Public release date: 13-Dec-2007
Nutrition 21’s Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula combines chromium picolinate, phosphatidylserine and DHA to improve brain health
PURCHASE, N.Y., December 13, 2007 – Nutrition 21, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXXI), a leading developer and marketer of chromium-based and omega-3 fish oil-based nutritional supplements, today announced the results of a clinical study that showed daily supplementation with 1000 mcg of chromium as chromium picolinate improved cognitive function in older adults experiencing early memory decline. The results of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study were presented to the medical community at a neurological meeting
Blood circulation and nutrient flow to the brain decrease as a result of aging, which can affect cognition. Previous studies have shown that chromium picolinate improves insulin sensitivity, which allows glucose, the brain’s main “fuel”, to be processed more efficiently
“Impaired glucose metabolism and insulin resistance have been linked to age-related cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. These findings suggest that improving glucose metabolism with chromium picolinate supplementation may enhance cognition,” said Robert Krikorian, Ph.D., lead investigator and associate professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “These results are encouraging and indicate that further study of this intervention is warranted. Ultimately, we may find that chromium supplementation offers benefit to patients, given the prevalence of metabolic disorders and associated cognitive decline in the aging population.”
In this study, investigators used Nutrition 21’s proprietary chromium picolinate found in Core4Life™ Advanced Memory Formula™, a nutritional supplement specifically formulated to improve brain health. Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula contains a unique combination of chromium picolinate, phosphatidylserine (PS) and DHA. These ingredients all play an important role in helping improve memory and maintain brain health. PS and DHA are major components of healthy brain cell membranes and increase communication between brain cells while chromium picolinate increases glucose metabolism.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study measured whether supplementation with chromium picolinate over a 12-week period might improve cognitive function in 21 adults aged 65 years and older with early memory decline. Study participants were asked to learn a list of words presented over several learning trials and, after a delay, were asked to remember the words. Those receiving the chromium picolinate supplement showed a trend for reduced interference from irrelevant words on the memory task (p = 0.12). In addition, on another task assessing fine motor control and speed, the subjects receiving chromium picolinate exhibited enhanced motor speed relative to those receiving placebo (p = 0.16).