New research links a blend of antioxidants to improved cognition, at least in mice.
- A new study from Japan
has shown that blended antioxidants may improve cognition and memory while
suppressing age-related muscle decline in mice.
- The antioxidant blend used in the study was supplied by a supplement
marketed in Japan.
- However, experts do not recommend inventing one’s own blended
antioxidants by combining supplements, as such at-home experiments may be
dangerous.
- Cognitive benefits from blended antioxidants have been observed in
mouse research, but, so far, there have not been significant human studies
of their effects.
A new study in mice finds that supplements containing a blend of
antioxidants may improve spatial cognition, short-term memory, and —
surprisingly — muscle durability in older mice.
Antioxidants help promote the health
of cells by reducing an excess of unstable free radical molecules that can
damage healthy cells. While free radicals occur naturally, too many of
them can overwhelm healthy cells, causing what’s called oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been
linked to a wide range of health issues.
Antioxidants are
molecules that can help inhibit or prevent cell damage in the body. They are
often found in plants, and some occur in the human body, although there are
also synthetic antioxidants consumed as supplements.
The researchers in Japan used a
blended antioxidant product, Twendee X, a product currently marketed in that
country. It contains eight different types of antioxidants and was formulated
by Professor Haruhiko Inufusa of the Department of Antioxidant Research, Center
for Scientific Research and Innovation at Gifu University in Japan.
For the new study, 18-month-old
genetically modified mice were given a blended antioxidant in water that they
were allowed to drink or not drink at will for a month.
Their spatial cognition and
short-term memory improved during the test period, as measured by their success
in a
Treadmill tests showed that by the end of the study, the blended
antioxidant mice increased their running distance significantly more than their
normal, control counterparts who were not taking blended antioxidants.
Further attempts to train mice on the treadmills with
additional supplement administration showed no discernible effects between the
two groups, suggesting the blended antioxidant may not improve exercise
capacity or strength, but may help prevent age-related muscle decline.
In post-mortem examination of the
blended-antioxidant mice’s brains, the researchers observed a significant
decrease in aspartate aminotransferase —
an enzyme indicating muscle damage — alanine
aminotransferase, as well as total cholesterol values.
The study is published in MDPI.
Blended antioxidants are supplements in which multiple
antioxidants have been combined. Their purported benefit is the strengthening
of cognition. There have been several studies investigating their value, but as Michelle
Routhenstein, registered dietician and nutritionist at
EntirelyNourished.com noted, clinical studies have occurred only with mice so
far.
When asked if blended antioxidants
are safe, the study’s first author, Kouji Fukui, PhD, pointed out simply that “This
blended supplement is already on sale. Anyone can purchase it. I also drink it
every day.”
Both Fukui and Routhenstein cautioned
against concocting one’s own blend of antioxidants from existing supplements,
although “a combination of them produces a higher effect than a single one,”
said Fukui.
“It is nearly impossible for general
consumers to choose multiple supplements and continue taking them. Excessive
intake of some vitamins can be a problem,” said Fukui. He noted that TwendeeX
also “contains amino acids in
addition to vitamins, which I think is an interesting combination.”
Routhenstein agreed, saying, “There are safety concerns regarding homemade
antioxidant blends, such as challenges in ensuring accurate dosage, potential
interactions with medications, contamination, and the risk of toxicity,
especially with fat-soluble antioxidants, due to excessive intake.”
Routhenstein said, however, “for research
purposes, it is easier to assess [blended antioxidants’] effect and compliance
when formulated in specific doses and given in a clinically controlled and
studied procedure.”
Can I get these antioxidants from
foods?
A person can safely replicate the
blended effect by eating a combination of foods that contain different
antioxidants.
Antioxidants are readily available in
various healthy foods. Among these are broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Cabbage, lettuce, asparagus, and squash are also great sources.
Blueberries, strawberries, pecans, artichokes, kale, raspberries, spinach, and okra are also rich in antioxidants, as are beets, beans, and dark chocolate.
In studies, antioxidants have been repeatedly found to
support cognition, and, thus, the study’s finding that spatial memory and
short-term memory benefited from blended antioxidants is not unexpected, at
least in mice.
However, Fukui expressed surprise at
his study’s finding that they also seemed to suppress an age-related decline in
muscle strength.
“Muscle strength declines with aging,
but our blended supplement prevents this decline,” he said.
Fukui pointed out that aging is associated with frailty and sarcopenia,
so the finding may have to do with the [Coenzyme Q10] and amino acid
ingredients in TwendeeX. “This may have had a positive effect on mitochondria
and muscle tissue,” he said.
Although the findings are promising,
it is also too early to generalize the results for humans.
“Antioxidants may help alleviate
exercise-induced oxidative stress in muscles, potentially aiding in recovery,
which can help strengthen muscles. However, more research is necessary to
verify these effects of blended antioxidants in human trials,” Routhenstein
said.
How blended antioxidants may help
brain fog
One of the symptoms associated with
long COVID is “brain fog,” a dulling of cognitive powers that can result in a
significant change in one’s quality of life.
“It has been suggested that [blended
antioxidants] may also be effective against the aftereffects of coronavirus.
The main premise is that they have an antioxidant effect,” Fukui added.
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