Wasabi Is Linked With a ‘Really Substantial’ Memory Boost, Study Says

Wasabi Is Linked With a ‘Really Substantial’ Memory Boost, Study Says

Wasabi Is Linked With , a ‘Really Substantial’ Memory Boost, Study Says.

A study conducted by Japan's Tohoku University suggests that short- and long-term memory may be improved by eating wasabi.

Wasabi was already known to have "antibiotic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties," 'New York Post' reports.

But researchers were "surprised" to witness a "dramatic change" in the cognition of study participants.

The improvement was really substantial, Study author Rui Nouchi, an associate professor at the university’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, to CBS News.

72 adults aged 60 and older were either given a placebo or a pill containing 6-MSITC, a bioactive compound contained in wasabi.

The study tested "executive function, episodic memory, processing speed, working memory and attention" over the course of 12 weeks.

Those who ingested 6-MSITC "showed a significant improvement in working and episodic memory performances," Nouchi said.

Researchers theorize that the wasabi extract decreased inflammation in the area of the brain that deals with memory, the hippocampus.

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If spicy wasabi isn't your thing, these foods have also been shown to boost memory due to the fact that they contain flavanols:.

If spicy wasabi isn't your thing, these foods have also been shown to boost memory due to the fact that they contain flavanols:.

Dark chocolate, red wine, cherries, blackberries and some teas.

Dark chocolate, red wine, cherries, blackberries and some teas.

Dark chocolate, red wine, cherries, blackberries and some teas.

Dark chocolate, red wine, cherries, blackberries and some teas