Curry Could Help Defeat Alheizmer's

Ananova ^ | 4-20-2004

[blam]

Curry could help defeat Alzheimer's

Hot curries can guard against the deterioration of the brain and help keep Alzheimer's at bay.

The news comes after a study into the health benefits of curcumin, found it has power to protect against the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin is found in everything from the mildest korma to the hottest vindaloo and scientists in Italy and the US say the oil is a chemical trigger that enhances enzyme activity.

They add it protects the brain against the progression of neurodegenerative disease, reports The Times.

Studies on rats found that curcumin induces an enzyme, hemeoxygenase (HO-1), which operates as a defence mechanism against "free radicals", rogue molecules that cause cells to function abnormally and die.

The damage done by free radicals to intracellular targets such as DNA or proteins has been shown to be a major cause of diseases such as Alzheimer's and are thought to be a major factor in the way people age.

The work by researchers from the University of Catania, Italy, and New York Medical College, presented to the American Physiological Society, showed rat neurons exposed to higher concentrations of curcumin were less affected by cell damage due to increased levels of HO-1.

The team described the findings as "an important first step" in determining curry's role as a preventive agent against neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, and its possible benefits for slowing the progression of the disease.

Tumeric is used in powder form in curries, and is prepared by boiling the root for several hours, then drying it for a long-period before crushing.

India, which produces and consumes most of the world's tumeric, has much lower rates of Alzheimer's among the elderly than Western countries, dropping to as little as one per cent of over-65s in some areas.

[blam]

I read about this some time ago in a science magazine.

Also, I've read that curry is the most popular food in England presently.

[swarthyguy]

Ping. ROFL! Lots of it used in TexMex too.

[July 4th]

I've read that curry is the most popular food in England presently.

Yep, you could even find it in limited quantities in some of the McDonalds in England. It's a part of the Brit culture now in a similar vein as quick take-out Mexican food is to the American culture - a popular late-night dish.

[Stellar Dendrite]

curcumin not only quenches free radicals it also inhibits their formation. a very valuable dietary supplement.

[billorites]

Forget the chutney, you're screwed.

[cyborg]

This means my mother and I will be nagging eachother for another good forty years :)

[Billthedrill]

I've had vindaloos so hot you couldn't tell if you have Alzheimer's because you can't think at all.

[Chuckster]

I'll try to remember to eat more curry.

[shaggy eel]

This means my mother and I will be nagging each other for another good forty years :)

,,, not if you curry her before she curries you.

[cyborg]

LOL!

[oolatec]

It's an Arab conspiracy to control the minds of every non-curry eating non-Muslim.

[Begin]

Curry could help defeat Alzheimer's

I always knew there was something special about that guy.

[snopercod]

I think I may have Alheizmer's. Or is it Alzheimer's. I can't remember.

[pepperhead]

Ping. ROFL! Lots of it used in TexMex too.

Turmeric is used in other Indian dishes as well not just curries. I think it is also used quite often in muslim and thai cooking too.

[blam]

"I'll try to remember to eat more curry."

LOL. I always forget to order it. (...and, make sure it wasn't cooked in an aluminum pot.)

[shaggy eel]

,,, I eat Indian food regularly at a Wellington restaurant called Tulsi. The guy who owns it is called Monty and he talked to me one time about my safe choices on the menu and how I always opted to have them served as mild. "You tie the chef's hands together by ordering mild", he said. I risked it and got used to medium, but could never go for hot - I do know that much.

[DaiHuy]

I knew that there was a reason I loved Thai food as much as I do.

[Graymatter]

So...what doesn't kill the Sicilian wharf rat, makes him stronger. This is a reason for me to start eating something between korma and vindaloo?

I'm gonna stick with apple pie and coffee!

[Hank Kerchief]

Lots of it used in TexMex too.

You may be thinking of cumin.

Curcumin, or turmeric, is a pungent yellow spice used throughout the middle and far east, but in the west mostly for pickles and mustard preparations. It is sometimes used as a substitute for saffron because of its bright yellow color.

Hank

[curmudgeonII]

I think that I'd prefer the disease.
Whatever it's called.