The consumption of flavonoid-rich foods has been linked to improved cognitive function and mood. The impact of blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium, Ericaceae) on cognitive function has been researched with various populations, intervention types, durations, and cognitive tasks with mixed results. This could be due to the stability and bioavailability of blueberry anthocyanins, and it is possible that the effects of blueberry’s anthocyanin metabolic peaks are time- and dose-dependent. Various tests have shown that cognitive performances worsen at specific timepoints throughout the day due to circadian and homeostatic rhythm changes—specifically two hours after consuming lunch. The authors conducted two studies. The first study (ROAB) was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial with four different doses of wild blueberry extract (WBE) to test the dose-responsive efficacy on episodic memory throughout the day, on maintaining executive function and mood, and the cardiovascular effects on adults between the ages of 68–75 years. The second study (BEAT) was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial tested the time-dependent effects of a specific dosage of WBE on cognitive performance and cardiovascular effects on adults between the ages of 68–75 years.
The authors conclude that WBE can improve the reaction times during the post-lunch dip for executive function tasks in adults who are healthy. It was found there was a significant improvement for episodic memory and cognitive performance during post-lunch decline in addition to lowering blood pressure in the ROAB trial but not the BEAT trial. More research is needed to verify these results with individuals who have mild cognitive impairments.
This study was published in the American Botanical Council HerbalGram Originally published Cheng N, Barfoot KL, Le Cozannet R, Fança-Berthon P, Lamport DJ, Williams CM. Wild blueberry extract intervention in healthy older adults: A multi-study, randomised, controlled investigation of acute cognitive and cardiovascular effects. Nutrients. April 2024;16(8):1180. doi:10.3390/nu16081180.
Until tomorrow…