Writing in the Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials by Dove Medical Press, researchers from India found cognitive-enhancing properties when intervening with enXtra, both alone and when combined with caffeine. Together, enXtra and caffeine provided rapid and potent cognitive boosts.
“Consumers are looking for options that help them feel alert, focused and energized without the drawbacks often associated with caffeine alone,” said Deep Shikha, assistant director of category management at OmniActive Health Technologies, in a statement. “This study further supports enXtra as a differentiated ingredient that can be used alone or alongside caffeine to deliver sustained mental energy and fatigue support.”
The ‘caffeine crash’
Alertness is a critical part of cognitive function. However, a reduction in sleep affects cognitive performance and the ability to stay alert during the daytime. Studies indicate that a significant portion of adults do not get enough sleep, which is associated with “impaired attention, slower reaction times, reduced executive function and increased subjective fatigue,” according to the researchers.
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant which is consumed globally by four out of five people each day. Even moderate caffeine doses (75-150 mg) can sizably increase alertness and attention.
“As the body metabolizes caffeine, adenosine [one of the four nucleoside building blocks of RNA] gradually reattaches to its receptors, which can trigger a rebound effect often referred to as the ‘caffeine crash’ marked by tiredness, mood dips and slower cognitive function,” the researchers explained.
There is increasing interest in preventing that ‘crash’ by identifying natural alternatives to both combat it as well as offer cognitive benefits. One option is Alpinia galanga, a rhizomatous herb known for its robust phytochemical makeup, including flavonoids, essential oils and terpenoids, which contribute to its wide scope of pharmacological actions. It is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant and neuroprotective.
Prior research has shown that A. galanga improved mental alertness and sustained attention at one hour post administration, and sustained improvements were noted up to five hours post dose, especially when combined with caffeine. A. galanga mitigated the caffeine crash reported by habitual caffeine consumers.
Study details
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 128 participants for an acute single-dose crossover design and 127 participants for a 28-day sub-acute parallel design. Healthy male and female habitual caffeine consumers between the ages of 18 to 40 were assigned to receive enXtra 300 mg, caffeine 200 mg, enXtra 300 mg plus caffeine 200 mg or placebo.
The researchers wrote that the combination of enXtra and caffeine had the strongest benefit, helping avoid caffeine crashes than with coffee alone and supported sustained mental alertness. The extract also improved fatigue reduction, demonstrating longer-lasting benefits when combined with caffeine.
In the sub-acute phase, caffeine showed improvements in alertness and fatigue at one hour post dose, but effects were not sustained at three or five hours. In contrast, enXtra alone and in combination with caffeine delivered significant and sustained improvements in mental alertness and fatigue reduction.
Abhijeet Morde, vice president, early discovery and translation science at OmniActive Health Technologies and study author, said enXtra’s science shows the ingredient has broad potential across energy, focus, active nutrition and everyday wellness applications.
He added that “energy remains one of the most dynamic categories in dietary supplements, but the next generation of products must go beyond stimulation.”
Source: Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials. doi: 10.2147/OAJCT.S591228. “Effects of EnXtra (Alpinia galanga Extract) and EnXtra + Caffeine Combination on Mental Alertness and Fatigue in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study”. Authors: Kiran Dattatray Pandit et al.
