title: Cinnamon users with prediabetes have a better fasting working memory: a cross-sectional function study.
abstract: Working memory (WM) is impaired in prediabetes. We hypothesized that culinary herbs and spices may decrease insulin resistance (IR) and improve WM in prediabetes. Healthy people aged ≥60 years with prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 100-125 mg/dL) (47 men and 46 women) whose food and culinary herb intakes were established with a food frequency questionnaire had body composition assessed and fasting glucose and insulin measured. Working memory and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were assessed on the same occasion. The contributions to associations between WM and diet, body fat, and IR were estimated by linear regression. Compared with nonusers, cinnamon users had significantly less frequent physical activity (2.9 vs. 4.4 times per week) and more often used fresh ginger (93.3% vs. 64.1%) and ginger in cooking (60.0% vs. 32.1%). Cinnamon users also had a better WM (2.9 vs. 2.5, P < .001). Cinnamon had a significant effect (users were 0.446 higher), but not ginger or curry usage, in predicting WM. For sociodemographic variables, only education (years) was significant in predicting WM (β = 0.065). Other significant determinants of WM were total fat mass (kilograms) (β = -0.024) and MMSE (β = 0.075). After adjustment for age and sex, cinnamon use, education, and MMSE remained significant individual predictors. In the final model, in which all variables listed were adjusted simultaneously, cinnamon users still had a significantly higher WM than nonusers. Cinnamon usage is associated with a better WM, not accounted for by dietary quality or IR, in untreated prediabetes.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC; Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Fuli institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: mark.wahlqvist@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wahlqvist
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Meei-Shyuan
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Jiunn-Tay
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Yu-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, ROC.
authors.forename: Wen-Hui
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC; Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Population Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Zane B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D002935:Cinnamomum zeylanicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D024301:Plant Bark / Q000737:chemistry*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017365:Spices
keywords: Body fatness; Cinnamon; Cognition; Ginger; Insulin resistance; Turmeric