Is there clinical evidence supporting the cognitive benefits of Allysian Mastermind™?

Options are nice, but let’s face it – these days we seem to be bombarded by too many options when it comes to food and supplements. We see health claims like “lowers cholesterol” or “lose weight in 10 days” but how do we know if these statements are actually true? One way is by looking at clinical research studies and seeing what scientific evidence has to say about these claims. Let’s take a look at Mastermind™, Allysian’s breakthrough supplement for cognitive support.

18 Recommended Uses

Did you know that Mastermind has 18 recommended uses according to Health Canada? This means that Mastermind met rigorous regulatory standards, including a review of all ingredients, their potency, and proper evidence to verify that Mastermind is safe and effective. That’s right, each of the 18 recommended uses are supported by the results of well-designed human studies on ingredients found in Mastermind. Curious what these studies found? Let’s focus on evidence for cognitive support in young to middle-aged healthy adults. All study results are from randomized controlled trials (the “gold standard” of research studies).

Helps to enhance memory in adults.

Helps support working memory.

Ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, rhodiola rosea, (all in the Mastermind Matrix), and bacopa monnieri have been studied for memory support. The findings below were from studies of healthy adults, with study populations ranging from 50-256 people and durations ranging from 1 day to 12 weeks.

• 15.6% Increase in working memory capacity (11)
• 9.9% Improvement in working memory speed (11)
• 14.7% Greater improvement in memory recall compared to placebo (8)
• 7.5% Increase in memory quality (16)
• 4.9% Greater improvement in working memory compared to placebo (13)
• Enhanced memory accuracy (1) 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to remember things better, not only in every day life but also during exam periods or stressful workdays? Let’s now zoom in on each ingredient to see how they may work to support memory.

GINKGO BILOBA contains potent antioxidants (flavonoids and terpenoids) that help to protect nerve health and improve circulation in blood vessels, including those found in the brain. While more research is needed, some studies suggest that ginkgo stimulates nerve cell activity and protects brain cells from plaque build up.

PANAX GINSENG is known for its bioactive ginsenosides, which play a role in the cholinergic system. This is a system of nerve cells that use the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to send signals, or messages to various parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord. Thus, these ginsenosides are thought to be involved in the regulation of memory and learning.

RHODIOLA ROSEA is best known for its rosavin and salidroside content. Preliminary studies have shown rhodiola rosea to be linked to accelerated rates of nerve healing through reduction of oxidative stress (our brain is made up of a bunch of nerves!).

BACOPA MONNIERI contains active compounds such as saponin, which have shown potential in neuroprotectivity. Saponins are thought to reverse depletion of acetylcholine, a key component for cell-to-cell communication, including sending signals to the brain.

Helps support cognitive performance.

Helps support mental focus.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely had days where I just couldn’t seem to focus on what I was doing. Mastermind ingredients such as rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha (both in the Mastermind Matrix), bacopa monnieri, and guarana extract may help support mental focus. The following results were from studies of healthy or stressed adults, with study populations ranging from 40-129 people, and durations ranging from 1 day to 12 weeks.

• Improved attention and concentration (3, 9)
• Increased speed and accuracy during cognitive tests (2)
• Enhanced learning rate and speed of information processing (6, 14)

ASHWAGANDHA

While more research is needed to confirm just how ashwagandha may promote cognitive performance, preliminary studies suggest neuroprotection related to antioxidant properties and the potential to induce neurogenesis, the creation of new nerve cells.

GUARANA

The effects of guarana are thought to be due to its high saponin and tannin content. These antioxidants help to protect against cell damage, helping to keep our cells “young” and healthy.

Helps support mental stamina.

Relieves mental fatigue.

While I wouldn’t necessarily want to work all day, I wouldn’t mind having the mental energy to be able to think critically throughout the day. This definitely would’ve helped when I was a student studying for exams! The below results were from studies of rhodiola or ashwagandha intake in healthy, young adults with study populations ranging from 56-161 and durations ranging from 1 to 14 days.

