How could a root pigment help protect your brain?

How could a root pigment help protect your brain?

In the e-Alert “Root it Out” (10/18/06), I told you about a UCLA study that demonstrated how curcumin assists natural mechanisms in your body to defend against the development of amyloid plaques in the brain that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. Curcumin is the yellow pigment in turmeric root that gives curry its color and flavor.

Now a new study from the National University of Singapore helps confirm the UCLA results.

More than 1,000 subjects who participated in the Singapore National Mental Health Survey of the Elderly were given exams to test their mental capacity. They also supplied dietary information.

Results:

• Subjects who said they ate curry often or very often had nearly 50 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment compared to subjects who said they never or rarely ate curry dishes
• Those who said they ate curry occasionally had a 38 percent reduced risk of cognitive impairment

You can find more information about curcumin intake and cognitive function at this link: http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200610/ea20061018a.html