Coffee Fruit Extract (CoffeeFruit Pure™)

Working memory with a different coffee cherry extract

No trial has tested CoffeeFruit Pure. Maker-funded placebo-controlled trials of FutureCeuticals' whole coffee cherry extract reported better accuracy on some working memory tasks in adults aged 40 to 65 and faster reaction time in 71 older adults with mild cognitive decline, while a 72-person PepsiCo-funded trial found no cognitive or mood benefit at 100 or 300 mg.

Blood BDNF after one dose of a different coffee fruit concentrate

In 10 healthy adults, one 100 mg dose of a maker-funded whole coffee fruit concentrate raised plasma BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) 143% from baseline, significant versus placebo in the first 5, though BDNF fell 34% on placebo. Blood BDNF is a laboratory marker, not a measure of thinking, and the material was not CoffeeFruit Pure.

Blood antioxidant capacity with a coffeeberry formulation

No trial has tested CoffeeFruit Pure. In 20 college athletes, 800 mg a day of a coffeeberry formulation for 4 weeks left total antioxidant capacity slightly higher than placebo, with no change in endurance, anaerobic power, glucose or blood lipids. Funding is not stated in the abstract.

Alertness after 1100 mg of a coffee berry extract

In 46 healthy young adults, one 1100 mg dose of a coffee berry extract, which carries a small amount of caffeine, produced alerting effects versus placebo, with limited effects on cognition. A 72-person trial of 100 or 300 mg of a whole coffee fruit extract found no benefit to mental or physical energy. Neither product was CoffeeFruit Pure.

Polyphenols in coffee pulp

Coffee pulp contains chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, gallic acid and rutin. Water extracts of six dried pulps held 4.9 to 9.2 mg gallic acid equivalents of polyphenols per gram and showed radical-scavenging activity in a laboratory assay. No study has measured these compounds in CoffeeFruit Pure.

Caffeine content

Coffee pulp carries caffeine: dried pulps measured up to 6.8 mg per gram, and a Swiss cascara drink made from pulp held 226 mg per liter. EFSA estimated that infusions of dried coffee husk could reach 600 mg of caffeine per liter, similar to coffee.

BDNF signaling

BDNF is a protein involved in nerve cell growth. Small maker-funded studies reported short-lived rises in plasma or exosomal BDNF after single 100 mg doses of a different whole coffee fruit extract. Whether a change in blood BDNF reflects a change in the brain has not been shown.

Common Potential side effects

Contains caffeine: coffee pulp held up to 6.8 mg of caffeine per gram in one analysis, and no caffeine figure is published for CoffeeFruit Pure, so count it toward your total daily caffeine intake.

EFSA notes that caffeinated drinks with more than 150 mg of caffeine per liter are not recommended for children or for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

No human safety data exist for CoffeeFruit Pure itself. In trials of other coffee fruit extracts lasting 4 weeks or less, no side effects were reported by 20 athletes, and 17 adverse events in a 72-person crossover trial were judged unrelated to treatment.

In animal and laboratory studies of three whole coffee fruit products from another maker, none showed mutagenic or genotoxic potential, and a water-ethanol extract caused no adverse effects in rats at up to 5% of the diet for 90 days; these were not CoffeeFruit Pure, and animal findings do not set a human dose.

Important Drug interactions

Caffeine-containing medicines, stimulants or other caffeine sources: coffee pulp adds caffeine, and EFSA notes that drinks made from coffee husk can add significantly to total caffeine intake.

Frequently asked questions about Coffee Fruit Extract (CoffeeFruit Pure™)

What is Coffee Fruit Extract used for?

CoffeeFruit Pure is sold as a coffee cherry pulp ingredient for foods, drinks and supplements, marketed for its polyphenols. No human trial has tested it. A different patented whole coffee cherry extract from another maker has small, mostly maker-funded trials on working memory with conflicting results, and those results cannot be assumed for a pulp ingredient.

