Effects of (poly)phenol-rich cranberry on mental health in university students: the CRANMOOD randomised controlled trial

Kamarunzaman, Nur Najiah Zaidani, Le Sayec, Melanie, Li, Yong, Cheok, Alex, Wu, Haonan, Zhang, Zicheng, Xu, Yifan, Mesnage, Robin, Dalrymple, Kathryn, Pariante, Carmine M., Borsini, Alessandra, Vauzour, David, Bajka, Balazs and Rodriguez-Mateos, Ana (2026) Effects of (poly)phenol-rich cranberry on mental health in university students: the CRANMOOD randomised controlled trial. Clinical Nutrition. ISSN 0261-5614

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Abstract

Background and Aims: Increasing evidence indicate that (poly)phenol-rich foods can have beneficial effects on human brain function. This study investigated whether daily (poly)phenol-rich cranberry supplementation for 12 weeks influences mental health outcomes in university students. Methods: A parallel double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted in 72 young healthy final year university students (20-25 years old). Participants consumed either a (poly)phenol-rich cranberry drink or a placebo drink daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was mood, assessed as Total Mood Disturbance (TMD), using the Profile of Mood States questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included stress, anxiety and depression levels, measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire, cognitive function measured using the Online General Cognitive Assessment Battery (CogniFit), and salivary cortisol levels. Blood and urine samples were collected to measure cranberry (poly)phenol metabolites. Dietary intake was assessed via food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), 7-day food diaries (EPIC, European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition), and 24-hour online dietary recalls (intake24). Data was analysed using linear mixed-effects models using baseline as covariate. Results: No significant differences were observed between groups for the primary outcome, self-reported mood (Total Mood Disturbance), or for secondary self-reported measures of stress, anxiety, or depression. In exploratory secondary analyses, 12 weeks of (poly)phenol-rich cranberry drink consumption significantly lower diurnal area under the curve of salivary cortisol (p=0.010) and significantly higher short-term memory (p=0.024) and phonological short-term memory (p=0.014) compared to placebo. Additionally, plasma and urinary cranberry (poly)phenol metabolites were significantly modulated by cranberry consumption. Conclusions: While (poly)phenol-rich cranberry supplementation did not improve self-reported mood, stress, anxiety, or depression in healthy students, it influenced cortisol levels and some aspects of cognitive function, suggesting potential benefits for stress regulation and memory. Clinical trial registry The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-randomized trial records held on the NIH ClinicalTrials.gov website (NCT05260346).

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cranberry (poly)phenol,mood,stress,anxiety,depression,cortisol,cognition,university students,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine
Related URLs:	https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	13 May 2026 11:22
Last Modified:	14 May 2026 15:16
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/102991
DOI:	10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106677

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