A newly published animal study confirms and strengthens results of human studies demonstrating paraxanthine’s superiority at enhancing memory and neuroplasticity.
A newly published preclinical study may have significant implications for consumers seeking alternatives to caffeine for brain performance, including focus and memory. Researchers compared the effects of paraxanthine (PX), the main metabolite of caffeine, with caffeine. They have once again shown that PX – as enfinity® – outperforms caffeine in enhancing memory and neuroplasticity.
The results of this animal study were published in Experimental Brain Research. Combined with previous human clinical studies and preclinical work, this news may help pave the way for a new era of cognitive enhancement. enfinity® is a pure and patent-pending form of paraxanthine distributed exclusively by TSI Group.
“We are excited about the continued paraxanthine research and about bringing this effective and well-tolerated ingredient to consumers,” says TSI Group President Larry Kolb. “It is opening huge opportunities in the functional beverage/energy space.”
Meeting Consumers’ Desire for a Cleaner, Safer and More Effective Alternative to Caffeine
Traditional caffeine can sometimes bring unwanted side effects like jitters or crashes. enfinity paraxanthine takes energy to the next level, offering a smoother boost that enhances focus and mental clarity.
Previous research, including four human clinical studies and a robust body of preclinical work, has revealed that enfinity® supplementation increases measures of cognition, memory, reasoning, response time, and sustained attention. It is also less bitter and easier to formulate with than caffeine.
enfinity energy Partner Shawn Wells, MPH, RD, LDN, CISSN, FISSN, notes that this follow-up preclinical study was inspired by the need to discover the PX mechanism of action. “Additionally, aging is associated with a decline in cognitive function, including reduced neurotransmitter synthesis and receptor activity. To investigate the potential effects of aging on cognitive performance, we included both young and old animals in this study.”
Study Reveals Brain Health Benefits and a Possible Mechanism of Action
For this study, researchers compared the effects of paraxanthine (as enfinity®) with caffeine on memory and related biomarkers in young and old rats. The effects of two different doses of paraxanthine and caffeine were measured, and a control group was used.
Study results support the previously identified neuroprotective benefits of PX. “Not only did PX significantly improve cognitive performance, it also showed significant improvements compared with the control and caffeine groups in several key markers,” observes researcher and enfinity energy Partner Ralf Jäger, Ph.D. FISSN, CISSN, MBA. “These included markers of oxidative stress (catalase, glutathione), indicators of long-term brain health (beta-amyloid), and neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, dopamine, GABA) in the brain.”
When compared with both the control and caffeine groups, PX supplementation also led to significantly higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for neuroplasticity, which enhances the brain’s ability to rapidly switch between tasks.
“The data suggest that caffeine’s effect on BDNF may be dependent on paraxanthine, as 70% of caffeine is metabolized into PX,” comments Wells. “This is critical to our understanding of enfinity®’s cognitive benefits. The increase in BDNF provides a potential mechanism of action for the observed benefits in the human study, improving cognitive function under challenging conditions by enhancing neuroplasticity.”
enfinity® Benefits May be Significant for Multiple Functional Energy Applications
Jäger says one of the most unexpected results of this study is that the PX benefits seem to be independent of age. “Aging leads to cognitive impairment, known as age-related cognitive decline. Since cognition is no longer at its peak in older individuals, they are an ideal subject group for studying potential improvements. However, in younger individuals, cognition is already excellent, so seeing significant improvements on top of an already well-functioning system is quite surprising,” he observes.
enfinity® is suitable for any application where caffeine is currently used, including gummies, RTDs, energy drinks, fat burners, nootropics and pre-workout powders. To explore formulating with enfinity®, contact TSI Group today!