Blackcurrants Benefit the Brain

New Zealand blackcurrants are abundant in anthocyanins – plant antioxidants that have been shown by previous studies to improve cardiovascular parameters. Arjan Scheepens, from Plant & Food Research (New Zealand), and colleagues enrolled 36 healthy adults, ages 18 to 35 years, in a study in which participants  consumed 250mL of an anthocyanin-enriched New Zealand blackcurrant extract or a cold-pressed juice from the New Zealand blackcurrant cultivar ‘Blackadder’; or a taste-matched placebo (no blackcurrant), after which they were asked to complete a set of demanding mental performance assessments. After both blackcurrant beverages, subjects demonstrated improved attention and mood, and reduced mental fatigue.  In addition, blood tests showed that consumption of the ‘Blackadder’ juice reduced the activity of a family of enzymes called monoamine oxidases, which regulate serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the brain.  The study authors report that: “Findings from the intervention illustrate a cognitive benefit of acute blackcurrant supplementation in healthy young humans and the first description of a clinically significant inhibition of monoamine oxidase-B and monoamine oxidase-A using a commonly consumed fruit.”