te doen aan de deelstudie, waarbij er tweemaal een spierbiopt wordt afgenomen (in Maastricht)
Bij volledige deelname aan het onderzoek ontvangt u een vergoeding van €175,- en reiskostenvergoeding (+ €100,- voor de extra deelname aan het spierbiopt).
We zoeken participanten! We zijn op zoek naar:
- Gezonde volwassenen
- 40 – 65 jaar oud
- Niet-roker
- Niet-actieve levensstijl
- BMI = 25 – 29.9 (Klik hier om uw BMI te berekenen.)
Heeft u interesse om deel te nemen aan de studie of zou u meer informatie willen? Stuur dan een mail naar maria.imperatrice@bioactor.com of vul onderstaand formulier in!
Everything you need to know about Brainberry® and brain health
Everything you need to know about Brainberry® and brain health
We constantly use the brain to make decisions, to coordinate our movements, to focus and to memorize thousands of things. For this reason it is of utmost importance to make sure our brain is healthy. Every day we learn more about the brain and about how important it is to support our brain’s health. In this article, we will discuss what brain health is, why it is important, and how an ingredient like Brainberry® can help you support it.
What is brain health and why is it important?
The brain is a massive network of neurons, that accounts for 2% of our body weight. It is a very active organ that makes a ton of decisions on a daily basis, and despite its weight, it uses up to 20% of our total oxygen per day!
Other than oxygen, the brain needs a lot of nutrients to keep processes running, even when we are not awake. These nutrients are important to keep the brain healthy, meaning that it can function across cognitive, sensory, social, and motor domains. A healthy brain allows a person to live life to its fullest potential, which is why it’s important to keep your brain healthy.
How can you support brain health?
There are plenty of ways to keep your brain healthy. It has been shown that regular exercise is beneficial, but also that enough sleep is good for keeping a healthy brain. Both staying socially involved and staying mentally active are also good for brain health and have been shown to ward off depression and stress.
Another way to support your brain health is by improving your gut health. The bidirectional communication system between your gut and brain is called the gut-brain axis and research has shown that gut bacteria and their metabolites affect brain health.
Moreover, your diet plays an enormous role in brain health. The Mediterranean diet is seen as supportive of a well-functioning brain because it includes a wide variety of nutrient-providing foods. Examples of these are seafood, fruits, vegetables, and olives.
Also supplementing with specific compounds can be a useful approach to support brain health. Berry anthocyanins are an example of specific compounds that can exhibit a beneficial effect on brain health and function.
More specifically, Aronia Melanocarpa berries, rich in anthocyanins, have been shown to provide health benefits on immune health, cardiovascular function, and brain health due to their antioxidant properties.
What are Aronia Melanocarpa berries?
Aronia berries are little dark fruits that belong to the Rosaceae Family. They are native to North America but are mostly grown in the Baltic region of Europe, where it was introduced in the first half of the 20th century.
As the locations where the plant is cultivated suggest, the Aronia plant is a low-demanding plant and thrives in harsher and colder regions.
What are the health benefits of Aronia berries?
Aronia berries have a lot of health benefits. They contain high levels of vitamin C, but the main reason they are healthy is due to their high level of polyphenols, anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, which are all types of antioxidants. In fact, they contain one of the highest levels of antioxidants among all berries.
The main reason antioxidants are considered to be healthy is because they can help to prevent free radicals from damaging the body’s cells. The health benefits of Aronia berries include strengthening the immune system, improving cardiovascular health, and improving brain health. For this function, they are considered a superfruit (1, 2).
Among the anthocyanins in Aronia berries is the phytocompound cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, which is a key molecule for brain health.
What is Cyanidin-3-O-Galactoside?
Several health benefits of Cy3Gal, also known as Idaein, have been researched in humans due to its excellent antioxidant capacity as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties (3). However, the brain health benefits might be the most interesting aspect of Cy3Gal.
Cy3Gal is a water-soluble molecule, which can cross the blood-brain barrier. Consequently, it can exert a health benefit on several brain regions, including the cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus.
What brain health benefits are associated with Cyanidin-3-O-galatoside?
Cy3Gal can cross the blood-brain barrier, which allows it to impact brain health in multiple regions of the brain. Firstly, in the hippocampus, Cy3Gal can lower the activity of acetylcholine esterase. As a result, acetylcholine is broken down at a slower rate, resulting in higher levels of this neurotransmitter. This leads to improved neuronal signaling.
