Green coffee bean shortened mental response time
How quickly the brain processes information slows with age, which can affect other cognitive functions. In this study, 38 healthy adults took a placebo or 300 mg of chlorogenic acid from green coffee bean per day.
After 16 weeks, participants in the green coffee bean group were able to activate physical movements more quickly, and had better attention and memory, compared to placebo. Doctors also found higher levels of two proteins, apolipoprotein A1 and transthyretin, whose decline signals the early stages of impaired cognition.
The findings support a previous six-month pilot where green coffee bean improved cognitive function, especially in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the frontal brain lobe involved in planning complex tasks, expressing personality, making decisions, and interacting socially.
Omega-3s ease elder depression
Depression is fairly common in older adults, yet only 10 percent of older Americans reporting symptoms receive treatment. This review of six clinical trials covered 4,605 men and women, average age 77, some with symptoms of mild to moderate depression, others in a state of mental well-being. Participants took a placebo or an average of 1,300 mg of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids per day, in studies lasting from several weeks to several months.
Overall, those in the well-being group saw no significant effects on mood from taking omega-3s. In participants with mild to moderate depression, doctors found a large, positive effect on mood for omega-3s compared to placebo.
Doctors said depression may reflect an inflammatory chemical imbalance in the brain, and that omega-3s are anti inflammatory.
Reference: Nutrients; 2018, Vol. 10, No. 10, 1337; Published Online
Natural Insights for Well Being January 2019
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