Brattleboro, VT—A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests that the extract Sensoril may provide cognitive support, specifically to those suffering from bipolar disorder. Sensoril is a standardized extract derived from the Ashwagandha root and leaves.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study, conducted at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic—University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, consisted of sixty subjects with bipolar disorder, who were tested on three specific cognitive tests over the course of eight weeks. The tests were digit span backward, Flanker neutral response time and the social cognition response rating of the Penn Emotional Acuity Test. The group that took Sensoril experienced significant cognitive benefits in all three tests.

One of the factors that may have contributed to Sensoril’s results in the study was the fact that the extract is composed of roots and leaves as opposed to the traditional root-only extract, says president and managing director of NutraGenesis, LLC Suzanne McNeary. Nutragenesis is the sales and marketing representative of Sensoril, with a license from Natreon, Inc. This combination enhances what Sanni Raju, Ph.D., R.Ph., CEO and chairman of Natreon describes as “several bioactive constituents in Ashwagandha that have significant cognitive enhancing benefits, namely the steroidal lactones which are known as glycowithanolides and sitoindosides.” Glycowithanolides are brain antioxidants that can play a role in neuroprotective and memory enhancing activity.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, October 2014