Do you avoid the green paste that spices up your sushi? Well, a new Japanese study shows that using wasabi on raw fish and seaweed can boost your memory.
A Tohoku University study published in the journal Nutrients found that this seasoning improves short-term and long-term memory.
Although based on a small number of healthy volunteers, the results exceeded the researchers’ expectations, said lead researcher Roy Nucci, an associate professor at the university’s Institute for Development, Aging and Cancer.
“We knew from previous animal studies that wasabi has health benefits,” Nucci told CBS News. But what really surprised us was the dramatic change. The improvement was truly remarkable.
How much does wasabi improve memory?
The active ingredient in wasabi is a biochemical compound called 6-MSITC, It’s a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that’s only present in small amounts elsewhere in the plant kingdom, Nucci said.
In this double-blind study, 72 healthy volunteers between 60 and 80 years old were divided into two groups. One group took 100 milligrams of wasabi extract before bed, while the rest took a placebo.
After three months, the wasabi group saw significant increases in long-term and short-term memory based on standardized assessments for language skills, concentration, and the ability to perform simple tasks.
People who took wasabi extract increased their episodic memory scores by an average of 18 percent, Nucci said, and an average of 14 percent higher than the placebo group overall, according to CBS News.
What is wasabi?
According to CBS News, Wasabi is a member of the organization The mustard plant family, the fiery paste made with it, was prized centuries ago in Japan for its antimicrobial properties, making it capable of killing food-borne pathogens such as E-coli and Staphylococcus, in While its taste and aroma complement seafood.
Wasabi is native to Japan and is difficult to cultivate. This plant takes nearly two years to reach maturity and requires precise temperature, shade, sand and water conditions. It costs more per pound than even the tuna it sits on.
But, CBS News reports, the wasabi served at sushi bars is often not real and is usually made green from the common white horseradish.
Authentic wasabi should be consumed fresh with the grated rhizome or stem of the plant at the table just before eating. Just a small bump matched the benefits of the capsule supplements used in the Tohoku study, or 0.8 mg of 6-MSITC.
Wasabi maker Kinjiroshi Co. funded the study, but the researchers said the company had no role in the study.
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