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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDJournal of Ginseng Research

Association of ginseng intake and serum zinc with Alzheimer's disease-related cognition

  • Young Min Choe1,2
  • Ji-Hyun Kim1
  • Hye Ji Choi2
  • Guk-Hee Suh1,2
  • Boung Chul Lee1,3
  • Hyun Soo Kim4
  • Jong Wan Kim5
  • Shin Gyeom Kim6
  • Jaeuk Hwang7
  • Dahyun Yi8
  • Jee Wook Kim1,2
8 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Gangwon, 24252, Republic of Korea.
  2. 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, 7 Keunjaebong-gil, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, 18450, Republic of Korea.
  3. 3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, 07247, Republic of Korea.
  4. 4Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, 7 Keunjaebong-gil, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, 18450, Republic of Korea.
  5. 5Department of Surgery, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, 7 Keunjaebong-gil, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi, 18450, Republic of Korea.
  6. 6Department of Neuropsychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, 14584, Republic of Korea.
  7. 7Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, 04401, Republic of Korea.
  8. 8Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Medical Research Center Seoul National University, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract

Objective: Ginseng intake and zinc homeostasis are potential protective factors against Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their interrelationship in cognition remains unclear. This study examined the association of ginseng intake and serum zinc with AD-related cognitive function in older adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 160 community-dwelling older adults. Ginseng intake was assessed through structured interviews, and serum zinc levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Cognitive function, focusing on delayed episodic memory (an early AD-related marker) and non-memory cognition, was assessed using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) neuropsychological battery. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate independent predictors. Results: Ginseng intake was significantly associated with higher serum zinc levels ( P = 0.002) and better delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.005). Higher serum zinc levels were also significantly associated with better delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.023) in separate regression models. However, in a simultaneous model including both ginseng and serum zinc, ginseng intake remained a significant independent predictor of delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.017), whereas the association between zinc and memory was attenuated. Conclusion: Ginseng intake was associated with better AD-related memory in older adults and may be related to the zinc pathway as an upstream factor. These findings suggest that ginseng may be associated with higher zinc bioavailability while also showing associations with memory that appear independent of zinc homeostasis, supporting its potential value as a nutritional strategy for maintaining cognitive function in early AD.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{choe2026association,
  title = {{Association of ginseng intake and serum zinc with Alzheimer's disease-related cognition}},
  author = {Young Min Choe and Ji-Hyun Kim and Hye Ji Choi and Guk-Hee Suh and Boung Chul Lee and Hyun Soo Kim and Jong Wan Kim and Shin Gyeom Kim and Jaeuk Hwang and Dahyun Yi and Jee Wook Kim},
  journal = {Journal of Ginseng Research},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1016/j.jgr.2026.101119},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2026.101119},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Association of ginseng intake and serum zinc with Alzheimer's disease-related cognition
AU  - Young Min Choe
AU  - Ji-Hyun Kim
AU  - Hye Ji Choi
AU  - Guk-Hee Suh
AU  - Boung Chul Lee
AU  - Hyun Soo Kim
AU  - Jong Wan Kim
AU  - Shin Gyeom Kim
AU  - Jaeuk Hwang
AU  - Dahyun Yi
AU  - Jee Wook Kim
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/24
JO  - Journal of Ginseng Research
DO  - 10.1016/j.jgr.2026.101119
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgr.2026.101119
AB  - Objective: Ginseng intake and zinc homeostasis are potential protective factors against Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their interrelationship in cognition remains unclear. This study examined the association of ginseng intake and serum zinc with AD-related cognitive function in older adults. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 160 community-dwelling older adults. Ginseng intake was assessed through structured interviews, and serum zinc levels were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Cognitive function, focusing on delayed episodic memory (an early AD-related marker) and non-memory cognition, was assessed using the Korean version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD-K) neuropsychological battery. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate independent predictors. Results: Ginseng intake was significantly associated with higher serum zinc levels ( P = 0.002) and better delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.005). Higher serum zinc levels were also significantly associated with better delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.023) in separate regression models. However, in a simultaneous model including both ginseng and serum zinc, ginseng intake remained a significant independent predictor of delayed episodic memory ( P = 0.017), whereas the association between zinc and memory was attenuated. Conclusion: Ginseng intake was associated with better AD-related memory in older adults and may be related to the zinc pathway as an upstream factor. These findings suggest that ginseng may be associated with higher zinc bioavailability while also showing associations with memory that appear independent of zinc homeostasis, supporting its potential value as a nutritional strategy for maintaining cognitive function in early AD.
SN  - 1226-8453
SN  - 2093-4947
ER  -