Oak Wood Extract Associated With Increased Energy, Less Fatigue

Many of the things that people use to boost their energy, such as energy drinks, may have adverse side effects. A recent study suggests that supplementation with a French oak wood extract may be an all-natural way to boost energy and improve tiredness and tension.

Participants in the study included twenty healthy people. After an initial two-week run-in period, they were given 300 mg of the French oak wood extract supplement daily for four weeks. That was followed by a two-week washout period.

The researchers used the Activation Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD ACL) questionnaire to measure the psychological effects of the supplement. They found a 9% improvement in energy, a 12% improvement in tiredness, and a 4% improvement in tension when compared with baseline values. They did not find any association between the supplement and calmness.

In total, they found that the sum of changes of significant improvement on fatigue were equivalent to a 25.11% difference, when compared with baseline.

Researchers from Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia), Horphag Research (Switzerland) and Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat Munster (Germany) conducted the study. It was published online ahead of print on May 18, 2015, in Phytotherapy Research.

According to the researchers, compounds called roburins and other flavonoids unique to oak wood are the mechanism behind the health benefits of French oak wood. Previous studies have found that French oak wood extract may help with tiredness and fatigue.