10 Health Benefits Of Curry

Curcumin, a substance from the herb turmeric that gives curry its yellow colour has the tendency to improve the human memory and mood of people with a mild form of age-related memory loss, according to researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.

In past studies, curcumin has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in lab studies.

Turmeric, a native plant in Asia, has been used as a herbal remedy for arthritis, cancer, heart disease and other medical conditions.

Dr Gary Small, director of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA’s Longevity Center and of the geriatric psychiatry division at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, said “Exactly how curcumin exerts its effects is not certain, but it may be due to its ability to reduce brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease (a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior) and major depression”.

According to the study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, researchers examined the effects of a curcumin supplement on memory performance for people without dementia and on the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The study, though small, was placebo-controlled, which means some patients were also taking a supplement that did not have curcumin to compare the effects.

Forty people were assessed over 18 months for curcumin levels in their blood. amongst the volunteers, 30 underwent positron emission tomography(PET), to determine the levels of amyloid and tau in their brains at the start of the study and after 18 months.

Memory improved by 28 percent over the course of 18 months among participants taking curcumin.

There were mild improvements in mood too, and brain scans revealed fewer signs of amyloid and tau, which are two abnormal proteins that form clumps in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

“These results suggest that taking this relatively safe form of curcumin could provide meaningful cognitive benefits over the years,” Small said.

Hence from this study, curry can be said to be more than important in our daily living with its ten health benefits below:

• Boosts immune system
• Aids in improving bone health
• Reduces risk of bacterial infections
• Reduces cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer’s diseases
• Helps to reduce risk of tumour growth in liver
• Helps to improve digestive health
• Helps to prevent cardiovascular disease
• Boost brain
• Prevention and Treatment of Cancer
• Reduces Inflammation