Turmeric boosts working memory in one small dose

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Turmeric boosts working memory in one small dose
Sayer Ji
GreenMedInfo.com
Thu, 30 Apr 2015


One small dose of turmeric powder was found to improve working memory in pre-diabetic patients.

Interest in turmeric as a tonic and regenerative agent for brain conditions is growing rapidly. Given the increased prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as an alarming uptick in brain cancer and the cognitively impairing metabolic dysregulations associated with type 2 diabetes.

Turmeric and its primary polyphenol curcumin hold great promise as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, none of which have been shown to address nor resolve the root causes of disease.

A recent study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition titled, "Turmeric improves post-prandial working memory in pre-diabetes independent of insulin", reveals the unique therapeutic profile of this ancient Indian spice in preventing cognitive impairment linked to pre-diabetes and dementia.(http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-extract-100-effective-preventing-type-2-diabetes-ada-journal-study-finds)

The study enrolled 48 60-year olds with newly recognized yet untreated pre-diabetes. They were randomized to receive either a placebo, turmeric (1,000 mg), cinnamon (2,000 mg) or both (1,000 mg & 2,000 mg respectively), ingested at a white bread (119 g) breakfast.

The researchers observed the participants' metabolic responses over a 6 hour period for the following parameters:

· Pre- and post-working memory (WM),

· Glycemic and insulin responses

· Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD)(measured at 0, 2, 4 and 6 hours):

o amyloid precursor protein (APP),

o γ-secretase subunits presenilin-1 (PS1),

o presenilin-2 (PS2),

o glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β).

The study results were reported as follows:

"We found that a modest addition of 1 g turmeric to a rather nutritionally-bland breakfast of white bread improved working memory (WM) over 6 hours in older people with pre-diabetes. This was not the case for 2 g cinnamon."

Moreover, they observed that body fatness and insulin resistance modulated the effect that turmeric had on improving working memory, "suggesting that the benefits of turmeric might be enhanced where these characteristics were less abnormal."

While the study found the Alzheimer's biomarkers "showed active correlations among themselves during the 6 hour study, these did not account for the link between turmeric and WM." In other words, the researchers surmised that while the spice components access and modulate traditional Alzheimer's biomarker pathways, no definitive mechanisms of action explaining how they affect working memory could be discerned in the study.

Interestingly, the study intentionally selected whole turmeric powder instead of extracts of curcuminoids, as is normally the case, in order to simulate real-world culinary exposure to the spice: (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/how-whole-turmeric-heals-damaged-brain-1)

"We deliberately used whole turmeric rather than curcuminoids or turmeric extracts. We wanted to examine the commodity used in daily life and with which there are generations of experience and presumptive safety across Asian food cultures - south, north-east and south-east Asia, albeit in a range of cuisines. The amounts used were also within the usual household range."

This study adds to a growing body of literature showing that turmeric/curcumin is both an excellent intervention for pre-diabetic patients (with up to a 100% prevention rate, according to a Diabetes Care study published two years ago), as well as anti-dementia agent, as evaluated in greater detail in previous reports we have done on the subject: (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-extract-100-effective-preventing-type-2-diabetes-ada-journal-study-finds)

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkable-recovery-alzheimers-patients
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/one-dose-kitchen-spice-improves-brain-function
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/how-turmeric-can-save-aging-brain-dementia-and-premature-death

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How to Optimize Turmeric Absorption for Super-Boosted Benefits


When we talk about eating foods for their specific health benefits, many people think simply eating the food is enough. For instance, if you struggle with inflammatory bowel disease and have read that turmeric is effective in healing many digestive issues, you may simply get a turmeric (curcumin) supplement to start taking. But you would be overlooking one crucial fact about turmeric that could mean the difference between simple consumption and full-absorption. That fact: turmeric is fat-soluble, and you want to be able to absorb is magnificent food to experience all of the health benefits it has to offer.

When something is fat-soluble, that means it dissolves in fat. Without fat, the active component in turmeric, curcumin, has a difficult time making it past the stomach, into the small intestine, and into the blood where it can offer the greatest benefits.

In order to make the most of turmeric, you must take it with a bit of fat.

With curry (where turmeric is most popular), your body is able to make the most of the curcumin because there is usually some oil in the recipe. We can learn from this by trying to take turmeric as part of a healing synergistic whole—one healing piece of an overall healthful meal.

But even when curry isn’t on the menu or when you simply want a “hit” of curcumin, you can use it’s fat-soluble qualities to ensure your body makes the most of it.

Golden Milk Tea, sometimes referred to as only golden milk, is an ancient way of experiencing the benefits of turmeric with helpful fat included. While there are many recipes for golden milk, they usually involve dissolving a paste of turmeric and water into a small cup of milk and coconut oil. Remember to use high-quality organic turmeric in the milk preparation. Also, as NaturalNews reports, you can prepare the paste in advance and keep it in your refrigerator for weeks.

Other ways to get the most out of your turmeric:

Sprinkle some on an avocado

Dissolve it in a tablespoon of coconut oil before adding it to a smoothie

Stir it into olive oil and then toss in fresh vegetables

Consume turmeric or curcumin with black pepper. “Adding black pepper to turmeric or turmeric-spiced food enhances curcumin’s bioavailability by 1,000 times, due to black pepper’s hot property called piperine,” says nutritionist Stacy Kennedy.

A little fat plus a little turmeric equals a whole host of health benefits. From reducing blood pressure and inflammation to preventing Alzheimer’s and treating depression—making the most of this beautiful root could have immeasurable positive effects on your health.