Is CoffeeFruit Pure the same as CognatiQ?

No. CoffeeFruit Pure is described as made from the discarded outer fruit and pulp of the coffee cherry. CognatiQ is VDF FutureCeuticals' patented, decaffeinated extract of the whole coffee cherry, and it is the material used in most coffee fruit brain studies.

What is the recommended dosage of Coffee Fruit Extract?

There is no established dose, and none has been tested in people for CoffeeFruit Pure. Other coffee fruit extracts were studied at single doses of 100 to 1100 mg, 200 mg a day for 28 days, and 800 mg a day for 4 weeks. Because coffee pulp contains caffeine, count it toward your daily caffeine total.

Is Coffee Fruit Extract safe, and does it have side effects?

There are no human safety data for CoffeeFruit Pure itself. Short trials of other coffee fruit extracts, lasting 4 weeks or less, reported no treatment-related side effects. The main practical point is caffeine: coffee pulp contains it, and EFSA notes that drinks above 150 mg of caffeine per liter are not recommended for children or during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

What is Coffee Fruit Extract?

CoffeeFruit Pure is a coffee fruit ingredient supplied through Ingredients by Nature, made from the discarded outer fruit and pulp of the Coffea arabica coffee cherry and sold as a powder, tea cut or liquid extract.

Does Coffee Fruit Extract interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Caffeine-containing medicines, stimulants or other caffeine sources: coffee pulp adds caffeine, and EFSA notes that drinks made from coffee husk can add significantly to total caffeine intake. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Coffee Fruit Extract?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Coffee Fruit Extract as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 13 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(13 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

