'We must find enough cash to fund tests on brain foods'

Foods boosting cognitive function and mood have massive commercial potential, but more research is needed to overcome regulatory barriers, according to nutrition and brain function experts.

Understanding of the cognitive effects of ingredients such as omega-3, phosphatidylserine (PS), creatine, CoQ10, green tea, guarana, ginseng, cocoa polyphenols, folate, gingko biloba and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) was growing, delegates at Leatherhead Food International's (LFI's) Food, Mood and the Brain conference were told.

However, few health claims in this area would gain approval under the new Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation unless cash was pumped into obtaining scientific substantiation for them. Properly randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials were needed, said Professor Andrew Scholey, director of human cognitive neuroscience at Northumbria University.

Scholey has conducted a series of studies demonstrating the positive effects of plant extracts such as ginseng, lemon balm and sage on mood and conditions such as Alzheimer's.

However, far more research was required, he stressed. "Despite all the hype, the number of papers that conclusively demonstrate the benefits of omega-3s on behaviour in healthy populations, for example, is zero."

Likewise, while there were well-established methods for measuring reaction times, recall/memory and other measures of mental acuity, there was no consensus over methodology for measuring mood, he said.

One approach would be to set written tests - which would enable a subjective impression of participants' moods to be analysed - alongside objective measures such as determining the levels of brain chemical serotonin or 'stress hormone' cortisol in the blood. However, there was no definitive biomarker for mood.

The market for 'brain foods' was focused on drinks, especially tea, and confectionery, and was divided into three areas, said LFI principal market analyst Jonathan Thomas.

They were energy boosting (eg guarana, caffeine, ginseng); brain function (eg omega-3, PS, GABA, creatine), and mood (eg green tea, tryptophan, GABA, gingko bilboa), he said.

Japan was by far the biggest market, but consumers in the US and western Europe were becoming more interested, he added.