Is wasabi really the secret memory booster it’s made out to be? Researchers weigh in whether the condiment has an effect on learning, storing and retrieving information

• People who ate wasabi experienced an average 18 percent boost in their episodic memory score, according to new research
• This level was 14 percent higher than those who received the placebo in the study 
• However, this comes after research shows that most wasabi is actually horseradish dyed green 

Sushi lovers who appreciate adding a little bit of wasabi to their meals might be making their a little sharper in the process. 

According to a study from Tohoku, Japan, wasabi contains a compound proven to give someone a memory boost.

Associate professor Rui Nouchi of Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer led a team of researchers in a study published by Nutrient that found wasabi leads to a ‘substantial’ increase in episodic memory.

Other researchers in this study include Natasha Y.S. Kawata, Toshiki Saito, Haruka Nouchi, and Ryuta Kawashima. 

The original study was submitted by researchers on June 1, 2022, and published Nutrient on October 30. 

Wasabi was proven to be a key ingredient in giving someone a memory boost according to a study from Tohoku, Japan

Associate professor Rui Nouchi of Tohoku University’s Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer led a team of researchers in a study published by Nutrient in October 2023

72 participants between the ages of 60-80 were selected for the randomized study to prove that wasabi would help one’s short-term and long-term memory.

The Japanese researchers selected 72 participants between the ages of 60-80 for the randomized study to prove that wasabi would help one’s short- and long-term memories.

None of the subjects had preexisting health conditions before the study, and the participants were split into two separate groups. 

The participants who did not receive the placebo ingested 100 milligrams of wasabi extract that had the 6-MSITC compound in it.

The subjects who ingested the wasabi extract noticed increased memory throughout the 12-week study. 

Participants who took the wasabi experienced an average 18 percent boost in their episodic memory score, reaching 14 percent higher than those who had the placebo. 

The dramatic memory changes surprised Nouchi and the other researchers.

‘The improvement was really substantial,’ he told CBS News.

According to the researchers, the 6-MSITC reduced the oxidant levels and inflammation in the hippocampus, the part of the brain behind memory function. 

However, there is a catch to the research conducted by Nouchi that sushi lovers must consider regarding the so-called memory booster. 

Wasabi is likely white horseradish dyed green, according to an expert who talked with the Washington Post in 2014

Wasabi, the delicious sushi topping one may spot in supermarkets and restaurants in the US, is likely white horseradish that’s been dyed green, according to an expert who talked with the Washington Post in 2014.

The researcher who spoke with the Washington Post even said that about ’99 percent of wasabi is fake in the North America.’

The researcher stated that ’95 percent [of wasabi] is also fake in Japan’ – a shocking revelation for a plant that’s native to the country.

It is important to note however that horseradish, which includes small amounts of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, is a tad bit different from the wasabi.

So, wasabi has been confirmed to improve one’s memory, but does it truly help one’s memory now that one knows that it is primarily horseradish? 

The Japanese researchers have yet to comment on this information, and it is unknown if the horseradish statements were thought of in the initial study. 

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