RIPE Pilot Study Suggests Resveratrol May Improve Cognitive Function In The Elderly

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Findings from the "Resveratrol for Improved Performance in Elders" (RIPE) trial were presented last week at the 65th Annual Scientific Meeting of The Gerontological Society of America, which was hosted at the San Diego Convention Center from November 14 – 18.  The conference offered more than 400 scientific sessions to over 4,000 leaders in the field of aging from around the world.

The RIPE pilot study, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted by researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville, followed cognitively intact men and women who orally ingested Resveratrol (provided by Reserveage Organics) in either 300 mg/d or 1000 mg/d doses over a 90-day period. Cognitive assessments were made at baseline and at the end of the study (Day 90) using: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Digits Forward and Backward (DFB), Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA), Trail Making Tests (TMT: A & B), Digit Symbol Copy number (DSCN), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST).

Compared to placebo, Resveratrol supplementation taken in the 1000 mg/d dose improved psychomotor (processing) speed and significantly increased hippocampal activation (increased blood flow to the brain). Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound present in various dietary sources including peanuts, grapes, red wine, and Japanese knotweed, has demonstrated a wide range of physiological benefits in humans.

"Our findings are supportive of a short-term course of Resveratrol supplementation for enhancing psychomotor speed and increasing hippocampal activation. We also observed exciting trends suggesting memory was improved," said lead researcher Steve Anton, Ph.D.,** from the Dept. of Aging and Geriatric Research and Institute on Aging at the University of Florida. "The results are very promising and show that Resveratrol may have a predictable positive impact on cognitive function in older adults."

The RIPE study, summarized in a poster presentation was supported by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation at the University of Florida; the NIH/NIA Claude D. Pepper Center; and Thomas H. Maren Foundation. Reserveage Organics, which provided Resveratrol supplements for the study, is based in Gainesville, Florida.  
**Steve Anton, Ph.D. periodically serves as a consultant for Reserveage Organics.

SOURCE Reserveage Organics