Acute Intake of a Grape and Blueberry Polyphenol-Rich Extract Ameliorates Cognitive Performance in Healthy Young Adults During a Sustained Cognitive Effort

Pierre Philip,Patricia Sagaspe,Donato Angelino,Joël Constans,Daniela Martini,Camille Pouchieu,David Vauzour,Claire Mandon,Pedro Mena,Daniele Del Rio,Line Pourtau,Jacques Taillard

doi:10.3390/antiox8120650

Abstract

Despite an increasing level of evidence supporting the individual beneficial effect of polyphenols on cognitive performance, information related to the potential synergistic action of these phytonutrients on cognitive performance during a prolonged cognitive effort is currently lacking. This study investigated the acute and sustained action of a polyphenols-rich extract from grape and blueberry (PEGB), on working memory and attention in healthy students during a prolonged and intensive cognitive effort. In this randomised, cross-over, double blind study, 30 healthy students consumed 600 mg of PEGB or a placebo. Ninety minutes after product intake, cognitive functions were assessed for one hour using a cognitive demand battery including serial subtraction tasks, a rapid visual information processing (RVIP) task and a visual analogical scale. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and plasma flavan-3-ols metabolites quantification were also performed. A 2.5-fold increase in serial three subtraction variation net scores was observed following PEGB consumption versus placebo (p < 0.001). A trend towards significance was also observed with RVIP percentage of correct answers (p = 0.058). No treatment effect was observed on FMD. Our findings suggest that consumption of PEGB coupled with a healthy lifestyle may be a safe alternative to acutely improve working memory and attention during a sustained cognitive effort.

Highlights

With a multitude of exams, evaluations, and deadlines, university students are experiencing enormous pressure to perform
All participants reported being in a good health, not consuming any food supplements, medications, or illicit drugs that would interfere with the tested product
We investigated the acute effect of a polyphenol rich extract made from grape and blueberries (PEGB) on working memory and attention during a prolonged cognitive challenge in healthy students

Summary

Introduction

With a multitude of exams, evaluations, and deadlines, university students are experiencing enormous pressure to perform These stressful situations have a critical impact on learning and memory processes [1], and students are seeking solutions to ameliorate their cognitive capabilities over short period of time and during exams. In this context, and in order to improve their academic performance or productivity, students often self-report the misuse of pharmaceutical stimulants, such as amphetamines or dextroamphetamines, originally prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms [2,3]. Dietary polyphenols, plant-derived compounds found abundantly in fruits, vegetables, cocoa, and certain beverages such as tea [5], by involving cellular and molecular mechanisms are able to enhance cognitive functions following acute and chronic interventions in both humans [6,7,8] and animals [9,10,11]

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