Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is key for the maintenance of normal neuronal function and energy homeostasis and has been suggested to improve cognitive function, including learning and memory. Iron and the antioxidant curcumin have been shown to influence BDNF homeostasis. This 6-week, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of oral iron supplementation at low (18 mg) and high (65 mg) ferrous (FS) iron dosages, compared to a combination of these iron doses with a bioavailable formulated form of curcumin (HydroCurcTM; 500 mg) on BDNF levels in a healthy adult cohort of 155 male (26.42 years ± 0.55) and female (25.82 years ± 0.54) participants. Participants were randomly allocated to five different treatment groups: both iron and curcumin placebo (FS0+Plac), low dose iron and curcumin placebo (FS18+Plac), low dose iron and curcumin (FS18+Curc), high dose iron and curcumin placebo (FS65+Plac) and high dose iron and curcumin (FS65+Curc). Results showed a significant increase in BDNF over time (26%) in the FS18+Curc group (p = 0.024), and at end-point between FS18+Curc and FS18+Plac groups (35%, p = 0.042), demonstrating for the first time that the combination with curcumin, rather than iron supplementation alone, results in increased serum BDNF. The addition of curcumin to iron supplementation may therefore provide a novel approach to further enhance the benefits associated with increased BDNF levels.
Highlights
Iron is a critical micronutrient vital for oxygen transport and energy production via cellular respiration [1] as well as for the development and maintenance of normal neuronal function [2].Assuming a mixed human diet, dietary iron intake ranges from 12 to 18 mg/day, of which 1–2 mg is absorbed into the circulation via the duodenum and proximal jejunum [3,4]
Research has shown Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to have a key role in the maintenance of normal neuronal function [21], energy homeostasis [26] and, in animal studies, it has been demonstrated to enhance declarative memory in the developed nervous system [25]
These findings indicate that increased BDNF levels could help to improve cognitive function
Summary
Iron is a critical micronutrient vital for oxygen transport and energy production via cellular respiration [1] as well as for the development and maintenance of normal neuronal function [2]. Excessive cerebral iron levels can reduce BDNF expression and are associated with cognitive and mental impairments [34,35,36] This is claimed to be a consequence of the brain’s altered redox state, as high iron levels facilitate the production of detrimental reactive oxygen species (ROS) [36,37], and the brain lacks efficient levels of antioxidant defences to counteract them [35,36]. As iron and curcumin have both been independently associated with BDNF homeostasis in animal and cellular models [33,34,35,36,52], there is scope to further investigate their co-administration The aim of this 6-week, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was to examine the effects of oral iron supplementation at low (18 mg) versus high (65 mg) ferrous iron dosages, either alone or co-administered with curcumin (500 mg) supplementation on serum BDNF levels in healthy adults. The study was designed to determine whether co-administration of ferrous sulphate and a bioavailable formulated curcumin supplement (commercially available as HydroCurcTM) would amplify serum levels of BDNF
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