Monday, August 07, 2006

Eating Curry May Help Brain Performance

New Scientist reported Friday that curry--specifically curcumin--may help old folks think better.

Curcumin, a constituent of turmeric, is an antioxidant, and reports have suggested that it inhibits the build-up of amyloid plaques in people with Alzheimer's.

Now Tze-Pin Ng and colleagues at the National University of Singapore have discovered that curry eating seems to boost brain power in elderly people.

They tested non-Alzheimer's patients "and compared their performance in a standard test of cognitive function." Those who consumed curry occasionally or often performed better than those who ate it rarely or never.

This is good news and bad news. It's good, because I love curry. It's bad, because I haven't had any in a really long time. I'll have to start eating more curry again. For my health, of course.

No comments: