Effects of lifetime cumulative ginseng intake on cognitive function in late life

Abstract

BackgroundWe investigated the effects of lifetime cumulative ginseng intake on cognitive function in a community-dwelling population-based prospective cohort of Korean elders.MethodsCommunity-dwelling elders (N = 6422; mean age = 70.2 ± 6.9 years, education = 8.0 ± 5.3 years, female = 56.8%) from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia were included. Among them, 3918 participants (61.0%) completed the 2-year and 4-year follow-up evaluations. Subjects were categorized according to cumulative ginseng intake at baseline evaluation; no use group, low use (< 5 years) group, and high use (≥ 5 years) group. One-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to compare the impact of cumulative ginseng intake on baseline Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Packet neuropsychological battery total score (CERAD total score) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score among the three groups while adjusting for potential covariates. A repeated-measures ANCOVA was performed to investigate the impacts on the changes in CERAD total scores and MMSE scores during the 4 years of follow-up.ResultsThe high use group showed higher CERAD total scores compared to the no use group after controlling for age, sex, education years, socioeconomic status, smoking, alcohol intake, presence of hypertension, stroke history, Geriatric Depression Scale, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, and presence of the APOE e4 allele (F(2, 4762) = 3.978, p = 0.019). The changes of CERAD total score for 2 or 4 years of follow-up did not differ according to the use of ginseng.ConclusionsCumulative ginseng use for longer than 5 years may be beneficial to cognitive function in late life.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13195-018-0380-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ginseng intake and Alzheimer disease-specific cognition in older adults according to apolipoprotein ε4 allele status

“…[37] A population-based prospective cohort study of older Koreans also revealed that the high-use group (≥ 5 years) had a higher global cognitive score than the no-use group, which means that ginseng use for longer than 5 years may bene t cognitive function in late life. [19] Regarding the effect of ginseng intake with midlife onset on delayed EMS, a human study supported our nding of a highly signi cant association between increasing age and decreased Aβ turnover rates, i.e., 2.5-fold longer half-life over ve decades of age.…”

“…All subjects were assessed systematically to identify their ginseng intake patterns, i.e., ginseng type (white-or red-ginseng in any formula containing ginseng extract), the age at initial ginseng intake, and the frequency of ginseng intake (number of days per month). [19] As the quantity of ginseng varies between ginseng items and there is a low probability of obtaining the exact quantity of ginseng in any given item, we de ned 'ginseng intake' by subtracting the age at initial ginseng intake from the age at study entry, adding 1 year to re ect the intake of the rst year, and then multiplying the result by a year's intake, calculated by multiplying the number of days of ginseng intake in a month by 12 months. [19] As the median of the years of cumulative ginseng intake in subjects with ginseng consumption was 5 years, ginseng intake was categorized as 'no use,' 'low use' (< 5 years), or 'high use' (≥ 5 years).…”

Normal-But-Low Serum Folate Levels and the Risks for Cognitive Impairment

“…MCI was diagnosed according to the Consensus Criteria from the International Working Group on MCI [25]. The presence of objective cognitive impairment was ascertained when the performance of the subjects was 1.5 standard deviations (SD) or more below the age-, sex-, and education-adjusted norms in any of the neuropsychological tests [26].…”

Alimentos para uma melhor memorização e prevenção

“…As saponinas são responsáveis pelos efeitos antioxidantes e anti-fadiga da planta, além de melhorar as funções cognitivas. Ele também ajuda a retardar o declínio cognitivo em idosos reduzindo os riscos de doenças como o Alzheimer (Lho, 2018). Alem das saponinas, o Ginseng também possui aminoácidos, ácidos graxos, ácidos orgânicos, polissacarídeos, compostos fenólicos entre outros (Zhi Liu, 2020).…”