BBC - Curry 'may slow Alzheimer's' A spicy ingredient of many curries may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease, say researchers.

A team from the University of California at Los Angeles believes that turmeric may play a role in slowing down the progression of the neurodegenerative disease.

The finding may help to explain why rates of Alzheimer's are much lower among the elderly in India than in their Western peers.

Previous studies have found that Alzheimer's affects just 1% of people over the age of 65 living in some Indian villages.

Vindaloos

Turmeric is found in everything from mild Kormas to the hottest Vindaloos. The crucial chemical is curcumin, a compound found in the spice.

Alzheimer's is linked to the build up of knots in the brain called amyloid plaques.

Turmeric reduced the number of these plaques by a half.

The researchers also found that turmeric had other health benefits.

It aids digestion, helps fight infection and guards against heart attacks.

In the study, middle aged and aged rats were fed a diet rich in curcumin.

All the rats received brain injections of amyloid to mimic progressive Alzheimer's disease.

Not only was there less evidence of plaque build up in the curcumin-fed rats, they also outperformed rats on normal diets when carrying out maze-based memory tests.

Curcumin also appeared to reduce Alzheimer's-related inflammation in the brain tissue.

Researcher Dr Sally Frautschy said the compound had potential as a treatment for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease - particularly in tandem with anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.

Dr Richard Harvey, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Curcumin has both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

"Drugs with similar properties could potentially be used as preventative treatments for Alzheimer's disease."

However, Dr Harvey warned that it could be many years before such drugs were made widely available.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Answers

Wonder if niacin does the same thing??? Is curry a spice????

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

I finally made it here! I just gotta figure out what's up with the cookies, they are on, but the site still wants the password. Oh well... Saro1, curry is a spice and you can find it in the grocery store. I love cooking with it, esp making curries. Find some and then play with it. I was very glad to see this posted. I have 2 granddaughters who may benefitn from this advice. They are 6 and 3 and have a disease that is similar to alzheimer's. Thanks for finding this little tidbit. But like my sweet husband just mentioned, curry is an aquired taste. He suggested a gelcap. I do love him!! Monkeyface

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2001

Monkeyface, the forum has to be passworded to keep out trolls. Reminder to all: Please do not give out the password.

Curry powder is actually a mixture of herbs and spices with turmeric being a major ingredient. You can find turmeric in chili spice mixes too. "Curry" is a word invented by the British during colonization of India. The Indians made a delicious spicy stew, the name of which is "khari," believed to be the origin of the word. There are as many curry recipes as there are western stew recipes. Just try a search on the net!

In any event, turmeric can be bought separately at the supermarket and used in any meat dish--in moderation. It's pretty strong. If you have an oriental or Indian food market nearby, you can buy turmeric in large quantities. (Be wary if you see, for example, Patak's Vindaloo curry sauce--it will make jalapenos seem about as peppery as zucchini, lol!)

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001

I think I meant "cumin" when writing about chili powder. Cumin is also a curry ingredient, but not the important one! Here's just one curry powder recipe I found on the net.

A Fancy Curry Powder

Ingredients (1 servings)

2 1/2 ts Fenugreek
1 ts (about 20 pods) cardamom Seeds (cracked with a Cleaver to release seeds)
3 tb Coriander seeds
1 tb Cumin seeds
1 tb Mustard seeds [OG note--use black if you can find them]
6 Cloves, whole
1 x 3" cinnamon stick, thin nd broken into pieces
1/4 ts Ground mace
1/4 ts Nutmeg, grated
1 Big pinch cayenne
2 tb Turmeric, ground
Hot pepper, toasted and dried (to taste) [OG note: can use a little hot sauce]

Instructions

Preheat oven to 225 degree F.
In a small pan, combine fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cumin and mustard seeds, cloves, and broken cinnamon stick. Bake for 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times. Let cool.
In bowl, combine the toasted spices with the mace, nutmeg, cayenne, tumeric and peppers. Place in a spice mill and grind to a powder. Store in an airtight container. Makes a 1/2 cup of curry powder.

Recipe: Chuck Ozburn in Pok, New York

OG Notes

You could also find the pre-ground spices in jars at the store and mix in quantity to suit, avoiding the cooking process.

A note on cardamom seeds: Arabs take a few pods, crack them open and put them on top of coffee grounds before dripping. This imparts a pleasant, aromatic flavor to your coffee.

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2001