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

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.