• 20% improvement in tests of mental fatigue (4)
• Higher anti-fatigue effect compared to placebo when performing mental tests in a stressful environment (11)

You now have the knowledge to be confident in Mastermind and to share with others how important it is to look into the research behind any claims or uses, especially when it comes to health products. Empower yourself and others by taking the time to read and learn – you’ll be one step closer to redefining possible.

References 

1. Al-Kuraishy, H.M. (2015). Central additive effect of Ginkgo biloba and Rhodiola rosea on psychomotor vigilance task and short-term working memory accuracy. J Intercult Ethnopharmacol, 5(1), 7-13.
2. Aslanyan, G., Amroyan, E., Gabrielyan, E., Nylander, M., Wikman, G., & Panossian, A. (2010). Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study of single dose effects of ADAPT-232 on cognitive functions. Phytomedicine, 17(7), 494-499.
3. Cooley, K., Szczurko, O., Perri, D., Mills, E.J., Bernhardt, B., Zhou, Q., & Seely, D. (2009). Naturopathic care for anxiety: a randomized controlled trial ISRCTN78958974. PloS one, 4(8), e6628.
4. Darbinyan, V., Kteyan, A., Panossian, A., Gabrielian, E., Wikman, G., & Wagner, H. (2000). Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue - a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty. Phytomedicine, 7(5), 365-371.
5. Kaschel, R. (2011). Specific memory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in middle-aged healthy volunteers. Phytomedicine, 18(14), 1202-1207.
6. Kennedy, D.O., Haskell, C.F., Robertson, B., Reay, J., Brewster-Maund, C., Luedemann, J., . . . Scholey, A.B. (2008). Improved cognitive performance and mental fatigue following a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement with added guarana (Paullinia cupana). Appetite, 50(2-3), 506-513.
7. Kumar, N., Abichandani, L.G., Thawani, V., Gharpure, K.J., Naidu, M.U., & Venkat Ramana, G. (2016). Efficacy of a standardized extract of Bacopa monnieri (Bacognize) on cognitive functions of medical students: a six-week, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2016.
8. Mandal, A.K., Hedge, S., & Patki, P.S. (2011). A clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bacopa caplets in memory and learning ability: a double blind placebo controlled study. Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism, 23(3), 122-125.
9. Olsson, E.M., von Scheele, B., & Panossian, A.G. (2009). A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med, 75(2), 105-112.
10. Ossoukhova, A., Owen, L., Savage, K., Meyer, M., Ibarra, A., Roller, M., . . . Scholey, A. (2015). Improved working memory performance following administration of a single dose of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) to healthy middle-age adults. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 30(2), 108-122.
11. Scholey, A., Ossoukhova, A., Owen, L., Ibarra, A., Pipingas, A., He, K., . . . Stough, C. (2010). Effects of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) on neurocognitive function: an acute, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Psychopharmacology, 212(3), 345-356.
12. Shevtsov, V.A., Zholus, B.I., Shervarly, V.I., Vol`skij, V.B., Korovin, Y.P., Khristich, M.P., . . . Wikman, G. (2003). A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work. Phytomedicine, 10(2), 95-105.
13. Stough, C., Downey, L.A., Lloyd, J., Silber, B., Redman, S., Hutchison, C., . . . Nathan, P.J. (2008). Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa monniera on human cognitive functioning: 90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Phytother Res, 22(12), 1629-1634.
14. Stough, C., Clarke, J., Lloyd, J., & Nathan, P.J. (2001). Neuropsychological changes after 30-day Ginkgo biloba administration in healthy participants. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol, 4(2), 131-134.
15. Stough, C., Lloyd, J., Clarke, J., Downey, L.A., Hutchison, C.W., Rodgers, T., & Nathan, P.J. (2001). The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology, 156(4), 481-484.
16. Wesnes, K.A., Ward, T., McGinty, A., & Petrini, O. (2000). The memory enhancing effects of a Ginkgo biloba/Panax ginseng combination in healthy middle-aged volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 152(4), 353-361.