Resveratrol voor betere hersenfuncties*
Uit een kleine Engelse studie blijkt dat de bioactieve stof resveratrol,
o.m. in druiven, wijnen pinda's kan leiden tot betere cognitieve vaardigheden en een betere bloeddoorstroming in de hersenen. In de studie kregen 24 vrijwilligers of een placebo of 1 of 2 capsules met 250 mg resveratrol.
Your Brain On Resveratrol
Can Resveratrol, the so-called miracle molecule found in red wine, peanuts and an obnoxious plant called Chinese Giant Knotweed, actually improve your brain function?
Scientists at Northumbria University in the UK have just published a double-blind, peer-reviewed study in the journal, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, which concludes that a relatively modest dose of this compound in the form of one or two capsules may just do that. In their study, 24 subjects were given one capsule of a supplement called Biotivia Bioforte Resveratrol containing 250 mg of the trans-Resveratrol isomer in each
dose.
In previous studies of Resveratrol the compound has been shown to have potent anti-aging properties in animals, as well as the ability to protect cells against a remarkable range of diseases. Resveratrol seems to perform much the same function in animals the same way it does in plants; that is, act as the organism's immune and defense system. The supplement's ability to activate certain genes called sirtuins was discovered by Dr. David Sinclair at Harvard about three years ago and since that time has been the subject of hundreds of studies and trials. Albert Einstein Medical School, for example, has applied to present the results of its trial on diabetes patients to the American Diabetes Association Science Meeting.
In the Northumbria study, Bioforte resveratrol increased the brain blood flow in the human subjects while they were performing mental tasks by a substantial amount. The effect seemed to be turned on by the increased demand caused by the cognitive tasks being performed by the student subjects. This implies that the effect of Resveratrol on cerebral blood flow is activated on demand when the brain is called upon to perform a challenging mental task. Could this mean that the compound can be taken in the morning before taking an exam, for example, and spring into action when needed to boost the brain's ability to cope with the exam? Possibly; however, much more study is needed to determine the proper dosage and timing for this application.
Abstract:
Effects of resveratrol on cerebral blood flow variables and cognitive performance in humans: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover investigation1,2,3
David O Kennedy, Emma L Wightman, Jonathon L Reay, Georg Lietz, Edward J Okello, Anthea Wilde and Crystal F Haskell
1 From the Brain PerformanceNutrition Research Centre Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom (DOK ELW JLR AWCFH)the School of Agriculture FoodRural Development Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne United Kingdom (GLEJO).
2 The research described herein was internally funded, and all materials were purchased on the open market.
3 Address reprint requests and correspondence to DO Kennedy, Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom NE1 8ST. E-mail: david.kennedy@unn.ac.uk.
Background: The many putative beneficial effects of the polyphenol resveratrol include an ability to bolster endogenous antioxidant defenses, modulate nitric oxide synthesis, and promote vasodilation, which thereby improves blood flow. Resveratrol may therefore modulate aspects of brain function in humans.
Objective: The current study assessed the effects of oral resveratrol on cognitive performance and localized cerebral blood flow variables in healthy human adults.
Design: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 22 healthy adults received placebo and 2 doses (250 and 500 mg) of trans-resveratrol in counterbalanced order on separate days. After a 45-min resting absorption period, the participants performed a selection of cognitive tasks that activate the frontal cortex for an additional 36 min. Cerebral blood flow and hemodynamics, as indexed by concentration changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, were assessed in the frontal cortex throughout the posttreatment period with the use of near-infrared spectroscopy. The presence of resveratrol and its conjugates in plasma was confirmed by HPLC after the same doses in a separate cohort (n = 9).
Results: Resveratrol administration resulted in dose-dependent increases in cerebral blood flow during task performance, as indexed by total concentrations of hemoglobin. There was also an increase in deoxyhemoglobin after both doses of resveratrol, which suggested enhanced oxygen extraction, that became apparent toward the end of the 45-min absorption phase and was sustained throughout task performance. Cognitive function was not affected. Resveratrol metabolites were present in plasma throughout the cognitive task period.
Conclusion: These results showed that single doses of orally administered resveratrol can modulate cerebral blood flow variables.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28641 (Juli 2010)
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