6-MSITC in wasabi increases memory by 18% in over 60s | Hacker News Reader

6-MSITC in wasabi increases memory by 18% in over 60s

mdpi.com

9 pointswoleium6 comments

A recent double-blind, randomized study involved 72 healthy subjects, aged 60 to 80. Half of them took 100 milligrams of wasabi extract at bedtime, with the rest receiving a placebo.

After three months, the treated group registered "significant" boosts in two aspects of cognition, working (short-term) memory, and the longer-lasting episodic memory, based on standardized assessments for language skills, concentration and ability to carry out simple tasks. No improvement was seen in other areas of cognition, such as inhibitory control (the ability to stay focused), executive function or processing speed.

Subjects who received the wasabi treatment saw their episodic memory scores jump an average of 18%, Nouchi said, and scored on average 14% higher than the placebo group overall.

> This study was supported by KINJIRUSHI Co., Ltd. The funding body had no role in the design of the study, collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data, writing of the manuscript, or the decision to publish the results.

This company makes wasabi.

Many restaurants are going to have a fun time explaining why their wasabi isn't actually wasabi to clueless customers

Could you elaborate?

Sure! More than a few people will go in asking for extra wasabi because it is 'good for their memory'. Ethical restaurants will have to explain that a majority of wasabi (at least in the US) is actually horseradish. I have little doubt they will be happy with that answer ("you're scamming us!")

I wonder how much 6-MSITC horseradish contains. Same family of plant (Brassicaceae).

[Edit] According to this business's site, not much (how factual their marketing copy is, I have no idea):

  "Tube wasabi offers very little functionality Hexaraphane can be efficiently ingested when roots of raw wasabi are grated. With room-temperature type tube wasabi, little 6 - Methylsulfinyl hexyl isothiocyanate (Hexaraphane(6-MSITC)) is consumed because other ingredients such as horseradish, preservatives, and additives are included with the wasabi."

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