Acute Inositol-Stabilized Arginine Silicate Improves Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults.

Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI) is an ergogenic aid that upregulates nitric oxide. Acute ASI supplementation improves working memory and processing speed in young adults but there is a lack of data examining other cognitive tasks. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine acute ASI effects on young healthy adults by assessing multiple cognitive domains. Nineteen young adults (20.9 ± 3.2 years) completed this randomized, double-blind, crossover study consuming ASI (1.5 g ASI + 12 g dextrose) and placebo (12 g dextrose). The participants completed the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and two digital cognitive assessments before consuming the supplement and then completed the same battery of tests 60 min post-supplementation. Repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that ASI consumption significantly improved total RBANS and immediate memory scores compared to the placebo (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were displayed between trials for other cognitive domains (p > 0.05). Acute ASI ingestion increased overall RBANS scores and immediate memory scores in young adults. More research is needed to examine the acute effects of ASI on other domains of cognition, in older populations, and its long-term effects on cognition.

Risk Reduction and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease: Biological Mechanisms of Diet.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) incidence is increasing and with no disease modifying agents available, preventative measures through lifestyle factors are being investigated. Combined with the prevention of AD risk factors such as heart disease, diabetes, and with more recent evidence, microbiome dysfunction, there is a substantial foundation for diet as a modifiable risk factor and preventative measure for AD. Recent evidence suggests AD associated pathologies, such as oxidative stress and inflammation, can be modulated by the lipids, vitamins, and polyphenols obtained through nutritional intake. Furthermore, epidemiological and preclinical evidence has uncovered certain compounds within foods that may have beneficial effects in the prevention of AD, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and resveratrol among others. However, clinical data examining specific compounds are often inconsistent and fail to replicate the preclinical data. On the other hand, dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean or MIND diet have shown promise in terms of clinical outcomes for patients, indicating a reductionist approach to diet is not as effective as a holistic dietary pattern. In this review, we summarize some of the biological mechanisms of key compounds in their relation to AD and how they fit into a dietary pattern that supports the role of diet as a risk reducing factor for AD.