Funded in part by Human Clinical Research Facility at Texas A&M University from Specnova, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL, USA)
Effects of Acute Ashwagandha Ingestion on Cognitive Function
Xing D, Yoo C, Gonzalez D, Jenkins V, Nottingham K, Dickerson B, Leonard M, Ko J, Faries M, Kephart W, Purpura M, Jäger R, Sowinski R, Rasmussen CJ, Kreider RB
International journal of environmental research and public health · 31 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Industry funded
- Company
- Human Clinical Research Facility at Texas A&M University from Specnova, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL, USA)
- University or hospital
- Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab
- Authors
- At least one author declares a financial tie to industry
Based on 2 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2022-09-20 · Int J Environ Res Public Health · vol. 19 · issue 19 · p. 11852
- Publisher
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Cited
- 47 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 10.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 44 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants · Food Science and Nutritional Studies · Medicinal Plants and Neuroprotection
- Keywords
- Ingestion, Cognition, Medicine, Poison control, Traditional medicine, Pharmacology, Medical emergency, Psychiatry, Internal medicine
- MeSH
- humans, withania, polyesters, plant extracts, cross-over studies, double-blind method, cognition, eating
15 authors
From US
- Dante XingTexas A&M University
- Choongsung YooTexas A&M University
- Drew Edward GonzalezTexas A&M University
- Victoria M. JenkinsTexas A&M University
- Kay NottinghamTexas A&M University
- Broderick L. DickersonTexas A&M University
Abstract
Background
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been reported to decrease perceptions of stress, enhance mood, and improve cognitive function. However, it is currently unknown whether acute ashwagandha supplementation affects memory and cognitive function. This study evaluated the effects of acute ashwagandha extract ingestion on executive function.
Materials and methods
13 healthy volunteers were administered the Berg-Wisconsin Card Sorting (BCST), Go/No-Go (GNG), Sternberg Task (STT), and Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVTT) tests. Participants then ingested in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, and crossover manner 400 mg of a placebo (PLA) or ashwagandha (ASH) extract (NooGandha®, Specnova Inc., Boca Raton, FL, USA). Participants then performed cognitive function tests every hour for 6 h. After a 4-day washout period, volunteers repeated the experiment while receiving the remaining supplement. Data were analyzed by repeated measures General Linear Model multivariate and univariate statistics with body weight as a covariate.
Results
Acute ASH supplementation increased STT-determined working memory as demonstrated by an improvement in 6 letter length, Present Reaction Time at 3 and 6 h. PVTT analysis revealed that ASH sustained attention by helping maintain reaction times, preventing mental fatigue, and remaining vigilant. Conversely, reaction times (at task 20, hour 6; overall, hour 3) increased with PLA. In the BCST, there was evidence that ASH increased the ability to recognize and 'shift' to a new rule compared with baseline. However, this was not seen when evaluating changes from baseline, suggesting that differences in baseline values influence results. In the GNG test, ASH ingestion promoted faster response times to respond correctly than PLA, indicating less metal fatigue. However, ASH did not affect accuracy compared to PLA, as both treatments decreased the percentage of correct answers.
Conclusions
Acute supplementation with 400 mg of ashwagandha improved selected measures of executive function, helped sustain attention, and increased short-term/working memory.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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