When we first decided to add wasabi to our mustard, we did so solely because it tastes great. The unique, nasal-cavity-clearing, Japanese variety of horseradish really livens up a roast beef sandwich, a pretzel, or even a potato salad. But it turns out we at DFC were ahead of a health curve with our wasabsession: Researchers in Japan (naturally) have determined that the bright green sushi condiment may help elderly folks with cognition.
The magic ingredient in the pungent rhizome is hexaraphane, a mustard oil that is present in wasabi in small amounts and has already been determined to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The researchers created a new study to test if hexaraphane had an impact on brain function as well.
“In total, 72 healthy adults aged from 60 to 80 were divided into two groups for the research, with one taking 0.8 milligrams of hexaraphane as a daily supplement — equivalent to 5 grams of wasabi — for 12 weeks, while the other was given a placebo.
Post-trial cognitive tests showed that the group taking the supplement showed a significant improvement in their episodic and working memories compared to the placebo group.
Cognitive improvements were particularly evident in terms of their ability to process short conversations, perform simple calculations, and match names with faces.”
The study team believes their results can underpin a potential industry of memory-boosting products for elders. Until that happens, I might want to DIY this: 5 grams of straight wasabi per day sounds pretty doable, especially if accompanying a delightful sashimi lunch! Unfortunately, the amount of wasabi we use in our mustard is a trade secret, so we can’t tell you how much you’d need to consume to benefit your memory… So let’s just say, “plenty,” shall we?