In mice, Cy3Gal has been shown to relieve neuronal damage in the hippocampus and cortex and there is evidence that Cy3Gal may improve cognitive function (3, 4).
One of the most interesting effects of Cy3Gal is that it can increase the activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which has many beneficial effects.
What is brain-derived neurotrophic factor?
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein highly expressed in the central nervous system and especially in the brain. It promotes the growth of neurons, more specifically the dendrites and dendritic spines. This supports the hippocampus, a brain region good for learning and long-term memory. BDNF is also involved in repairing brain damage.
An ideal ingredient to target brain health is the Aronia Melanocarpa extract Brainberry®.
What is Brainberry®?
Brainberry® is an Aronia Melanocarpa extract that is standardized for high levels of Cy3Gal. It is designed to enhance cognitive performance and brain fitness and it has been clinically tested in multiple studies.
Brainberry® contains high levels of Cy3Gal, which makes it an interesting ingredient for brain health formulations to target benefits mentioned before. Even more so, because Brainberry® has been clinically tested in several studies that are further described in its White Paper.
It has been shown that Brainberry® has beneficial effects on cognitive performance, such as attention and psychomotor speed, executive function, and memory. Moreover, effects on vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers were investigated.
Provided its health benefits, Brainberry® is an interesting ingredient for a wide variety of consumers, such as athletes, gamers and students.
How can Brainberry® support athletes?
Power, endurance and focus are important during sports. Increasing psychomotor speed and hand-eye coordination is an important goal for many athletes. For this reason, there is a diverse collection of products focused on increasing these parameters.
Pre-workout formulas are an example of this. These products are consumed by athletes from all disciplines briefly prior to their workout or training. The goal of consuming these types of formulas is to enhance acute exercise performance (5). Brainberry® can increase focus, psychomotor speed and mental flexibility, which is why it is a good ingredient for a pre-workout formula.
Additionally, Brainberry® has been demonstrated to significantly enhance cognitive performance in 35 professional basketball players. It also improved basketball-specific skills like shooting, rebounding, and dribbling.
How can Brainberry® help gamers?
Gaming requires many skills, such as visual-spatial skills that allow you to analyze, recognize, and rapidly respond to changes on the screen. Besides, gaming sessions can last for hours, which means enhanced attention and focus are crucial.
Brainberry®’s high levels of Cy3Gal, which improves focus and psychomotor control, make it a relevant ingredient for gaming supplements.
This is further supported by a consumer study done with Brainberry® in young, healthy e-gamers. In this study, Brainberry® significantly improved relevant measures for gaming performance, such as hand-eye coordination, focus, reaction time and energy.
How could students benefit from Brainberry®?
There is a lot of pressure on students to perform well during their studies while also being involved in a social environment. They study for entire days, especially during exam periods.
Coffee seems to be a common good for students in these periods, but did you know there are quite some substitutes for coffee that don’t have the downsides of causing stress, anxiety and sometimes sleeping problems?
Brainberry® could be an interesting solution for students who want to stay focused on their studies but don’t want the well-known caffeine rush later followed by a crash in energy levels.
That’s because Cy3Gal, the hero component of Brainberry®, is a powerful antioxidant that supports brain function and focus, without the sometimes-troublesome side effects of caffeine.
Other benefits of Brainberry®
Except for being clinically proven to enhance psychomotor speed, focus and attention, Brainberry® has other benefits as well. It is 100% natural as it is extracted from high-quality Aronia berries from the Baltics.
The dosage of Brainberry® is very low at 65 mg and it does not contain any stimulants that are usually associated with undesired side effects. This makes Brainberry® a healthier option compared to many stimulants.
The bioavailability of Cy3Gal is very high, which means it is rapidly absorbed by the body. Also, Brainberry® is easy to formulate thanks to its excellent solubility and pleasant taste.
Lastly, there are many environmental benefits of Aronia Melanocarpa. The Aronia plant helps keep bees healthy and happy, consumes little water and is naturally organic.
Learn more about Brainberry®
If you are curious to know more about Brainberry®, you can check out the product page of Brainberry® or its website.
Study Actiful 2 English
Vitalize Study
In this study the effect of orange and pomegranate extract on exercise capacity in middle-aged healthy individuals is researched. Interested to know more about this ongoing project or interested in joining this study as a participant? Read more below.
