NCT03162913

The Effects of Strawberry Supplementation on Memory and Gait Among Over-weight Older Adults

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 47 (actual)
• Sponsor: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 55 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study is being conducted to assess the effect of dietary strawberry supplementation on cognition and mobility in obese middle-aged and older adults. It is hypothesized that plant compounds, present in strawberries, may improve cognition and mobility.

Detailed description

Previously, the investigators have shown that dietary berry fruit are able to reverse several parameters of brain aging, as well as age-related motor and cognitive deficits when fed to aged rats. They have shown that strawberry, in particular, can reduce oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory signaling in the brain and improve both mobility and cognition. A recent study also found that the addition of two servings of strawberry per day for 3 months could significantly improve verbal and spatial memory among healthy older adults, particularly on tests with high cognitive demand. These effects may reflect the direct effects of strawberries' bioactive and neuroavailable polyphenols on brain signaling or their indirect effects through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways. However, participants in that study were selected from a healthy aging population, which made it difficult to detect changes in balance, mobility, and the less complex cognitive tasks. Therefore, the investigators are proposing the current study to assess the effects of dietary strawberry on mobility and cognition among a compromised population, obese older adults, who are at increased risk for cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disease. The risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and dementia increases in direct relation to overweight and obesity measures, and research now shows that obesity is a primary cause of mental deterioration among the middle-aged and senior populations. In this study, obese older adults (55-75yo, BMI 30-36) will consume 24g/d freeze-dried strawberry or control powder for 3 months and complete a battery of lifestyle, mobility, and cognitive tests at 3 time points. The investigators hypothesize that supplementing obese older adults' diet with strawberry will improve performance on complex tasks involving mobility and cognition.

Conditions

• Aging
• Age-related Cognitive Decline
• Obesity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Strawberry	12g freeze-dried strawberry (powder), twice daily with water, for 90 days
OTHER	Placebo	12g red, strawberry-flavored powder, twice daily with water, for 90 days

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-10-01
• Primary completion: 2023-10-20
• Completion: 2023-10-20
• First posted: 2017-05-22
• Last updated: 2024-03-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States