The effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance – New publication from BioActor in collaboration with Maastricht University

Maastricht, The Netherlands, July 8th, 2021

Press release
The systematic review recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences was conducted by BioActor in collaboration with Maastricht University and reviewed the effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance.

Berries anthocyanins

Systematic review on berry anthocyanins and cognition

The International Journal of Molecular Sciences has recently published a systematic review about the Berry Anthocyanins’ effect on Cognitive Performance. The research was conducted by S. Ahles, clinical researcher at BioActor, in collaboration with the Maastricht University’s Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM).

This systematic review of randomized Placebo-Controlled Studies in Humans provides further evidence into the beneficial effects of berry anthocyanins on cognitive performance such as attention and psychomotor speed, executive function, and memory. Moreover, effects on vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers were investigated.

Anthocyanins are a specific type of flavonoids abundantly found in various berries such as blueberry, black raspberry, and Aronia berry, to which these molecules confer the specific colours. These compounds offer a promising approach to improve cognitive performance and/or lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Ahles commented: “We are proud to report the achieved results providing evidence for the beneficial effects of berry anthocyanin on cognitive function. The observed health effects might be due to the anthocyanin-induced improvements in vascular function and blood pressure. Moreover, we found that the composition of the intervention product may play an important role as the bioactivity of anthocyanins is known to be dependent on their chemical structure. Future studies should focus on exploring a potential causal link between the beneficial effects on cognitive performance and improvement in vascular function and cardiometabolic risk markers.”

BioActor’s interest in berry anthocyanins has resulted in the development of the first-ever Aronia Berry extract targeting cognitive performance. The ingredient, branded under the name “Brainberry®”, was already tested in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial in healthy individuals and an observational study conducted with e-sports gamers, while a second RCT study, assessing its acute effect on cognition, is ongoing.

About BioActor

BioActor, based in Maastricht, Netherlands, is a product development company that has developed a range of proprietary bioactive ingredients for the nutrition & healthcare industry. The company focuses on the development of innovative activities that address active living and healthy aging. The goal is to provide the nutrition & healthcare industry with science-based innovations that confer a real health benefit to the consumer.

Feel free to contact us via info@bioactor.com for more information on the possibilities Brainberry® has to offer.
Further information can be found on: www.brainberry.eu