TLDR
Taking creatine did not reliably improve thinking, memory, or attention. The evidence was too mixed to support promoting it as a way to improve mental performance.
Summary
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1 Study Aim
The study assessed whether creatine supplementation supports a health claim (a statement that a food benefits health) about improved cognitive function (mental abilities such as memory, attention, and problem-solving). The authors evaluated whether the evidence showed a cause-and-effect relationship for healthy adults under the proposed conditions of use, including 3 grams daily. The researchers asked whether creatine consistently improves mental abilities in people.
2 Study Design
The EFSA Panel reviewed human intervention evidence supplied by the applicant. The applicant identified 21 studies through a literature search, and two newer studies were added from a meta-analysis (a statistical combination of study results). The assessment covered healthy people under normal or stressful conditions and people with diseases. Studies used different doses and durations, including randomised controlled trials (RCTs; studies assigning participants to treatment or comparison groups). The Panel also examined study quality and proposed biological mechanisms. The researchers compared many human studies to see whether creatine improved mental performance reliably.
3 Findings
The Panel found that creatine was sufficiently characterised and that improved cognitive function could benefit health. However, the 10 usable studies in healthy participants showed no consistent effect. Working-memory improvements appeared after 20 grams daily for 5–7 days, but not with lower doses or continued use. One study found better response inhibition, a measure of stopping an automatic response, but this isolated result occurred among many unsuccessful tests. Three studies in people with disease did not support cognitive benefits. The proposed brain-energy mechanism remained weak, and the submitted meta-analysis had statistical problems. The Panel concluded that creatine supplementation cannot currently be linked causally to improved cognitive function. Creatine has not been shown to reliably improve mental abilities.