The study conducted by researchers from Swinburne University was published in Current Developments in Nutrition recently.
The researchers previously found that a four-week administration that Longvida by Verdure Sciences, a 400mg supplement that contains 80mg of curcumin, improved working memory and reduced fatigue and stress reactivity in older Australians.
They then conducted a follow-up study to find out if the similar effects were evident during a 12-week consumption.
The follow-up study involved 80 participants aged 50 to 80. The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, and parallel-groups trial.
The subjects were then randomly picked to receive the administration of Longvida.
Assessment of their cognitive performance, such as the ability to memorise information, then took place at the 4th and 12th week of the trial.
In addition, they were required to undergo neuroimaging, measurement of cardiovascular health, while other blood biomarkers were also collected.
The researchers found that as compared to the placebo group, the group that took curcumin had “significantly better working memory performance at 12 weeks”.
For instance, in a learning probe test, the curcumin consuming group scored consistently higher than the placebo group.
Also, at the 4th week of assessment, the curcumin consuming group scored between 50 and 55 while the placebo group scored 45 in terms of time needed during the learning probe.
Their performance gap grew bigger at the 12th week of assessment, with the curcumin group scoring about 60 and the placebo group showing no improvement.
Less fatigue
The researchers also found that consuming curcumin can reduce fatigue.
They measured the subject’s level of fatigue based on the Profile of Mood States (POMS) at the 4th and 12th week of the study.
It was found that the curcumin consuming group scored consistently lower in terms of fatigue level when compared to the placebo group at the 4th and 12th week.
For example, they had a fatigue-inertia score of slightly more than 2, which was lower than the placebo group at 2.5 during the 4th week of the assessment.
However, a prolonged consumption of curcumin did not further reduce the level of fatigue, since the fatigue-inertia score remained at about 2 for the curcumin group even after 12 weeks.
The researchers concluded that the results “confirmed that Longvida™ improves aspects of mood and working memory in a healthy older cohort.
“The pattern of results is consistent with improvements in hippocampal function and may hold promise for alleviating cognitive decline in some populations.”
This study was funded by a grant from Verdure Sciences
Source: Current Developments in Nutrition
A Highly Bioavailable Curcumin Extract Improves Neurocognitive Function and Mood in Healthy Older People: A 12-Week Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzz052.OR32-05-19
Authors: Andrew Scholey et al