What is being researched?
In this study, we examine whether the daily use of a dietary supplement containing active substances from orange and pomegranate has a beneficial effect on the exercise performance of healthy, middle-aged subjects. The research is being conducted at the research location of Maastricht University in Maastricht or in Venlo (Villa Flora).
The study lasts approximately 14 weeks, during which you take a test product or placebo for 12 weeks. You will come to the research facility five times. Once for screening and four times for the testing days (total duration of approximately 6.5 hours).
The following measurements will be performed:
- questionnaires about your health, physical activity and quality of life;
- blood is drawn;
- you are going to wear an exercise meter twice (during 1 week) and perform moderately intense cycling tests.
- Optionally: You can also choose to participate in the sub-study, in which a muscle biopsy is taken twice
After completing the study, you will receive a reimbursement of €175 and travel expense (+ €100 for the extra participation in the muscle biopsy)
We are recruiting participants! We are looking for:
- Healthy adults
- 40 – 65 years old
- Non-smoker
- Sedentary lifestyle
- BMI = 25 to 29.9 (Click here to calculate you BMI)
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, send a mail to maria.imperatrice@bioactor.com or fill out this form!
Aronia Extract Brainberry® gains US patent for cognitive performance support
Aronia Extract Brainberry® gains US patent for cognitive performance support
Press release
BioActor’s Aronia Extract, Brainberry®, has been granted a US patent for supporting cognitive function. The patent protects the composition and dosage of the ingredient and serves as official recognition of its ability to boost brain fitness and performance, which was demonstrated in two clinical trials.
US Patent for Aronia Extract Brainberry®
BioActor’s Aronia Extract, Brainberry®, has been granted a US patent for supporting cognitive function and, specifically, for improving reaction time and attention.
The patent protects the composition and dosage of the ingredient and serves as official recognition of its ability to boost brain fitness and performance.
Brainberry® is an all-natural ingredient derived from Aronia Melanocarpa berries from the Baltics and standardized for 15% Cyanidin-3-O-galactoside content: a powerful bioactive able to cross the blood-brain barrier and exerts multiple brain fitness benefits.
The supporting research
The ingredient is supported by two randomized, double-blind clinical trials carried out by BioActor, one in mid-age and one in younger subjects.
The two studies demonstrated Brainberry®’s beneficial effect on cognitive functioning after low-dose long-term (6 weeks and 12 weeks) and short-term acute (7 days) consumption.
Researchers found that Brainberry® increases attention/concentration, reaction time, psychomotor function, and visual-motor coordination.
Moreover, it was demonstrated that a beneficial effect in maintaining optimal levels of BDNF, an essential protein for brain health that is involved in neuronal plasticity and neuroprotection mechanisms.
The clinical research so far conducted, revealed that both middle-aged individuals, young students and professionals can benefit from the daily consumption of a low dose of Brainberry®.
Two additional studies to further investigate the benefits and elucidate the mode of action of Brainberry® are ongoing, thanks to the Public Private Partnership established between BioActor and Maastricht University.
About BioActor
BioActor is a life science company based on the Maastricht Health Campus and dedicated to researching, developing and commercialising health ingredients addressing healthy ageing and active living. BioActor has a targeted portfolio of patented and branded health ingredients that are all based on food crops, clinically researched and produced in Europe.
For more info: www.bioactor.com or www.brainberry.eu
The benefits and challenges of synbiotic dietary supplements
The benefits and challenges of synbiotic dietary supplements
In the last years, synbiotic supplements have emerged as an interesting approach to improve gut health. Instead of using only pre- or probiotics, synbiotic products combine both. There are two types of synbiotics, namely complementary and synergistic synbiotics. Currently, most of the synbiotics on the market are complementary products since the formulation and research of synbiotics are quite challenging. In this article, we will explain synbiotic supplements in more detail, including the benefits and formulation challenges.
What are synbiotic dietary supplements?
The international scientific association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), defines synbiotics as: “a mixture comprising live microorganisms and substrate(s) selectively utilized by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit on the host” (1).
There are two types of synbiotic products: complementary and synergistic synbiotics. Complementary synbiotics are the most found on the market. This type should contain pre- and probiotic compounds that clinically show a health benefit together, but also when used independently from each other. Hence, they do not have to interact with each other.
