Spearmint Found to Improve Working Memory Several Ways

by | Mar 23, 2018 | 2018, Aging, Antioxidants, Brain Health, Cognitive Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those who supplemented with 900 mg of spearmint for 90 days had significantly improved working memory, mood and sleep quality compared to the control group.

agingAging is commonly associated with deficits in cognitive domains, from speed of processing to working memory capacity to long-term memory. Age-associated memory impairment is frequently observed as a result of normal brain aging 1. The population of adults >65 years of age worldwide is expected to more than double by the year 2030; 2 therefore, the need for effective interventions aimed at maintaining cognitive health or slowing cognitive decline is critical.

In a 2018 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 3, 90 subjects between the ages of 58 and 60 and diagnosed with age-associated memory impairment were randomly assigned (n = 30/ group) to consume 900, 600, or 0 mg/day (two capsules, once daily) spearmint extract for 90 days. Before and after the study, each subject completed questionnaires on cognition 4, sleep 5, and mood 6. The extract used in this study extract contained a minimum of 14.5% rosmarinic acid and 24% total polyphenols due to the ability of these antioxidants to reduce systemic and local inflammation 7.

The researchers chose to study mood, as it’s been suggested it may play a role in cognitive decline with aging, while choosing to address sleep as reduced sleep efficiency and quality have been correlated with cognitive decline that occurs with age 8.

After 90 days, the researchers noted improvement across all three assessments in the 900-mg spearmint group compared to the placebo group. Specifically, the most significant finding was a 15% improvement in quality of working memory (p = 0.0469) and a 9% improvement in spatial working memory (p = 0.0456) compared to the placebo group` (statistical significance was not reached when comparing the 900-mg group to the 600-mg group (p > 0.05).

In addition, those in the 900-mg group saw statistically significant improvements compared to the placebo group regarding:

  • Mood / vigor (p = 0.0399),
  • Total mood disturbance (p = 0.0374)
  • Ease of getting to sleep (p = 0.0170)
  • Alertness and behavior after wakefulness (p = 0.0415)

When suggesting a mechanism for spearmint’s benefit to working memory, the researchers pointed to the antioxidant content of spearmint in helping to reduce cell damage in an area of the brain called the hippocampus that deals with memory 9. This led the researchers to conclude that “given this decrease with age, the improvements observed in the current study are promising.”’

They went on to conclude that “dried aqueous spearmint extract, containing more than 50 phenolic compounds including higher rosmarinic acid shows promise as an ingredient for improved cognitive performance, sleep and possibly mood, all of which may improve quality of life.”

Source: Herrlinger, Kelli A., Kristin M. Nieman, Kristen D. Sanoshy, Brenda A. Fonseca, Joanne A. Lasrado, Arianne L. Schild, Kevin C. Maki, Keith A. Wesnes, and Michael A. Ceddia. “Spearmint Extract Improves Working Memory in Men and Women with Age-Associated Memory Impairment.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2018).

© Kelli A. Herrlinger et al., 2017. Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Posted March 23, 2018.

Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, practices in Hauppauge, NY. As a Certified Strength and Condition Specialist and certified baseball pitching coach with the National Pitching Association, Dr. Arnold specializes in nutrition, conditioning, and injury prevention of baseball pitchers and student-athletes from all athletic backgrounds. Dr. Arnold completed his Chiropractic studies at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, IL. Visit his web site at www.pitchingdoc.com.

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