The effect of short-term Aronia melanocarpa extract supplementation on cognitive function in healthy young adults

There is a great interest in improving cognitive performance, including memory
and attention. Improved attention is desirable for a large group of people
because it is linked to improved performance (Vast, Young & Thomas, 2010).
Students and professionals can benefit from improved attention and thus
performance in academic and other work environments. In addition, cognitive
functioning also plays an important role in sports. Various cognitive skills,
including attention, reaction time and motor function, have shown that they can
influence sport performance (Baker, Nuccio & Jeukendrup, 2014). A completely
natural supplement with aronia melanocarpa extract could be a promising way to
naturally improve cognitive performance.
The product in this study is aronia melanocarpa extract, which contains
polyphenols. A limited number of clinical studies have already been carried out
to see the effect of this products and simular products on cognitive
functioning. However, these studies have often been done in older study
populations, over a longer period of time.

In this study, in healthy adolescents (ages between the 18-35 and with a BMI
between 18.5 and 30), we want to test the short term (7 days) effect of aronia
melanocarpa extract on cognitive functioning. We will also test the effect of
supplementation on the participant's mood, subjective cognition, vascular
function, microvasculature of the eye, biomarker level in the blood and saliva,
as well as the blood pressure.

The study product is aronia malanocarpa (with an anthocyanin content of 24%).
Studies with aronia malanocarpa have shown positive indications with regard to
cognitive functioning, but this has not been tested in healthy young adults.

With this research we look at the short-term effects of an aronia malanocarpa
extract on cognitive functioning in healthy young adults compared to placebo.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study

Subjects are randomly assigned to receive the intervention conditions in random
order. All subjects are randomly assigned to start one of the two conditions
(placebo, aronia melanocarpa). Each condition consists of taking supplements
for 7 days (30 minutes before breakfast) after which a wash-out period of 2
weeks follows and the remaining condition, which again consists of 7 days
supplementation, is started.

Participation in the study is a time investment in which some food products
have to be avoided, also a food diary must be filled out 4 times and a logbook
to specify the times of the intake of the capsules also needs to be filled out
for 7 days at a time during the two experimental conditions.
The dosage of aronia melanocarpa used in this study has no known side effects
based on previous human research.
Also for the intake of the placebo product, cellulose, no side effects are
known from previous human research.
For the intake of the Aronia extract no side effects are know from previous
human research,
Blood collection: risk of local hematoma, bruise and / or pain.
saliva collection: no risks
Cognitive test battery: no risks
Filling out the questionnaires, logbook and food diary: no risks
Vascular function assessment: no risks
fundus photography: no risks