Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 1

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Curcumin, the active constituent of

Turmeric and Alzheimer’s Disease the spice turmeric, is an antioxidant
Medical Review that may possess benefits for
of Herbal degenerative diseases. Curcumin has
Remedies By Holly Lucille: ND, RN also shown a wide range of health-
boosting properties , including support
for inflammation relief and
ADHD - ADD Use your browser's back button to navigate this turmeric
circulation.
and alzheimers menu.
Acid Reflux Symptoms
NSI’s standardized turmeric is a
How can curry prevent changes in the brain? Isn't
technically advanced herbal extract
Alzheimer's Disease that a lot to expect from a spice?
standardized to 95% curcuminoids,
Alzheimer 's disease caused by complex growths in
the highest concentration available.
the brain called plaques and tangles. How can
Anxiety Attack simple inflammation cause such a devastating
Symptoms disease? In several studies, curcumin has
Why curry? Couldn't other lifestyle differences shown increasing potential as an anti-
Breast Cancer account for the low rates of Alzheimer 's disease in cancer agent. Curcumin has
Symptoms India? previously displayed success in
What have the turmeric studies shown so far? protecting against the development of
I recently read that one of the nonsteroidal anti- colonic tumors in laboratory animals
Cancer Defense
inflammatory drugs (NSAID) was found to prevent treated with colon cancer-inducing
Alzheimer 's disease. Is this true? agents. In a study published in the
Chronic Fatigue If I eat curry will I be protected against Journal of Carcinogenesis, curcumin
Syndrome Alzheimer 's disease? There aren't many foods or appeared to induce cellular arrest
recipes I make that require curry, do I need to eat when added to human colon cancer
Cold, Flu - Sinus it every day? And how much do I need? cells. Other studies show that
Infections Alzheimer 's References curcumin's anti-cancer effects appear
to be due to its ability to induce
apoptosis, a predetermined death of
Congestive Heart In India, Alzheimer 's disease is relatively uncommon.
cells, as well as to arrest the cell
Failure People over the age of 65 living in certain rural areas of
cycle. Other published studies show
India have a less than 1 percent (0.84%) chance of
that curcumin effectively inhibits
Colon Cancer Symptoms developing the disease. In the larger cities and rural
cancer cell growth in human skin
areas of India, the risk is just 2.4 percent.1,2
cancer, lung cancer, and prostate
Crohn's Disease cancer cells. Large randomized,
Compare these findings to people over the age of 65 double-blind, placebo-controlled
living in the United States. Again, depending on where we studies need to be conducted in
Depression Symptoms are living, our chances of developing Alzheimer 's disease humans to prove benefits in cancer
patients.

