USA Today reports on new studies suggesting that turmeric, one component of curry spice, “almost completely prevented joint swelling in rats with arthritis. Other studies have suggested that the spice could protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease that afflicts nearly 5 million people in the USA.”
According to the study, “The curcumin in curry seems to shut down genes that trigger the development and the spread of breast cancer, animal studies in Aggarwal's lab suggest. And a preliminary human study suggests curcumin supplements might — in a handful of cases — be able to stabilize pancreatic cancer,” while “epidemiology studies in humans also have linked frequent use of turmeric spice to lower rates of breast, prostate and colon cancer.”
While the studies are by no mean conclusive, there are two pieces of anecdotal evidence that seem promising:
1. “A study of more than 1,000 older men in Singapore last year found that those who ate lots of curry-spiced food did better on memory tests than those who rarely ate the spice,” according to USA Today.
2. In addition, Alzheimer's rates in India are about four times lower than in the USA.
According to the study, “The curcumin in curry seems to shut down genes that trigger the development and the spread of breast cancer, animal studies in Aggarwal's lab suggest. And a preliminary human study suggests curcumin supplements might — in a handful of cases — be able to stabilize pancreatic cancer,” while “epidemiology studies in humans also have linked frequent use of turmeric spice to lower rates of breast, prostate and colon cancer.”
While the studies are by no mean conclusive, there are two pieces of anecdotal evidence that seem promising:
1. “A study of more than 1,000 older men in Singapore last year found that those who ate lots of curry-spiced food did better on memory tests than those who rarely ate the spice,” according to USA Today.
2. In addition, Alzheimer's rates in India are about four times lower than in the USA.
- KC's View:
- Another reason to eat one of our favorite kinds of food.
