Cranberry Polyphenols and Human Stress Resilience: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Integrating Cognitive, Physiological, and Microbiome Adaptations Underlying Nutritional Neuroprotection and Multitasking Performance in Healthy Adults.

Summary

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluates whether 70 days of daily cranberry juice consumption improves cognitive performance and motor accuracy and reduces psychological and physiological stress responses during a motor-cognitive dual-task multitasking challenge in healthy adults aged 30-55 (Aim 1). It is hypothesized that chronic cranberry juice intake will enhance dual-task performance and attenuate stress reactivity (Hypothesis 1). It is further hypothesized that cranberry juice will mitigate multitasking-related fatigue, mood fluctuations, and cognitive impairment, accompanied by favorable changes in circulating stress biomarkers and stress-regulatory neurochemical pathways (Aim 2/Hypothesis 2). Finally, the study incorporates gut analysis to determine whether cranberry juice induces beneficial shifts in the gut microbiota and microbial metabolites (e.g., SCFAs) and whether these changes are associated with improved cognitive and stress-related outcomes, consistent with a microbiome-gut-brain axis mechanism (Aim 3/Hypothesis 3).

Description

Eligibility

Age range

30–55 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Interventions

• Other
  Cranberry juice

  Participants will consume the cranberry juice beverage by mouth each day for 70 days following a run-in period.

• Other
  Placebo juice

  Participants will consume the placebo cranberry juice beverage by mouth each day for 70 days following a run-in period.

Location