Investigating the Effects of a Haskap Berry Supplement on Cognitive Health

ConditionCognition
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50+
SponsorUniversity of Reading

About this trial

This study aims to investigate the postprandial (2h) and longer term (4 week) effects of a haskap berry supplement on cognitive, vascular, and metabolic function in healthy ageing adults aged 50+.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

50+ years old

Fruit & veg intake less than or equal to 4 servings per day

Adequate English language and visual & auditory acuity to perform the cognitive tasks

Normal BMI for age

Disqualifiers

Being diagnosed with psychological or psychiatric disorders

ADHD or dyslexia

Any food allergy or intolerance

Use of medications and dietary supplements that may impact study results

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Placebo

    Dietary supplement

    6g serving of a calorie-matched powder, artificially coloured and flavoured to resemble berry powder

  • Pure haskap berry powder

    Dietary supplement

    6g serving of a pure, freeze-dried haskap berry powder

  • Vitamin-and mineral-enhanced haskap berry powder

    Dietary supplement

    6g serving of a vitamin- and mineral-enhanced haskap berry powder (fortified with potassium iodide, zinc bisglycinate, vitamin B5, and vitamin B12

Treatment groups

90 Participants
are divided into 3 treatment groups
Group A: PlaceboPlacebo comparator 1 intervention
Group B: Pure haskap berry powderExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group C: Vitamin- and mineral-enhanced haskap berry powderExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Delayed recall (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. After 5 presentations, a new list (list B) is presented and recalled, and finally participants are asked (without hearing list A again) to recall as many words as they can from list A. After a 30 minute period, participants are asked to think back to the task and recall as many words as possible from list A only, providing a measure of delayed recall.

Time frame
Baseline
2

Delayed recall (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. After 5 presentations, a new list (list B) is presented and recalled, and finally participants are asked (without hearing list A again) to recall as many words as they can from list A. After a 30 minute period, participants are asked to think back to the task and recall as many words as possible from list A only, providing a measure of delayed recall.

Time frame
2 hours
3

Delayed recall (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. After 5 presentations, a new list (list B) is presented and recalled, and finally participants are asked (without hearing list A again) to recall as many words as they can from list A. After a 30 minute period, participants are asked to think back to the task and recall as many words as possible from list A only, providing a measure of delayed recall.

Time frame
4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

1

Rate of learning (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 sequential words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. Scores are recorded as a percentage of accuracy, and the rate of learning is determined through change in accuracy across the 5 recalls.

Time frame
Baseline
2

Rate of learning (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 sequential words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. Scores are recorded as a percentage of accuracy, and the rate of learning is determined through change in accuracy across the 5 recalls.

Time frame
2 hours
3

Rate of learning (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

The RAVLT is a verbal learning task that presents participants with 15 sequential words (list A) 5 times, giving participants one minute after each presentation to recall as many words as they can from the list. Scores are recorded as a percentage of accuracy, and the rate of learning is determined through change in accuracy across the 5 recalls.

Time frame
4 weeks
4

Word recognition (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task)

Following the delayed word recall, words from list A, list B and novel words are displayed sequentially on the screen and participants are asked to indicate which words were from list A only.

Time frame
Baseline

Other outcomes

1

IQ (Raven's Progressive Matrices)

The Raven's is a non-verbal intelligence test designed to assess abstract reasoning and fluid intelligence which provides a single score (the sum of correct answers). Ravens will be included in the present study at baseline as a measure of IQ, which may later be utilised as a covariate when analysing the cognitive data.

Time frame
Baseline
2

Habitual diet (Epic-Norfolk Food Frequency Questionnaire)

The FFQ is a validated tool for gauging the average habitual dietary intake of micro and macronutrients of an individual in the UK. Data will be processed using the FETA software.

Time frame
Baseline

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University of Reading

Lead sponsor

Haskapa Ltd

Collaborator