According to data from the Alzheimer's Association, nearly half of Americans express concern about developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the future. However, despite worrying about a decline in memory and thinking abilities, most people don’t ask their doctors about preventing memory problems, experts from the University of Michigan say.
The fact is that mild cognitive impairment is not a normal part of aging—but neither is it inevitable. Making healthy choices, such as following a whole-foods-based diet, exercising, not smoking, sleeping well, and managing your medications, can all help to prevent or delay cognitive decline. Additionally, staying social, keeping your mind active, and caring for your mental health can also contribute to maintaining a robust memory.
Certain supplements are touted for their brain-boosting benefits, though it’s worth noting that studies on these interventions are often inconclusive. These include L-theanine, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, ashwagandha, choline, curcumin, ginger, turmeric, and ginkgo biloba. Now, new research suggests that taking another little-known supplement could further help boost memory.
A 2024 study published in the journal Nutrients has found that decaffeinated whole coffee cherry extract (CCE/WCCE), also known as coffee fruit or coffee berry, may help improve acute and long-term cognitive performance.
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What is coffee fruit?
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“Coffee seeds (coffee beans) form inside of coffee fruits,” explains the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF). “Coffee fruits have long been recognized as having nutritional and health-enhancing potential including antioxidant capacity.”
Until recently, however, the cherry has typically been discarded since it is highly perishable and prone to “bacterial contamination and molds that generate toxic secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins,” the ADDF notes.
How does coffee cherry extract help with memory?
Explaining their methodology, the study authors say that they randomized the study subjects into two intervention arms: a placebo group and a control group taking 200 mg of CCE. Participants were then asked to complete a set of acute cognitive challenges as part of the baseline assessment.
“Acute results support that CCE outperformed placebo, reducing omissions and improving accuracy during working memory and inhibitory control tasks. Long-term results indicate that CCE outperformed placebo on a measure of accuracy,” the researchers say.
The research team describes whole coffee cherry extract as a “proprietary, safe, powdered extract of whole coffee cherries from Coffee arabica with high levels of coffee polyphenols.” These polyphenols likely confer cognitive benefits since bioactive phytochemicals have already been shown to improve cognition, particularly in aging populations.
A 2021 study published in the journal Antioxidants adds that another potential pathway through which CCE can enhance brain health and cognitive function could be CCE’s ability to boost plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an essential neuroprotein that’s important for neuronal development, function, and survival.
That study demonstrated “significant improvements in cognition, with concomitant observed changes in neurofunctional brain networks after a single 100 mg dose of WCCE, a polyphenol-rich plant-based extract,” according to the authors.
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Should you take a CCE supplement?
However, the ADDF says that more research is needed: “In order to confirm the results of the present pilot study, further clinical testing in a larger group is required. It is not known if this increase in blood levels of BDNF translates to increased levels in the brain or better cognitive functions.”
If you’re worried about your memory, it’s important to discuss your concerns with your doctor. They can perform testing to assess your current cognition and help you make a comprehensive plan to boost your brain health, which may or may not include supplementation.
