Brain health, Alzheimer's & Turmeric

Have you ever gone for a walk, bike ride or hike and noticed a difference in your mental attitude or clarity of mind? I have always noticed a change during and after exercise. Movement is crucial for brain health. Exercise increases oxygen and blood supply to the brain, making it a key brain nutrient. Many of us do not get enough rest and do not drink enough water, and this, coupled with lack of exercise can affect short term memory.

Besides exercise, eating right is important to our brain health. High antioxidant foods, like raisins, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, kale and spinach are excellent. Feed your brain with omega-3 fats by eating eggs, cold water fish, like halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna. Other great sources of omega-3 are flaxseed, walnuts and green vegetables. Read the labels on the food you buy and stay away from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and partially hydrogenated shortening. You'll see this in foods like commercial bread, crackers and cookies or snack foods. Also according to Dr. Larry M.C. Cleary, stay away from trans fats and high fructose corn syrup as they both disrupt and damage brain cells. Read the labels on the food you buy and consume.

One of my favorite foods for brain cell health is Turmeric

In India the population has a extremely low incidence of Alzheimer's. Could it be because turmeric is a main staple of their diet? There was a recent study that showed consumption of 100 mg of curcumin {the active compound in turmeric} per day by Alzheimer's patients greatly improved their behavioral symptoms over a 12 week period. 1. Two more studies were able to specifically show that curcumin could protect against and enhance the clearance of amyloid-beta plague {the main cause of Alzheimer's}.2.

Turmeric is a phytonutrient with powerful anti inflammatory properties that can help reduce the symptoms of chronic disease. The active compound in turmeric , curcumin, stops precancerous changes within the DNA and interferes with enzymes necessary for cancer growth. 3. There are many more studies showing curcumin can help combat cancer.

Try taking 1 tsp daily, ideally by combining it with black pepper and a good fat like coconut oil.

I have used turmeric and black pepper by mixing the two together and put into capsules, time consuming but this is an easy way for my mom to take it.

Here's a great recipe to try

GOLDEN MILK

First make a turmeric paste, you'll need 1/4 cup turmeric powder, 1/2 C filtered water and 1/2 tsp ground pepper-mix.

Next 1 cup almond milk { or coconut } 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1/4 tsp turmeric paste from above and raw honey to taste. Enjoy!!!

1. Nozomi Hishikawa, Yoriko Takahashi, Yoshinobu Amakusa, Yuhei Tanno, Yoshitake Tuji, Hisayoshi Niwa, Nobuyuki Murakami, U K Krishna. Effects of turmeric on Alzheimers's disease with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Aye. 2012 Oct;33(4):499-502

2. a. Laura Zhang, Milan Fiala, John Cashman, James Sayre, Araceli Espinosa, Michelle Mahanian, Justin Zaghi, Vladimir Badmaev, Michael C Graves, George Bernard, Mark Rosenthal. Curcuminoids enhance amyloid-beta uptake by macrophages of Alzheimer's disease patients. J Alzheimers Dis. 2006 Sep;10(1):1-7 . PMID: 16988474

2.b. Ava Masoumi, Ben Goldenson, Senait Ghirmai, Hripsime Avagyan, Justin Zaghi, Ken Abel, Xueying Zheng, Araceli Espinosa-Jeffry, Michelle Mahanian, Phillip T Liu, Martin Hewison, Matthew Mizwickie, John Cashman, Milan Fiala, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 interacts with curcuminoids to stimulate amyloid-beta clearance by macrophages of Alzheimer's disease patients. J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 Jul;17(3):703-17. PMID: 19433889

3. Balch P. Prescription for nutritional healing: A practical A-to Z reference to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs & food supplements. New York City, NY Avery; 2010