New Sage Ingredient Combo Targets Cognitive Health

Photograph by Duk/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Nexira (Rouen, France) has debuted a new brain-health combination ingredient that pairs two species of sage. The “unique synergistic combination” includes Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia) essential oil and garden sage (Salvia officinalis) leaf aqueous extract in the first instance when the two sage species have been paired in a single product, Nexira says.

In addition to research indicating these sage species may enhance memory, learning process, alertness, and concentration when used separately, Nexira notes that unpublished study results suggest the combination of S. officinalis and S. lavandulifolia improve spatial memory to a greater degree than either sage species alone. An in vivo mouse study completed in May found that mice supplementing with Cognivia performed better on a Morris water maze test than mice consuming the component ingredients separately, following both single and prolonged use, Nexira says. Nexira hopes to publish the results of this study when additional research into Cognivia’s mechanism of action is completed, says Julie Impérato, marketing manager for Nexira.

“Data from literature show that Sage species act by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase and therefore by increasing duration and action of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter,” Impérato tells Nutritional Outlook.

Beyond its active ingredients, Cognivia is micro-encapsulated in Nexira’s Fibregum acacia gum, which is meant to enhance the ingredient’s efficiency by protecting the sage oils from oxidation and enhancing the powder’s water solubility. Nexira will showcase Cognivia at the upcoming SupplySide West 2016 trade show.

Read more:

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com