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Curcumin, a component of turmeric, appears to prevent the spread of amyloid protein plaques, which are suspected to cause dementia, Murali Doraiswamy of Duke University, North Carolina, said.
Amyloid plaques, along with tangles of nerve fibres, are suspected to contribute to the degradation of the wiring in brain cells, eventually leading to symptoms of dementia.
Doraiswamy, at the ongoing annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Liverpool, said there was evidence that people who eat a curry meal two or three times a week had a lower risk of dementia, and added that researchers were testing the impact of higher doses to see if they could maximise the effect.
Doraiswamy told the meeting: "There is very solid evidence that curcumin binds to plaques, and basic research on animals engineered to produce human amyloid plaques has shown benefits."
"You can modify a mouse so that at about 12 months its brain is riddled with plaques. If you feed this rat a curcumin-rich diet it dissolves these plaques. The same diet prevented younger mice from forming new plaques.
"The next step is to test curcumin on human amyloid plaque formation using newer brain scans and there are plans for that," he said.
Doraiswamy said a clinical trial was underway at the University of California, Los Angeles, to test curcumin's effects in Alzheimer's patients, the BBC reported from the meeting.
He stressed that eating a curry could not counter-balance the increased risk of dementia associated with a poor diet, but he said: "If you have a good diet and take plenty of exercise, eating curry regularly could help prevent dementia."
Doraiswamy predicted it might be possible to develop a curry pill which had the same therapeutic effect.
Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Indian communities that regularly eat curcumin have a surprisingly low incidence of Alzheimer's disease but we don't yet know why.
"Alzheimer's Society is keen to explore the potential benefits of curcumin in protecting the brain and we are conducting our own research into this area.
"A cheap, accessible and safe treatment could transform the quality of life of thousands of people with the condition."
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Dear brothers & sisters, AD in India is low because of different psycho,religious setup & socio environment.I am studying it.I found number of ayurvedic plants show significant activity. My Book is underway thanks
Dear AD researcher,> Very few Indians reach that age. Are you mentioning a fact or are letting out personal opinions?Here's some factual info: 'The prevalence of Alzheimer's among adults aged 70-79 in India, is 4.4 times less than the rate in the United States'. You might want to google search this text.
Recent research has shown that Alzheimer's is a type of insulin resistance in which glucose, the usual fuel for brain cells, is not transported normally into the cells in certain parts of the brain and the neurons begin to die off as much as 10-20 years before symptoms appear. Ketone bodies are an alternative fuel for brain cells and do not require insulin to enter the brain. Certain oils, such as coconut and palm kernel oil as well as human breast milk and goat milk, contain medium chain fatty acids, which are converted in the liver to ketone bodies and readily cross into the circulation to the brain where they can be used as fuel by brain cells. Real curry is usually made with coconut milk, which is loaded with the oil, therefore contains medium chain fatty acids. If there is not enough curcumin to make a difference in a meal of curry, maybe this other ingredient will. Please see www.coconutketones.com.
What if a person cannot produce ketones,due to some genetic malfunction?Is it due to the length of the Carbon chain?Maybe a certain mutational gene can only utilize an enzyme specifically for MCFA's??Please let me know-JL(thanks)
Why eat curry when it is turmeric that contains curcumin? And you can use that in so much food where you cannot use curry. This is sent from Denmark, but my country is not mentioned, and I couldn't send the message without stating a country!!!
These are not real causes and solutions for dementia. I know its realities. Its causes and solutins is in Vastu sastra an ancient scince of Indian saints. I am reaserching this subject for the sake of the man and humanity. It has clear causes and solutins for dementia. Even it is indian subject many Indians do know this subject well. I want to know how these truths unfold to the world. If you have interested cooperate with me.
Can you tell me where the alzheimer petient should be placed at home.?
Above health benefits are claimed since spices are now transgenically modified. No one will broadcast to India what is good for the citizens for humanitarian reasons. Part of the New World Order is to decrease the population. Transgenic foods lower IQ. Indians have exceptionally high IQ. Save your lives and that of your childrens.Ban biotechnology, Transgenic modification.
One of the major reasons that Indians show surprisingly low incident of AD, is because their average life expectancy is low compared to Industrialized world. AD is a disease primarily at old age, as old as 70 onwards (not talking about familial AD). Very few Indian reach that age. Most of them die in simple diseases like gastroenteritis or other very simple disease, which are hardly found in developed countries. So yes, cumin may have some important ingredient to cure AD. But it is certainly not true that curry eating Indians are at low risk of AD.