Researchers from Tohoku University have found that wasabi extract can improve memory in healthy people over 60 years of age, Rambler reports, citing Nutrients magazine. The study was conducted among 60-80 years old Japanese people who did not have diabetes, mental disorders or heart disease. In a 12-week study, participants who took wasabi extract showed improvements in episodic, logical and working memory scores. They were also better able to associate faces and names, which is often difficult for older people. According to experts, the improvement in cognitive function in the participants was associated with the substance 6-MSITC, which is contained in wasabi. This substance may reduce inflammation in the brain and protect brain cells from damage by radical molecules.