Menayang A. CoffeeFruit Pure and Ingredients By Nature sign exclusive coffee fruit supply agreement NutraIngredients. 2017;Published October 18, 2017; accessed October 2026..SourceUsed to support: Trade news article, not PubMed-indexed. Reports that CoffeeFruit Pure became the exclusive coffee fruit supplier for Ingredients By Nature and that the ingredient is offered as a powder, tea cut or liquid extract for foods, drinks and supplements. It cites general coffee fruit research, not studies of CoffeeFruit Pure.
Masterson D. Ingredients by Nature boasts new benefits, upcycling efforts of CoffeeFruit Pure NutraIngredients. 2019;Published December 17, 2019; accessed October 2026..SourceUsed to support: Trade news article, not PubMed-indexed. Describes CoffeeFruit Pure as made from the discarded outer fruit and pulp of the coffee cherry, processed without solvents, chemicals or additives, sold in grinds from fine powder to tea cut, and containing polyphenols, magnesium, potassium, fiber and chlorogenic acid, without amounts. No caffeine figure and no clinical study of the product are given.
Heeger A, Kosińska-Cagnazzo A, Cantergiani E, Andlauer W. Bioactives of coffee cherry pulp and its utilisation for production of Cascara beverage. Food Chem. 2017;221:969-975. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.11.067.PubMedUsed to support: Laboratory analysis of six dried coffee pulps and a Swiss cascara drink. Water extracts held 4.9 to 9.2 mg gallic acid equivalents of polyphenols per gram, with antioxidant capacity of 51 to 92 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram; caffeine reached 6.8 mg per gram; chlorogenic, protocatechuic and gallic acids and rutin were present in all samples. The cascara drink held 226 mg caffeine per liter. Not a human study.
EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA), Turck D, Bohn T, Castenmiller J, De Henauw S, Hirsch-Ernst KI, Maciuk A, Mangelsdorf I, McArdle HJ, Naska A, Pelaez C, Pentieva K, Siani A, Thies F, Tsabouri S, Vinceti M, Cubbada F, Frenzel T, Heinonen M, Marchelli R, Neuhäuser-Berthold M, Poulsen M, Prieto Maradona M, Schlatter J, van Loveren H, Ververis E, Knutsen HK. Safety of dried coffee husk (cascara) from Coffea arabica L. as a Novel food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283. EFSA J. 2022;20(2):e07185. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7085.PubMedUsed to support: EFSA opinion on dried coffee husk (cascara) from Coffea arabica, made of skin, pulp, mucilage, parchment and some silver skin, for infusions. Caffeine in such drinks could reach 600 mg per liter, comparable to coffee, and would add significantly to total caffeine intake. Caffeinated drinks above 150 mg per liter are not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women. Concludes the husk is safe under the proposed conditions of use (infusions).
Reyes-Izquierdo T, Nemzer B, Shu C, Huynh L, Argumedo R, Keller R, Pietrzkowski Z. Modulatory effect of coffee fruit extract on plasma levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects. Br J Nutr. 2013;110(3):420-5. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512005338.PubMedUsed to support: Single-dose pilot study in fasted healthy adults aged 18 to 55, run by Applied BioClinical (Irvine) and funded by FutureCeuticals, which supplied the powders and employed one author. In the first experiment, groups of 5 took 100 mg of whole coffee fruit concentrate (0.7% caffeine), green coffee caffeine, grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract or a silica placebo. The concentrate raised plasma BDNF 137% from baseline, significant versus placebo (p = 0.001), but BDNF in the placebo group fell 34%, which the authors called unexpected. In a second experiment, 5 more people took the concentrate (148% rise) versus an untreated group; pooled, the rise was 143% (n = 10). No cognitive outcome was measured, and the authors call for larger studies. This was not CoffeeFruit Pure.
Robinson JL, Hunter JM, Reyes-Izquierdo T, Argumedo R, Brizuela-Bastien J, Keller R, Pietrzkowski ZJ. Cognitive short- and long-term effects of coffee cherry extract in older adults with mild cognitive decline. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2020;27(6):918-934. doi: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1702622.PubMedUsed to support: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 28-day trial in 71 adults with mild cognitive decline. Groups taking the coffee cherry extract had greater reductions in reaction time on a working memory challenge than placebo from baseline to days 7 and 28 (p = 0.040). There was no main effect of group on accuracy. Four of the seven authors are listed as VDF FutureCeuticals employees. This is not CoffeeFruit Pure; the maker cites the trial as CognatiQ research.
Robinson JL, Yanes JA, Reid MA, Murphy JE, Busler JN, Mumford PW, Young KC, Pietrzkowski ZJ, Nemzer BV, Hunter JM, Beck DT. Neurophysiological Effects of Whole Coffee Cherry Extract in Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Cross-Over Pilot Study. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(2):144. doi: 10.3390/antiox10020144.PubMedUsed to support: Single-dose crossover study in 8 older adults (mean age about 61) with subjective cognitive impairment comparing 100 mg of whole coffee cherry extract (marketed as NeuroFactor, VDF FutureCeuticals, under 2% caffeine) with placebo, with brain imaging. Exosomal BDNF (about 41% higher) and n-back reaction time improved after the extract but not after placebo; these are within-condition tests, not direct comparisons with placebo. Funded by VDF FutureCeuticals, three authors are its employees, and the lead author later became a paid consultant. This is not CoffeeFruit Pure.