On the other hand, synergistic synbiotics do not necessarily contain pro- or prebiotic compounds. Instead, they should contain microorganisms and substrates that are selectively utilized by the provided bacteria in the product. In this case, the combination should have a greater beneficial effect than the microorganisms or substrates independently (2).
Curious to know about prebiotics? Find out more!
What are the benefits of synbiotic dietary supplements?
Pre- and probiotic products can have beneficial effects on gut health, immune function and the production of beneficial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids. Synbiotic products could have the same health effects, and they potentially decrease cardiovascular risk factors, markers of insulin resistance and prevalence of metabolic syndrome as well (3).
Furthermore, synbiotic formulations must contain living bacterial strains and the substrates that can be used by these bacterial species specifically. In this way, the species have the chance to feed themselves, proliferate, and adhere to the intestinal wall of the host.
Another advantage of such synergistic dietary supplement formulations, is that they could address the “responder/non-responder” phenomenon (2).
The “responder/non-responder” phenomenon means that some subjects respond to a pre- or probiotic product, whereas others do not experience any beneficial effect. The difference could be caused by the fact that everyone has a unique microbial composition in the gut and therefore reacts differently to the treatments.
By providing the bacterial strains and their substrates simultaneously, the supplied bacteria will have an advantage compared to other bacterial strains that were already present in the gut, since they already have their selectively fermentable substrate to grow on. They could subsequently outcompete some resident microbial strains and establish a niche in the gut.
In other words, the substrate serves as a sort of fertilizer for the supplied bacterial strains and increases the chance that the bacterial strain will colonize and establish in the gut. In this way, it may be more likely that a subject will respond to the supplement or product and experience a beneficial effect!
The main challenges in formulating synbiotic dietary supplements
Although synergistic synbiotics have a lot of potential, formulating them comes with some challenges:
- Prebiotics or substrates often need to be consumed in larger amounts to have a beneficial effect, which may go along with gastro-intestinal complaints such as feeling bloated or flatulence. To limit these complaints, prebiotics may be added in lower doses, risking the loss of their beneficial health effects.
- Microorganisms are highly sensitive to the environment, which makes it difficult to store the synbiotic products under many circumstances.
- The water activity of the substrate: Water activity is a measure of water in a product that is available to react with or attach itself to other material, also known as ‘free’ water. Products with a higher water activity are more likely to be affected by bacteria and fungi. Therefore a substrate with a low water activity should be chosen (4).
Besides formulation challenges, researching the synergistic synbiotic effects comes with some difficulties.
The synbiotics that are now often used in studies have been formulated based on criteria such as shelf life, cost, and availability, rather than on metabolic, functional or other characteristics of the microorganisms or substrates.
In most studies, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are included as the probiotic component and inulin, various oligosaccharides, or dietary fibres are chosen as prebiotic ingredient, yet only one human trial showed beneficial effects (5, 6).
To screen for new promising synbiotics, in vitro studies will first be performed because clinical trials are very expensive and time-consuming. In vitro models simulating the lower and upper gastrointestinal can be helpful, such as the TIM1 and TIM2 model. The TIM-2 model is a dynamic gastrointestinal model, which is used for in-vitro research.
These models can be used to assess the survival of a probiotic through the gastrointestinal tract and the effect of synbiotics on gut microbiota.
MicrobiomeX®: the ingredient of choice for your synbiotic formula
To limit the gastro-intestinal complaints caused by high dosages of substrates, other substrates that have beneficial effects in lower dosages, such as polyphenols, could be used. The polyphenols can be transformed into bioactive molecules or into metabolites that can be used by other microorganisms, eventually resulting in a health benefit for the host.
MicrobiomeX® is a first-in-class Flavobiotic® researched and developed by BioActor. It is a natural ingredient from citrus, consisting of two active flavanones: hesperidin and naringin. BioActor combined these two powerful phenolic compounds in a unique complex ideal for the formulation of synbiotic dietary supplements in doses ranging from 250 to 500 mg.
Thanks to its proven high stability in combination with probiotics and its low water activity, MicrobiomeX® is an ideal ingredient to formulate synbiotic dietary supplements. Specifically, MicrobiomeX® can be used as a substrate, and can be metabolized in the gut by bacteria possessing the ramnosidase enzymes such as Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5, Lactobacillus Brevis and B. animalis ssp. Lactis (7).
After being metabolized, not only does MicrobiomeX® promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, but the active metabolites that are released in the gut exert a direct antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect resulting in improved overall gut health.