http://heartspring.net/alzheimers_turmeric.html 05/03/2009 03:59:51 PM

Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 2

Detoxification range from a little under 5 percent to an astonishing 17
percent.3,4
Diabetes Symptoms
So what are people who are living in India doing that we
aren't doing here in the US to account for these dramatic
Fibromyalgia
differences ? The answer seems to be curry, that zesty
spice and staple of Indian foods. Research has shown that
Heart Disease a compound in curry not only prevents changes in the
Prevention brain that lead to Alzheimer 's disease, it actually reverses
some of the damage already present.5
Heart Attack Symptoms
How can curry prevent these changes in the brain?
Immune System
Isn't that a lot to expect from a spice?
Defense
Irritable Bowel Evidently, it's not too much to expect from this spice.
Syndrome Curry comes from the turmeric plant - Curcuma longa is
the plant's official name. Curcumin, a plant compound in
Lung Cancer turmeric, is the source of curry's instantly recognizable
bright yellow pigment . When it comes to the scientific
research of Curcuma longa, the terms curcumin and
Osteoarthritis
turmeric are both used. Both refer to the same thing -
Symptoms
turmeric extract.6
Ovarian Cancer
There have been more than 1300 studies on turmeric and
its health benefits for humans. Research has shown
Pregnancy Signs turmeric is able to help the body get rid of cancer-causing
toxins. Turmeric also blocks estrogen receptors and
Stomach Ulcer enzymes that promote cancer. And it's been found to stop
Symptoms the growth of new blood vessels in cancerous tumors - an
important factor in keeping cancer from getting larger and
spreading throughout the body.7-9
Thyroid Cancer
But one of turmeric's most exciting health benefits is its
Pictures of Skin Cancer
ability to reduce, prevent, and stop inflammation . While
inflammation is a normal and needed response to injury
Perimenopause or disease, chronic inflammation can cause damage to
Symptoms tissues. And researchers are now finding inflammation
plays a huge role in Alzheimer 's disease.
Prostate Cancer
I've always heard that Alzheimer's disease was
Yeast Infections
caused by complex growths in the brain called
plaques and tangles. How can simple inflammation
cause such a devastating disease?
Curcumin may hold anti-inflammatory
properties , as studies have shown
that it may benefit joint function,
while reducing inflammation and
pain. Curcumin has been shown to
reduce inflammation by lowering
histamine levels, while possibly
increasing the production of natural
cortisone by the adrenal glands. This
antioxidant has been used in
rheumatoid arthritis trials, and was
shown to display some benefits for
reducing inflammation and symptoms
such as pain and stiffness. And in a
study published in the International
Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and
Therapeutic Toxicology, curcumin was
proven effective at easting post-
surgical inflammation .
In studies, curcumin has displayed
other health benefits. It has been
shown to aid circulation, as it may
reduce platelets from clumping
together, and may defend against
atherosclerosis.
Curcumin is also effective at shielding
the liver from various toxic
compounds. And one recent study
showed that curcumin may have
some benefit for cystic fibrosis.
Bioperine®, derived from black
pepper, is included to dramatically
enhance absorption .
NSI Turmeric
(Standardized
95%
Curcumin) -
900 mg - 60
Caps

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Health Notes is the leading
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information on healthy living.
Gathered from scientific
studies published in over 550
peer-reviewed medical and
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Notes for drug interactions
Health Care Directory
Contact Us
You are right. Plaques and tangles are indeed the
hallmarks of Alzheimer 's disease. But researchers looking
at the brain damage caused by Alzheimer 's have always
noted the presence of inflammation wherever plaques and
tangles form.10 In the past, this inflammation was
thought to be simply a consequence of Alzheimer 's
disease. Now scientists believe the inflammation itself
starts a chain reaction ultimately contributing to the
developement of Alzheimer 's disease.11
When cells in the brain are disrupted by inflammation ,
amyloid, a protein normally found in the brain, begins to
act chaotically . This chaos results in the creation of
betaamyloid, protein that is toxic to cells in the brain.
Sticky deposits of beta-amyloid build up and collect
around the cells, making dense clumps or plaques.
Because the brain can't break the plaques down or get rid
of them, they stay right where they are and slowly
accumulate.10,12,13

Tangles result when long protein fibers that act like

scaffolding for brain cells begin to twist and tangle. The
cell is damaged and eventually dies. But the tangled
proteins remain in the brain even after the dead neuron
has been cleared away.10,14 And inflammation might be

http://heartspring.net/alzheimers_turmeric.html 05/03/2009 03:59:51 PM

Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 3

the culprit causing the long protein fibers to start

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Research of identical twins has repeatedly shown that if
one twin has Alzheimer 's disease, the other has a 60%
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cells from inflammation . And why some countries have
low rates of Alzheimer 's disease, like India.
Alzheimer's Disease?
Why curry? Couldn't other lifestyle differences Test Your Short-term
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That's a good question. When researchers begin studying www.CogniCheck.com
a disease, like Alzheimer 's, they look for trends to help
them determine how and why the disease occurs. For
example, we all now know the connection between
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So it has been with researchers studying Alzheimer 's www.YourTicker.com/Angioprim
disease. They know Alzheimer 's disease has an important
connection to inflammation . They also know turmeric
reduces inflammation . And when researchers noticed
these trends - that people in India eat high amounts of
curry from turmeric and have very little Alzheimer 's
disease - they began to theorize that turmeric might be
able to prevent or even treat the illness . And the research
they designed around these trends has unequivocally
found turmeric to be one common denominator.18-21

What have the turmeric studies shown so far?

