Studies have proved that Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and it is helpful for the combating of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Regular consumption of this herb helps in keeping the mind balanced.
Curcumin is an extract from the bright yellow herb Turmeric, which is used to make yellow curry powder(a popular spice in India and South Asia). Curcumin has been used for ages in the East as a medicine and as turmeric powder used as a preservative and coloring agent in foods (yellow curry powder). Turmeric spice is made from the root of the plant Curcuma longa, which is in the ginger family.
Confusion exists in present usage of the words “Curcumin”, “Curry” and “Turmeric”. The word “Curcumin” in the West today denotes, by all accounts, an extract of turmeric. The word “Curry” in India simply means “sauce”. Indian foods made with sauces are thus all “curries”. “Curry” in the West often means “Curry Powder”, which is a readily-available blend of Indian spices, and typically contains turmeric, coriander, chillies, cumin, mustard, ginger, fenugreek, garlic, cloves, salt, and any number of other spices.
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal preparation in Indian Ayurvedic medicine to treat a wide variety of diseases. Scientists found that the individuals who consume turmeric on a regular basis have a very low suffering rate of the Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). For example, Indian people use turmeric as a main spice included in their daily diet, India produces nearly all of the world’s turmeric, and consumes 80% of it. This might be the reason why India has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in the world.
In 2004, a research in University of California Los Angeles, found that The phenolic yellow curry pigment curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and can suppress oxidative damage, inflammation, cognitive deficits, and amyloid accumulation. The study suggests that low dose curcumin effectively prevents fibril and oligomer formation, supporting the rationale for curcumin use in clinical trials preventing or treating Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
Numerous studies have demonstrated that curcumin has a positive effect on neurogenesis in the hippocampus and concentrations of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), reductions in both of which are associated with stress, depression, and anxiety.
