That little dab of green that comes with your sushi order may have more of a benefit than just spicing up your meal.
A new study has shown that wasabi appears to have properties that could benefit a person’s short- and long-term memory, catching the eye of those who study dementia.
The study, conducted by researchers at Tohoku University, was published in the journal Nutrients.
Researchers divided 72 volunteers, ages 60 to 80, into two groups. One group was given wasabi extract and the other a placebo with no wasabi.
After three months, they found a marked improvement in the cognitive function of the group that was given the wasabi.
“We knew from earlier animal studies that wasabi conferred health benefits,” lead researcher Rui Nouchi, an associate professor at Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, told CBS News.
“What really surprised us was the dramatic change. The improvement was really substantial,” Nouchi said.
Those who received the wasabi treatment saw their episodic memory scores — the ability to learn, retain, and retrieve information — jumped an average of 18%. Those scores were on average 14% higher than the placebo group overall.
According to researchers, the active ingredient in wasabi, 6-MSITC, is known for its anti-inflammatory benefits, and it seems to reduce inflammation in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory.
The study showed no improvement in other areas of cognition.
Real wasabi is rare. The plant is found mostly in Japan and the active ingredient is known to exist in only trace amounts elsewhere throughout the plant kingdom, Nouchi said.
What people get with their sushi is often horseradish dyed green, according to the Washington Post.
A wasabi company, Kinjirushi Co., provided funding for the study, though researchers said the company had no role in the study itself.