Introduction
As we age, our risk of developing diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia increases. One potential way to combat this is by consuming turmeric — a spice that has been used as medicine in Asian countries for centuries. Recently, researchers at the University of California Berkeley found that curcumin — one of turmeric’s main ingredients — can help protect elderly people from dementia by reducing inflammation in their blood stream.
Curcumin, the most important nutrient in turmeric, can help prevent elderly people from developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study by the University of California Berkeley.
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. It’s also found in turmeric, which gives curry its signature yellow color.
In order for our brains to function properly, we need small amounts of inflammation to trigger repair mechanisms—but too much and it can lead to cognitive decline. Because of this, curcumin could protect elderly people from developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease by helping prevent chronic inflammation in the brain that occurs with aging, according to a recent study by the University of California Berkeley.
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that’s found in the spice turmeric. It’s what gives curry its signature yellow color.
Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that’s found in the spice turmeric. It’s what gives curry its signature yellow color.
While it’s been studied for its potential benefits on conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, researchers say they don’t know exactly how curcumin works to protect your brain. But they do know there is a link between inflammation and dementia risk.
In order for our brains to function properly, we need small amounts of inflammation to trigger repair. However, when inflammation is out of control — or chronic — it can cause a slew of health problems, including limiting blood flow to the brain.
In order for our brains to function properly, we need small amounts of inflammation to trigger repair. However, when inflammation is out of control — or chronic — it can cause a slew of health problems, including limiting blood flow to the brain. This can lead to dementia and other cognitive disorders.
The researchers used blood samples taken from 40 people over the age of 60 who have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a condition that precedes dementia — and compared them with samples from 19 healthy participants.
The researchers used blood samples taken from 40 people over the age of 60 who have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) — a condition that precedes dementia — and compared them with samples from 19 healthy participants.
They found that there was significantly less curcumin in the MCI patients’ blood than in those without MCI.
They found that the MCI patients had “elevated blood concentrations of several [inflammatory] factors linked to dementia,” while these inflammatory factors were almost completely absent in the healthy group. The study also showed that curcumin was able to keep these inflammatory factors at bay, leading the scientists to conclude that curcumin could help protect against dementia.
One of the main problems with chronic inflammation is that it can be hard to distinguish from general wear and tear. In other words, if you have a wound on your hand and it’s swollen, red, and painful, that’s normal—it’s part of the healing process. But if you’re still feeling sore even though the wound has been healed for months or years, then that’s not good because you’ve got inflammation going on in an area where it shouldn’t be happening at all.
This same concept applies to your body as a whole: when inflammation occurs only in response to injuries or infections (or other acute events), then this reaction is good for your health; however, when chronic inflammation starts running amok without any obvious cause things start getting bad very quickly! This kind of uncontrolled immune response has been linked directly with many diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
According to The World Health Organization, 47 million people worldwide have dementia. By 2050, research shows that this number will roughly triple. This could lead to as much as $2 trillion dollars in costs for care alone.
Dementia is a disease that affects the brain, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. It can also cause changes in mood and personality. The disease is progressive, meaning it gets worse over time.
Dementia affects 47 million people worldwide according to The World Health Organization (WHO), but that number could triple by 2050 if no new treatments are discovered. This would lead to as much as $2 trillion dollars in costs for care alone!
While there isn’t currently any cure for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia—it’s important to find ways to prevent or delay its onset so you’re able to live your life at full capacity as long as possible!
Conclusion
It’s clear that there is a huge need for alternative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Although there is no cure yet, this study shows that curcumin could be a powerful way to prevent the onset of dementia.