Simply amazing findings are coming from curry research.

Not only does turmeric slow down cancer growth, it's also
been found to correct the cystic fibrosis defect in mice,
help prevent the onset of alcoholic liver disease, and may
slow down other serious brain diseases like multiple
sclerosis.22

Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles

(UCLA) studying turmeric have found it to be more
effective than the drugs currently being investigated for
Alzheimer 's disease treatment and prevention. The
researchers have discovered the actual structure and
shape of turmeric allows it to penetrate the blood-brain

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Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 4

barrier effectively and bind to beta amyloid.23 Other

research findings shows turmeric helps remove
betaamyloid that's already built up in the neurons.24
Turmeric helps maintain healthy brain cellular
metabolism, helps the cells repair themselves , and keeps
the cells connected to each other.25,26 In other words,
turmeric helps brain cells stay healthy.

And now the UCLA Alzheimer 's Disease Research Center

(ADRC) is using turmeric in clinical trials and studying the
effect of this powerful spice in patients diagnosed with
this devastating disease. Clinical trials are the gold
standard of medical research. But it's rare in Alzheimer 's
disease. And it's even more rare when all-natural herbs
and spices like turmeric are used in hopes that positive
benefits will be discovered. The head of UCLA's research
team was recently interviewed and stated that setting out
to hopefully prove turmeric's ability to prevent and treat
Alzheimer 's disease was “tremendously exciting .”27

I recently read that one of the nonsteroidal anti-

inflammatory drugs (NSAID) was found to prevent
Alzheimer's disease. Is this true?

Scientists recently studied ibuprofen, one of the NSAIDs

investigated for Alzheimer 's Disease Prevention.28
Ibuprofen belongs to a family of drugs that includes
naproxen, indomethacin, nabumetone , and several
others. These drugs are used most often to get rid of
headaches, mild arthritis, and other kinds of pain and
inflammation .29 In the studies, the average dose of
ibuprofen was 800mg a day. Patients took the product for
two years. While the results suggested that ibuprofen
might reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer 's,
ibuprofen's side effects are too harmful to be a valid
lifelong prevention aid treatment .28 Ibuprofen, like other
NSAIDs, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding when used at
high dosages over a long period of time. Long term use of
ibuprofen can also lead to analgesic nephropathy, a kind
of kidney damage caused by NSAIDs.29

As we discussed earlier , turmeric appears to block and

break up brain plaques that cause the disease and helps
reverse some of the damage already present.19,21,26
Ibuprofen does not provide any protection against free
radical damage. No anti-inflammatory medicine can do
this.29

If I eat curry will I be protected against Alzheimer's

disease? There aren't many foods or recipes I make
that require curry, do I need to eat it every day?
And how much do I need?

If you enjoy Indian cuisine, by all means, enjoy these

delicious foods. You'll benefit your brain and your
appetite. But you make a good point, American meals
rarely contain curry. That's why supplements that contain
extracts are suddenly quite popular. In fact, there are
numerous turmeric/curcumin supplements on the market
today.

But like all nutritional supplements , some turmeric

supplements are superior to others. You need to read
their labels to make sure the turmeric extract you are
buying will provide the protection you need. Look for
high-potency turmeric extract from turmeric (Curcuma
longa) rhizome. And make sure the extract is
standardized to contain 90% curcuminoids, the active

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Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 5

ingredient in turmeric responsible for the positive

research findings.

Conclusion

Researchers once thought that preventing for Alzheimer 's

disease would elude them for decades. In fact, several
scientists privately speculated the disease might never be
ameliorated. They thought the origin of the disease was
too complex and the symptoms of the disease were too
profound. That's why the ongoing research on turmeric is
so exciting . A safe, natural, and effective way to protect
against Alzheimer 's disease almost seems too good to be
true. But, the nation of India and its low incidence of
Alzheimer 's disease are proof these are not just fluke
findings - making turmeric extract a supplement to
remember

References

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dementia . Neurol India. 2004;52:213-4.

