Investigating enhancement of learning and memory following supplementation with Juice Plus+® Omega in an adolescent population

PURPOSE: Omega fatty acids (FA) have been shown to benefit cognition during infancy and adulthood. However, adolescence remains under investigated, despite being a critical period for development of executive functions and emotion regulation. The current objective was to investigate the impact of daily treatment with a proprietary omega-FA blend on cognitive performance, mood, and emotion regulation in healthy adolescents aged 13-14 years. METHODS: Using a parallel, double-blind, placebo controlled design, participants were randomly allocated to consume the omega blend (2 capsules/day providing 925 mg blend of algae-derived omega 3-, 7-, and 9-FAs) or a placebo (2 capsules/day of MCT oil) for 16 weeks. Episodic memory, executive function, mood, emotion regulation, EEG measures, and omega-3 index (O3I) were recorded at baseline and following 16 weeks of intervention. RESULTS: O3I increased significantly only in the omega blend group, indicating compliance with the intervention and improved O3I status. Improvements were observed for immediate word recall and delayed word recall aspects of episodic memory in the omega blend group only. Significantly faster reaction times were also observed on an attention network executive function task in the omega group. Alongside cognitive benefits, changes in EEG activity were observed, including increased N200 ERP deflections during 0-back task performance, and reduced PSD activity during sustained attention and at rest. CONCLUSION: Combined, these cognitive and physiological findings suggest that an omega-FA blend may support cognitive development in healthy adolescents aged 13 & 14, potentially through facilitation of brain maturation and more efficient allocation of neural resources. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05581108. Registration date: 11/10/2022.