Acute Effects of Naturally Occurring Guayusa Tea and Nordic Lion’s Mane Extracts on Cognitive Performance

Summary & key facts

Researchers gave 40 healthy adults three different single doses on separate days: a guayusa tea extract (AMT), a Nordic Lion’s Mane mushroom extract (LM), and a fake pill (placebo). They tested thinking speed, memory, attention, and mood before the dose and again 1 hour and 2 hours after. AMT (which contains caffeine and other plant compounds) made people feel clearer, more focused, more productive, and faster on several thinking tests over the two-hour window, but it also raised blood pressure and lowered accuracy on one specific impulse-control test. LM helped working memory, attention, and reaction time by 2 hours and gave earlier boosts in feelings of happiness. These were short-term effects in a small group of healthy adults, so we don’t know if they last or apply to everyone.

Key facts:

• Forty healthy adults tried three single doses on different days: guayusa extract (called AMT), Lion’s Mane mushroom extract (LM), and a placebo. Tests were done before, 1 hour after, and 2 hours after each dose.
• AMT improved several objective test scores over two hours: people made more attempts on a mental subtraction test, had higher scores and faster reaction times on a working-memory test, and reacted faster on a simple attention test.
• Despite some faster responses with AMT, it reduced accuracy on one impulse-control measure (the No-go stimulus in the Go/No-go test).
• People reported feeling clearer, more focused, more concentrated, in better mood, and more productive after AMT at both 1 and 2 hours. AMT also increased the ability to tolerate stress at 1 hour.
• LM improved the number of attempts on the subtraction test, sped reaction times on the working-memory test, and improved a simple attention reaction time by 2 hours. LM also increased feelings of happiness earlier (at 1 hour) than AMT.
• The placebo improved focus and concentration a little at 1 hour compared to baseline, showing that some short-term changes can occur without an active ingredient.
• AMT raised blood pressure from the participants’ baseline measurements. Heart rate effects were not described as uniquely changed by LM.
• The study looked only at single doses and only up to 2 hours after taking them, so these results describe short-term effects in healthy adults and do not tell us about long-term benefits or risks.

Abstract

< 0.05); however, this occurred earlier in LM (i.e., 1 h post ingestion). AMT uniquely elevated blood pressure from baseline. AMT significantly improved cognitive performance and self-perceived cognitive indices of affect over a 2 h period and perceptions of happiness 2 h post ingestion. In comparison, LM helped improve working memory, complex attention, and reaction time 2 h post ingestion and perceptions of happiness over a 2 h period.

Topics

Biochemical effects in animals Morinda citrifolia extract uses Muscle metabolism and nutrition

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Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Cell Biology Life Sciences

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Biology Cognition Cognitive psychology Neuroscience Psychology

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Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety or worry Difficulty focusing