Hot new tip... eating a curry once (or twice) a week could stave off dementia, say scientists

Few of us need too much encouragement when it comes to heading off to the curry house.

But scientists have come up with one of the best excuses ever: a spicy ingredient in curry could be an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Tests on fruit flies with a nervous disorder similar to the neurodegenerative illness found those given curcumin - the key chemical in turmeric used in everything from mild Kormas to the hottest Vindaloos - lived 75 per cent longer.

Brain food: Curcumin, an active ingredient found in turmeric, has been linked with a range of potential health benefits. Now scientists say it can combat dementia

Brain food: Curcumin, an active ingredient found in turmeric, has been linked with a range of potential health benefits. Now scientists say it can combat dementia

Alzheimer's is linked to the build up of knots of protein in the brain called amyloid plaques, damaging the wiring in brain cells.

The findings, published in the journal PLoS One, could help explain why rates of dementia are much lower among the elderly in India than in their Western peers.

Previous research has found Alzheimer's affects just one per cent of people over the age of 65 living in some Indian villages.

Drugs with similar properties to curcumin could potentially be used as preventative treatments.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2101585/Dementia-Eating-curry-twice-week-stave-symptoms.html#ixzz1mVTkODg1

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