Micah Stanley
Turmeric has become indispensable in the kitchen and also in the naturopathic therapy of most diseases. The main active ingredient of the yellow root – curcumin – is very helpful thanks to its anti-inflammatory effect, especially in chronic inflammatory diseases. Alzheimer’s disease is also associated with inflammatory processes, so turmeric can also be used here – both in prevention and in therapy. Extensive studies have long shown how well turmeric can protect the brain from Alzheimer’s.
Turmeric protects against Alzheimer’s
Turmeric (Curcuma longa), also known as turmeric, is a spice that has been used in India, Asia, and the Middle East for at least 2,500 years. In the course of its history, it was first used as a coloring agent and to flavor dishes.
It was only later that its impressive medicinal properties were discovered. In traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, turmeric has been used for centuries – especially as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory for skin and muscle problems.
In the meantime, more than 1000 studies have shown that turmeric or its active ingredient, curcumin, actually has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and also has cancer-fighting, flatulence-inhibiting, and detoxifying properties.
Alzheimer’s research has recently become the focus of science. Here, too, turmeric shows promising success and seems to be able to protect against Alzheimer’s.
The more turmeric consumed, the less likely Alzheimer’s occurs
Countries that cook with turmeric every day have a remarkably low rate of Alzheimer’s. People, there are far less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. For example, if one compares the Alzheimer’s rate in the USA with that in India, one finds that in the group of 70 to 79-year-olds in the USA 4.4 times more people suffer from Alzheimer’s than in India.
A study from 2006, based on 1010 study participants, showed that those people (between 60 and 93 years of age) who regularly eat curry (curry contains a lot of turmerics) have better cognitive functions than those who never use this spice.
The explanation for these connections is very simple: Alzheimer’s disease leads to chronic inflammation in the brain, increased oxidative stress (damage caused by free radicals), increased metal deposits, and the formation of the beta-amyloid deposits typical of Alzheimer’s. As a result, the nerve cells in the brain degrade. However, curcumin can pass through the brain, so it can cross the blood-brain barrier and have a positive effect on all of the changes in the brain mentioned:
How turmeric protects against Alzheimer’s
The mechanisms by which turmeric or its active ingredient curcumin can protect the brain from inflammation, oxidative stress, metals, and deposits have long been known:
Turmeric has an anti-inflammatory effect
Curcumin from turmeric acts as an anti-inflammatory through many different steps. For example, by inhibiting cyclooxygenase and by inhibiting phospholipase. Both compounds are enzymes that can accelerate inflammatory processes and are found in remarkably high amounts in the nerve cells of Alzheimer’s.
The phospholipase is also responsible for the release and activation of the pro-inflammatory fatty acid arachidonic acid. If the two enzymes are now inhibited in their activity thanks to curcumin, the existing inflammation also decreases.
In addition, curcumin is involved in many other anti-inflammatory processes in the body. For example, it inhibits the activity of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and TNF (tumor necrosis factor-alpha).
Turmeric reduces deposits in the brain
A study by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that curcumin helps the scavenger cells of the immune system (macrophages) to dissolve the beta-amyloid plaques that are so typical of Alzheimer’s faster and more comprehensively. The following applies: Lower curcumin doses taken over a long period of time are more effective than high curcumin doses.
Another attempt on the subject spiked curcumin into the blood of Alzheimer’s patients, then added beta-amyloid (the protein that makes up the deposits in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients). In the presence of the curcumin, the scavenger cells were very well able to absorb and dissolve the beta-amyloid. In the control group (blood without curcumin), however, the scavenger cells worked much more sluggishly.
Turmeric binds harmful metals
Studies have shown that metals (copper, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead, etc.) accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and not only increase oxidative stress there but can also promote the formation of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain. Experimentally used chelating agents (substances that bind and drain metals) actually showed an anti-Alzheimer effect and protected against the nerve-toxic metals.
Curcumin also has metal-binding properties. It binds to the excess metals in the brain, protecting nerve cells and preventing the disease from progressing. Here we explain how turmeric can also help with mercury elimination: Turmeric in dentistry (section: Turmeric for mercury elimination).
Turmeric has an antioxidant effect
Turmeric has an antioxidant effect. This property initially causes the levels of the body’s own antioxidants to rise. The body’s own antioxidants include superoxide dismutase, heme oxygenase, and glutathione. They all reduce oxidative stress and noticeably reduce the number of circulating free radicals.
Free radicals have long been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but also with the development of other degenerative diseases of the nervous system, such as. B. Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease. The fight against free radicals is therefore in the foreground of these problems, whereby curcumin can be used very well as an accompaniment.
In addition, under the influence of curcumin, there is a decrease in lipid peroxidation – as e.g. a study by the Indian Jawaharlal Nehru University showed. During lipid peroxidation, the body’s own lipids are oxidized by free radicals. If the lipids are in the cell membrane, then cell damage occurs – including in the brain, of course.
