Eleutherococcus Senticosus and Drynaria Fortunei Extract May Help Improve Memory

Eleutherococcus senticosus (ES) is a small, woody shrub that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Drynaria fortunei (DR) is a basket fern that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for years. A new study suggests that a combined extract of ES and DR may help improve memory and decrease stress.

Participants in the study included 31 healthy people with an average age of 60. They were randomly assigned to receive 203 mg of ES and 20 mg of DR or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status was used to assess immediate memory, visuospatial/constructional memory, language memory, delayed memory, and attention. The public health research foundation stress checklist short form was used to measure stress levels.

Participants in the extract group showed significant improvements in figure recall (delayed memory) and semantic fluency (language memory). They also had decreased feelings of uncertainty and anxiety compared to the placebo group.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Toyama and Kanazawa University. It was published on January 23, 2020 in the journal Nutrients.