Robinson JL, Hunter JM, Kern M, Rodas M, Jowers J, Robertson J, Wanalista C. Whole Coffee Cherry Extract Improves Working Memory and Response Inhibition: Acute and Longitudinal Results from a Remote, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2024;16(14):2348. doi: 10.3390/nu16142348.PubMedUsed to support: Remote, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in generally healthy US adults aged 40 to 65 taking 200 mg of decaffeinated whole coffee cherry extract (under 2% caffeine, under 4 mg per dose) or placebo for 28 days. After exclusions, 142 to 196 people were analyzed per task (the registry, NCT04986956, lists 323 enrolled). The extract reduced omissions and improved some accuracy measures on 1-back and go/no-go tasks after one dose, and had fewer omissions and more correct non-target responses on n-back over 28 days; 28-day go/no-go and reaction time did not differ between groups. Only two of nine tasks are reported. Funded by VDF FutureCeuticals; one author is an employee and the lead author is a paid consultant. This is not CoffeeFruit Pure; the maker cites the trial as CognatiQ research.
Jackson PA, Kenney C, Forster J, Smith EF, Elcoate R, Spittlehouse B, Johnson J, Kennedy DO. Acute Cognitive Performance and Mood Effects of Coffeeberry Extract: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study in Healthy Humans. Nutrients. 2023;15(11):2418. doi: 10.3390/nu15112418.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 72 healthy adults aged 18 to 49. Drinks held 100 mg or 300 mg of coffeeberry extract standardized to 40% chlorogenic acid (CognatiQ, FutureCeuticals) or 75 mg caffeine. 300 mg had no effect; 100 mg increased mental fatigue during demanding tasks (p = 0.025) and lowered sustained attention accuracy (p = 0.003) versus placebo at 60 minutes, which the authors say should be read with caution. The authors conclude no benefit to mood, mental or physical energy, or cognition at these doses. Seventeen adverse events were judged unrelated to treatment. Funded by PepsiCo; one author is a PepsiCo employee. This is not CoffeeFruit Pure.
Jackson PA, Haskell-Ramsay C, Forster J, Khan J, Veasey R, Kennedy DO, Wilson AR, Saunders C, Wightman EL. Acute cognitive performance and mood effects of coffee berry and apple extracts: A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled crossover study in healthy humans. Nutr Neurosci. 2022;25(11):2335-2343. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1963068.PubMedUsed to support: A coffee berry extract not identified by brand in the abstract, and not CoffeeFruit Pure. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in 46 healthy adults aged 18 to 49 testing 1100 mg coffee berry extract, 1100 mg coffee berry plus 275 mg apple extract, or 100 mg coffee berry plus apple extract. 1100 mg coffee berry produced alerting effects; cognitive effects were limited (faster executive function with 1100 mg plus apple, and higher attention task accuracy on one of four repetitions with 1100 mg alone, alongside more false alarms). The authors note the low caffeine dose in the extract. Co-authors from PepsiCo and Suntory.
Ostojic SM, Stojanovic MD, Djordjevic B, Jourkesh M, Vasiljevic N. The effects of a 4-week coffeeberry supplementation on antioxidant status, endurance, and anaerobic performance in college athletes. Res Sports Med. 2008;16(4):281-94. doi: 10.1080/15438620802523345.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 20 college athletes of a coffeeberry formulation (not CoffeeFruit Pure), 800 mg a day for 28 days. Total antioxidant capacity was higher than placebo after supplementation (1.66 vs 1.51 mmol/L, p < 0.05). No between-group changes in glucose, cholesterol, lipoproteins, anaerobic power, maximal heart rate, lactate or maximal oxygen uptake. No side effects were reported.
Heimbach JT, Marone PA, Hunter JM, Nemzer BV, Stanley SM, Kennepohl E. Safety studies on products from whole coffee fruit. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010;48(8-9):2517-25. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.06.025.PubMedUsed to support: Animal and laboratory safety studies of three whole coffee fruit (CoffeeBerry) products: whole powder, water extract and water-ethanol extract. None showed mutagenic or genotoxic potential. In a 90-day rat feeding study the water-ethanol extract caused no adverse effects at up to 5% of the diet (about 3446 and 4087 mg/kg body weight a day in male and female rats). Not a human study. These were not CoffeeFruit Pure.
Cotter J, Fawkes N, Shah N. Coffee fruit extract - a nutritional stimulator of endogenous BDNF. Nutr Neurosci. 2022;25(9):2008-2010. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2021.1913953.PubMedUsed to support: A short published letter (PubMed type Letter and Comment) on coffee fruit extract and BDNF, by authors from the RB Nutrition Institute. An opinion piece, not an original study.

Coffee Fruit Extract (CoffeeFruit Pure™)

Benefits