Oxidized lipids are also responsible for arteriosclerotic deposits on the blood vessel walls, so curcumin not only protects the brain but also keeps the entire circulatory system fit, lowers the LDL cholesterol level (or prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol), and reduces the risk of heart attack, thrombosis, and embolism.
At the same time, thanks to the antioxidant effect of curcumin, the age-typical accumulation of so-called lipofuscin decreases. These are deposits containing proteins and lipids. They are caused by oxidative stress and are observed in various body cells with increasing age, especially in the heart muscle and liver cells, but also in the eyes and in the nerve cells of the brain, where over time they can lead to cell death.
Last but not least, curcumin can also protect the mitochondria (energy centers) of the cells in the brain against various sources of oxidative stress (e.g. against peroxynitrite, a reactive nitrogen compound), so that the nerve cells have more energy available than would be the case without curcumin. Of course, more energy also means better performance and a higher ability to regenerate.
Turmeric protects nerve cells in the brain
Turmeric also directly influences the function and activity of the so-called glial cells. This term includes all cells in the brain that do not belong to the nerve cells. Glial cells, on the other hand, protect and supply the nerve cells. A special form of glial cells is called oligodendrocytes. These cells form the so-called myelin sheath, the insulating layer of the nerve cells in the brain. Damage to the myelin sheath leads to the long-term death of the affected nerve cells.
Curcumin now leads to increased formation and activity of the oligodendrocytes, so that the nerve cells are also better protected and the myelin sheaths can be repaired in good time. In addition, curcumin prevents the overgrowth of glial cells that occurs when nerve cells die and glial cells (of the microglial type) try to take their place. Because glial cells have no nerve cell function, their proliferation would lead to cognitive disorders, behavioral disorders, and other symptoms associated with brain diseases.
At the same time, chronic overactivity of the microglial cells in turn leads to the release of inflammatory messenger substances (cytokines) and other substances, which in turn would contribute to increasing amyloid deposits.
Even a minimal dose of curcumin can apparently inhibit these activities. However, the inhibitory effect increases with the curcumin dose taken – as a study by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles showed.
Turmeric – The Application
With all of these beneficial effects and properties, turmeric is an important part of holistic Alzheimer’s prevention and therapy. It is particularly pleasant that turmeric is available everywhere (as a powder or as a fresh root) and can be easily integrated into the diet.
Since no exact turmeric dose is known to date that one would have to take in order to achieve this or that effect, it was even found that daily intake is not even necessary to enjoy the turmeric properties, experiment with Just uses the different recipes and try out what you like best. However, the following applies the more regularly and often you use turmeric, the better the effect!
It also makes more sense to use turmeric several times a day so that the curcumin level in the blood remains consistently high.
In summary, when using turmeric – if you want to achieve the best possible result – the following two points are important:
- Take turmeric regularly
- Take turmeric several times a day
The Turmeric Cookbook from the Center for Health
Our turmeric cookbook is a very good companion for all connoisseurs who want to eat turmeric regularly and several times a day. You will find 50 carefully developed turmeric recipes flavored with either fresh turmeric root or turmeric powder.
Our 7-day turmeric cure, which you can also find in the book, is particularly useful for Alzheimer’s prevention. During this cure, you will learn how to consume really relevant amounts of turmeric every day. Because a pinch here and there is of course not much use. Therefore, the recipes of the turmeric cure contain up to 8 grams of turmeric throughout the day.
Turmeric – The Safe Dose
Studies on the safety of turmeric are mostly carried out with curcumin, i.e. the isolated active ingredient from turmeric, not with turmeric powder or turmeric root. For example, we know from a study that 25 people who took 8 grams of curcumin daily for 3 months experienced no side effects. Other studies have even used doses of up to 10 grams of curcumin without showing any negative effects.
However, since turmeric only consists of small amounts of curcumin (3 to 5 percent), you can spice it up with plenty of turmerics. Be careful, however, that turmeric tastes bitter in large quantities. The taste alone, therefore, keeps you from an overdose.
Turmeric to protect against Alzheimer’s – curcumin in capsules
If you don’t like turmeric but still want to do something to prevent Alzheimer’s, you can also choose turmeric or curcumin in capsule form. Always take the capsule with a meal containing fat, since curcumin is not water-soluble but fat-soluble.
Turmeric – Drug Interactions and Contraindications
Anyone who takes blood thinners (also blood-thinning or anti-inflammatory painkillers) should discuss the regular use of turmeric with their doctor since the spice can also have a slightly blood-thinning effect and could therefore increase the effect of the medication under certain circumstances.
Anyone who has problems with the bile duct or gallstones should also discuss taking curcumin/turmeric with their doctor, as curcumin stimulates the flow of bile. Doses of 20 to 40 mg of curcumin can also increase gallbladder contractions, which could cause stones to dissolve. Even if it would be desirable to finally get rid of the stones, there is of course a risk of biliary colic with large stones.
