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Study decoded · health · Emerging
Gastrodia Elata Extract Linked To Small Cognitive Score Gain In 76 Adults
76 adults, 12 weeksMoCA score +0.72 vs +0.13No serious side effectsRetrospectively registered trial
A 12-week clinical trial published in Pharmaceuticals found that adults taking Gastrodia elata extract gained 0.72 points on a standard cognitive screening test over 12 weeks, compared with a 0.13-point gain in the placebo group. Gastrodia elata is a traditional medicinal plant whose tuber has long been used in Korean and Chinese medicine.
Researchers randomized 80 adults with subjective memory complaints but normal objective cognitive function to Gastrodia elata extract or placebo for 12 weeks, double-blind, with participants, the physician, the statistician and the study coordinator all unaware of group assignment. 76 completed the primary analysis, 36 on the extract and 40 on placebo, while all 80 were included in safety tracking. The main cognitive test score (MoCA-K) rose 0.72 points in the extract group versus 0.13 points with placebo, a between-group difference the authors call small. Secondary, exploratory measures showed differences favoring the extract group on delayed recall, a separate cognitive test (K-MMSE) and its memory-recall portion, and blood levels of BDNF, a protein tied to brain cell growth and signaling. A digit-recall test and a blood marker of inflammation (IL-6) did not differ between groups. No serious adverse events occurred in either group.
Gastrodia elata is a traditional medicinal plant, and the authors note that preclinical studies suggest it may influence synaptic plasticity, the strengthening of connections between brain cells involved in learning and memory, along with neurotrophic signaling, the chemical messages that support brain cell growth, and neuroinflammatory pathways, immune activity inside brain tissue. The trial tested whether those preclinical leads translate into measurable change on standard cognitive tests in adults who already notice their own memory slipping, a group with no approved drug treatment at this early stage.
Cognitive test score change over 12 weeks, by group
Data Panel
- Who
- 80 adults with subjective memory complaints and normal objective cognitive function; 76 completed primary analysis (36 Gastrodia elata, 40 placebo); all 80 included in safety tracking
- Design
- Randomized, participant- and assessor-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
- Dose
- Not reported
- Primary result
- MoCA-K total score change: +0.72 ± 1.34 with Gastrodia elata vs +0.13 ± 1.07 with placebo over 12 weeks
- Secondary
- MoCA-K delayed recall, K-MMSE total score, K-MMSE memory recall and blood BDNF differed between groups (size not reported); Digit Span and blood IL-6 did not differ significantly
- Funding / conflicts
- Funder listed in the journal record: Rural Development Administration of the Republic of Korea. Conflicts not reported in the abstract
The trial was registered in a clinical trial registry after enrollment began, a limitation the record itself documents. The sample was small, with 36 people on the extract and 40 on placebo completing the primary analysis, and most secondary findings, including the BDNF result, are described by the authors as exploratory and needing confirmation in larger, prospectively registered trials with brain-imaging follow-up.
Dr. Axe's Take
This is a small signal from a placebo-controlled trial, not proof that Gastrodia elata sharpens memory. A 0.72-point move on a 30-point test in 36 people deserves tracking, not a protocol built around it yet. This is a traditional medicinal plant, and the lab studies the authors cite give plausible reasons it might support brain signaling and calm inflammation. For adults noticing early memory lapses, I'd focus first on what has real evidence: consistent sleep, resistance training, blood-sugar control, and omega-3-rich foods like salmon and walnuts. I'd watch this research rather than chase the supplement today.
— Dr. Axe