While more research is definitely needed, early science says that the polyphenol-powered Concord grapes in 100% grape juice may benefit parts of healthy brain function in both older and younger adults.

Emerging studies suggest that polyphenol-rich Concord grape juice may support aspects of attention, reaction time and performance on everyday tasks such as driving, in healthy adults. 

• A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study of 25 healthy working women aged 40-50 years with pre-teen children by Lamport et al. found improvements in spatial memory and driving performance after Concord grape juice consumption. Participants, who were employed for more than 30 hours per week, consumed 12 oz of Concord grape juice containing 777 mg polyphenols or an energy-, taste- and appearance-matched placebo daily for 12 weeks, with a four-week washout between treatments. Verbal and spatial memory, executive function and attention were assessed at baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks. A subset of 17 participants also completed a 25-minute assessment in the University of Leeds Driving Simulator that required them to match the speed and direction of a lead vehicle. Significant improvements in immediate spatial memory and some measures of driving performance were observed following Concord grape juice consumption compared with placebo. Concord grape juice increased steering accuracy in combination with a faster response time to changes in the behavior of the lead vehicle during car following. The observed effects were estimated to account for a reduction in stopping distance of approximately 11 meters at the speeds driven (40-60 mph). There was also evidence of an enduring effect, with participants who received Concord grape juice in the first arm maintaining better performance during the placebo arm. [Lamport DJ, Lawton CL, Merat N, Jamson H, Myrissa K, Hofman D, Chadwick HK, Quadt F, Wightman JD, Dye L. Concord grape juice, cognitive function, and driving performance: a 12-wk, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover trial in mothers of preteen children. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016. 103:775-83. Download the study here
• A study of 20 healthy young adults by Haskell-Ramsay et al. found that acute consumption of purple grape juice improved reaction time and increased ratings of calmness compared with placebo. Participants, with a mean age of 21.05 years, consumed UK Welch's Pure Purple Grape Juice or a white grape juice placebo; a small amount of flavored cordial was added to each beverage to make them look and taste similar. The researchers evaluated memory, reaction time and calmness. Purple grape juice significantly improved reaction time on a composite attention measure and increased calm ratings compared with placebo. No significant effects were observed on acute memory measures. This was the first study to show that acute consumption of purple grape juice can enhance overall speed on attention tasks in young adults. Welch's did not fund this study. [Haskell-Ramsay CF, Stuart RC, Okello EJ, Watson AW. Cognitive and mood improvements following acute supplementation with purple grape juice in healthy young adults. Eur J Nutr. 2017. 56:2621-2631. Download the study here

 Emerging studies also suggest that Concord grape juice may help slow the progression of age-related memory decline and motor function in older adults.

 A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of 12 older adults with early memory deficits (i.e., forgetfulness, prospective memory lapses) by Krikorian et al. found cognitive improvements after 12 weeks of Concord grape juice consumption. Five subjects consuming Concord grape juice (6-9 mL/kg/d) experienced significant improvement in list learning and trended toward improved verbal recall and spatial memory compared to controls. The 12 weeks of juice consumption did not have an effect on mood. Also, neither weight nor waist circumference were impacted by the intervention; however, there was a slight increase in fasting insulin for those consuming the grape juice. [Krikorian R, Nash TA, Shidler MD, Shukitt-Hale B and Joseph JA. Concord grape juice supplementation improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Br J Nutr. 2010. 103(5):730-734. Download the study here

Building on this earlier research, Krikorian and colleagues demonstrated that Concord grape juice can increase blood flow to certain regions of the brain, as well as improve memory function compared to those consuming a grape-flavored placebo. In this study, 21 older adults (average age = 77) were given either Concord grape juice or the placebo daily for 16 weeks, and were tested in various areas related to long-term memory. Those who drank Concord grape juice were less susceptible to distraction when asked to remember what they had previously learned. Test scores in other areas like learning and retention did not improve with the juice.

Also, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers monitored specific areas of the brain in a subset of eight study participants while they performed a working memory task. The researchers found that the group consuming Concord grape juice had increased neural activity (indicating an increase in blood flow) in two regions of the brain involved in working memory, compared to the placebo. [Krikorian R, Boespflug EL, Fleck DE, Stein AL, Wightman JD, Shidler MD and Sadat-Hossieny S. Concord grape juice supplementation and neurocognitive function in human aging. J Agric Food Chem. 2012. 60(23):5736- 5742. Download the study here.