ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1551211
Comparison of The Effects of Mixed Tempeh with Soy Tempeh on Cognitive Function in Older People
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 2Center of Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 3Faculty of Biotechnology,, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
- 4Department of Public Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Introduction: Antioxidants may help alleviate cognitive impairment in older adults, which is often caused by oxidative stress. This research focuses on developing tempeh enriched with antioxidant-rich ingredients, including sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and adzuki beans, to enhance its neuroprotective properties. This study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of mixed tempeh in reducing cognitive decline. Methods: This experimental study (a non-randomized controlled trial) included 57 older participants with mild cognitive impairment who did not have diabetes. The participants were divided into two groups: one consumed mixed tempeh (comprising sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, adzuki beans, and regular soybeans), while the other group consumed soy tempeh. Both groups were instructed to consume 100 grams daily over a period of four months and to avoid other fermented foods. Cognitive assessments were conducted before and after the intervention to evaluate the effects of tempeh consumption. Results:The majority of participants were female (68.4%), aged over 65 years (77.2%), and had an education level of 12 years or more (59.6%). The mixed tempeh group showed improvement in three cognitive domains (global cognitive, memory, and verbal fluency) before and after the intervention, while the soy tempeh group experienced improvements in two domains (memory and visuospatial). Conclusion: The study highlights the cognitive benefits of tempeh, particularly when mixed with other nutrient-rich ingredients. The combination of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and adzuki beans in mixed tempeh provides superior neuroprotective effects compared to traditional soy tempeh. This research supports the idea of promoting mixed tempeh as a healthy food alternative, especially for older adults, by offering enhanced nutritional value and cognitive health benefits.
Keywords: Adzuki beans, cognitive, Pumpkin seeds, older people, Sunflower seeds, tempeh
Received: 06 Jan 2025; Accepted: 25 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Turana, Handajani, Barus, Kristian, Theodoraliu and Suswanti. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yvonne Suzy Handajani, Center of Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.