Curry may keep elderly minds
sharp
October 26, 2006 09:10:54 AM PST
A diet containing curry may help protect the aging brain, according
a study of elderly Asians in which increased curry consumption was
associated with better cognitive performance on standard
tests.
Curcumin, found in the curry spice turmeric, possesses potent
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
It's known that long-term users of anti-inflammatory drugs have a
reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, although these
agents can have harmful effects in the stomach, liver and kidney,
limiting their use in the elderly.
Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, have been shown to protect neurons
in lab experiments but have had limited success in alleviating
cognitive decline in patients with mild-to-moderate dementia.
In their study, Dr. Tze-Pin Ng from National University of
Singapore and colleagues compared scores on the Mini-Mental State
Exam (MMSE) for three categories of regular curry consumption in
1,010 nondemented Asians who were between 60 and 93 years old in
2003.
Most of the study subjects consumed curry at least occasionally
(once every 6 months), 43 percent ate curry at least often or very
often (between monthly and daily) while 16 percent said they never
or rarely ate curry.
After taking into account factors that could impact test results,
they found that people who consumed curry "occasionally" and "often
or very often" had significantly better MMSE scores than did those
who "never or rarely" consumed curry.
"Even with the low and moderate levels of curry consumption
reported by the respondents, better cognitive performance was
observed," Ng and colleagues report.]
These results, they note, provide "the first epidemiologic evidence
supporting a link between curry consumption and cognitive
performance that has been suggested by a large volume of earlier
experimental evidence."
Curry is used widely by people in India and "interestingly," the
prevalence of Alzheimer's disease among India's elderly ranks is
fourfold less than that seen in the United States.
"In view of its efficacy and remarkably low toxicity," curry shows
promise for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers
conclude.
SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, November 1, 2006.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/168200
Gives me an excuse to indulge in my fav chicken curry 
