North Bergen, NJ—Avena sativa, known for its calming properties, was put to the test for memory support and passed with flying colors.

A research group from the University of South Australia tested a branded wild green oat extract (Neuravena from Frutarom, based here) in 36 elderly volunteers who had below-average cognitive performance. Everyone received single doses of 0 mg, 1,600 mg or 2,400 mg in weekly intervals. The participants’ blood pressures were monitored, and they also took the Stroop Color-Word test, which measures attention and focus.

During the color-naming part of the test (which requires takers to say a color like “blue” although it may be written in red), a noticeable improvement was found after taking 1,600 mg of the herb; this effect was not noted after taking 0 mg or 2,400 mg of A. sativa.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, January 2012