TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic and postprandial effect of blueberries on cognitive function, alertness, and mood in participants with metabolic syndrome – results from a six-month, double-blind, randomized controlled trial
AU - Curtis, Peter J.
AU - van der Velpen, Vera
AU - Berends, Lindsey
AU - Jennings, Amy
AU - Haag, Laura
AU - Minihane, Anne-Marie
AU - Chandra, Preeti
AU - Kay, Colin D.
AU - Rimm, Eric B.
AU - Cassidy, Aedin
N1 - Funding information: This work was supported by the United States Highbush Blueberry Council with oversight from the USDA and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (United Kingdom). The funders of this research had no involvement in this publication and have placed no restrictions on the publication of these data.
Data availability: Anonymized data described in the manuscript will be made available upon request to the corresponding author, pending the submission and approval (by the corresponding author and team) of an appropriate research hypothesis and statistical analysis plan.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Background: Anthocyanin and blueberry intakes positively associated with cognitive function in population-based studies and cognitive benefits in randomized controlled trials of adults with self-perceived or clinical cognitive dysfunction. To date, adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) but without cognitive dysfunction are understudied. Objectives: Cognitive function, mood, alertness, and sleep quality were assessed as secondary end points in MetS participants, postprandially (>24 h) and following 6-mo blueberry intake. Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted, assessing the primary effect of consuming freeze-dried blueberry powder, compared against an isocaloric placebo, on cardiometabolic health >6 mo and a 24 h postprandial period (at baseline). In this secondary analysis of the main study, data from those completing mood, alertness, cognition, and sleep assessments are presented (i.e., n = 115 in the 6 mo study, n = 33 in the postprandial study), using the following: 1) Bond-Lader self-rated scores, 2) electronic cognitive battery (i.e., testing attention, working memory, episodic memory, speed of memory retrieval, executive function, and picture recognition), and 3) the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Urinary and serum anthocyanin metabolites were quantified, and apolipoprotein E genotype status was determined. Results: Postprandial self-rated calmness significantly improved after 1 cup of blueberries (P = 0.01; q = 0.04; with an 11.6% improvement compared with baseline between 0 and 24 h for the 1 cup group), but all other mood, sleep, and cognitive function parameters were unaffected after postprandial and 6-mo blueberries. Across the ½ and 1 cup groups, microbial metabolites of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid (i.e., hydroxycinnamic acids, benzoic acids, phenylalanine derivatives, and hippuric acids) and catechin were associated with favorable chronic and postprandial memory, attention, executive function, and calmness. Conclusions: Although self-rated calmness improved postprandially, and significant cognition-metabolite associations were identified, our data did not support strong cognitive, mood, alertness, or sleep quality improvements in MetS participants after blueberry intervention. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02035592.
AB - Background: Anthocyanin and blueberry intakes positively associated with cognitive function in population-based studies and cognitive benefits in randomized controlled trials of adults with self-perceived or clinical cognitive dysfunction. To date, adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) but without cognitive dysfunction are understudied. Objectives: Cognitive function, mood, alertness, and sleep quality were assessed as secondary end points in MetS participants, postprandially (>24 h) and following 6-mo blueberry intake. Methods: A double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted, assessing the primary effect of consuming freeze-dried blueberry powder, compared against an isocaloric placebo, on cardiometabolic health >6 mo and a 24 h postprandial period (at baseline). In this secondary analysis of the main study, data from those completing mood, alertness, cognition, and sleep assessments are presented (i.e., n = 115 in the 6 mo study, n = 33 in the postprandial study), using the following: 1) Bond-Lader self-rated scores, 2) electronic cognitive battery (i.e., testing attention, working memory, episodic memory, speed of memory retrieval, executive function, and picture recognition), and 3) the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Urinary and serum anthocyanin metabolites were quantified, and apolipoprotein E genotype status was determined. Results: Postprandial self-rated calmness significantly improved after 1 cup of blueberries (P = 0.01; q = 0.04; with an 11.6% improvement compared with baseline between 0 and 24 h for the 1 cup group), but all other mood, sleep, and cognitive function parameters were unaffected after postprandial and 6-mo blueberries. Across the ½ and 1 cup groups, microbial metabolites of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid (i.e., hydroxycinnamic acids, benzoic acids, phenylalanine derivatives, and hippuric acids) and catechin were associated with favorable chronic and postprandial memory, attention, executive function, and calmness. Conclusions: Although self-rated calmness improved postprandially, and significant cognition-metabolite associations were identified, our data did not support strong cognitive, mood, alertness, or sleep quality improvements in MetS participants after blueberry intervention. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02035592.
KW - Cognitive function
KW - Metabolic syndrome
KW - Blueberry anthocyanins
KW - Anthocyanin-derived phenolic acid metabolites
KW - cognitive function
KW - metabolic syndrome
KW - anthocyanin-derived phenolic acid metabolites
KW - blueberry anthocyanins
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85185548662&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.12.006
M3 - Article
VL - 119
SP - 658
EP - 668
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
SN - 0002-9165
IS - 3
ER -