A Study to See if Daily Cranberry Juice for 70 Days Improves Stress Response, Thinking Skills, and Gut Health in Healthy Adults Aged 30 to 55

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether daily consumption of cranberry juice over 70 days can improve cognitive performance, motor accuracy, and reduce psychological and physiological stress responses during multitasking in healthy adults aged 30 to 55. The study aims to test if cranberry juice improves dual-task multitasking ability, reduces fatigue and mood changes, and positively affects stress biomarkers and neurochemical pathways. Additionally, the research explores how cranberry juice may alter gut microbiota and metabolites linked to cognitive and stress outcomes through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. Participants are randomly assigned to consume either cranberry juice or a placebo juice daily for 70 days after a run-in period with dietary restrictions. The trial lasts 13 weeks and includes three in-person visits consent and screening, baseline, and final visits. During visits, participants undergo multitasking challenges involving cognitive and motor tasks, receive standardized meals with assigned beverages, and provide biological samples for analysis. Cranberry and placebo juices are provided by Ocean Spray Company, matched in taste and appearance. Throughout the study, participants complete questionnaires on mood, stress, and fatigue, and provide blood, saliva, and fecal samples for biomarker and microbiome analysis. Cognitive testing is performed using NIH Toolbox assessments. Researchers monitor physiological responses during multitasking, including heart rate and salivary stress markers. The study measures changes from baseline to final visit and follows participants for up to two years to evaluate lasting effects.

Cranberry Polyphenols and Stress Resilience During Multitasking in Healthy Adults