2. Vas CJ, Pinto C, Panikker D, et al. Prevalence of

dementia in an urban Indian population. Int
Psychogeriatr. 2001;13:439-50.

3. The Alzheimer 's Disease Fact Sheet. Alzheimer 's

Disease Education & Referral Center. A service of the
National Institute of Aging. Accessed on September 8,
2005. Available at: http://www.alzheimers.org/pubs/
adfact.ht ml#Contents.

4. Chandra V, Pandav R, Dodge HH, et al. Incidence of

Alzheimer 's disease in a rural community in India: the
Indo-US study. Neurology . 2001;57:985-9. 5. Ringman
JM, Frautschy SA, Cole GM, Masterman DL, Cummings JL.
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7. Sharma RA, Gescher AJ, Steward WP.Curcumin: The

story so far. Eur J Cancer. 2005;41:1955-68.

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Vander Jagt DL. Anti-oxidant activities of curcumin and
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9. Karunagaran D, Rashmi R, Kumar TR. Induction of

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11. Fryer JD, Holtzman DM. The bad seed in Alzheimer 's
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12. Kranenburg O, Bouma B, Gent YY, et al. Beta-amyloid

(Abeta) causes detachment of N1E-115 neuroblastoma
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508.

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13. Morgan C, Colombres M, Nunez MT, Inestrosa NC.

Structure and function of amyloid in Alzheimer 's disease.
Prog Neurobiol. 2004;74:323-49.

14. Liazoghli D, Perreault S, Micheva KD, Desjardins M,

Leclerc N. Fragmentation of the Golgi apparatus induced
by the overexpression of wild-type and mutant human tau
forms in neurons. Am J Pathol. 2005;166:1499-514.

15. Minghetti L. Role of inflammation in

neurodegenerative diseases. Curr Opin Neurol.
2005;18:315-21.

16. Andel R, Crowe M, Pedersen NL, Mortimer J,

Crimmins E, Johansson B, Gatz M. Complexity of work
and risk of Alzheimer 's disease: a population-based study
of Swedish twins. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci.
2005;60:P251-8.

17. Heady JA, Kennaway EL. The increase in deaths

attributed to cancer of the lung. Br J Cancer. 1949;3:311-
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18. Park SY, Kim DS. Discovery of natural products from

Curcuma longa that protect cells from beta-amyloid
insult: a drug discovery effort against Alzheimer 's
disease. J Nat Prod. 2002;65:1227-31.

19. Yang F, Lim GP, Begum AN, et al. Curcumin inhibits

formation of amyloid beta oligomers and fibrils, binds
plaques, and reduces amyloid in vivo. J Biol Chem.
2005;280:5892-901.

20. Ono K, Hirohata M, Yamada M. Ferulic acid

destabilizes preformed beta-amyloid fibrils in vitro.
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has potent anti-amyloidogenic effects for Alzheimer 's
beta-amyloid fibrils in vitro. J Neurosci Res.
2004;75:742-50.

22. Aggarwal BB, Shishodia S. Suppression of the nuclear

factor-kappaB activation pathway by spice-derived
phytochemicals : reasoning for seasoning. Ann N Y Acad
Sci. 2004;1030:434-41.

23. Yang F, Lim GP, Begum AN, et al. Curcumin inhibits

formation of amyloid beta oligomers and fibrils, binds
plaques, and reduces amyloid in vivo. J Biol Chem.
2005;280:5892-901.

24. Giri RK, Rajagopal V, Kalra VK. Curcumin, the active

constituent of turmeric, inhibits amyloid peptide-induced
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25. Lim GP, Chu T, Yang F, Beech W, Frautschy SA, Cole

GM. The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage
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Alzheimer's Disease Herbal Remedies - Turmeric Curry - Evidence Based Medical Information Page 7

27. The Univerity of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)

Alzheimer 's Disease Research Center (ADRC) Current
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http://www.npistat.com/adrc/Treatment. asp.

28. Pasinetti GM. From epidemiology to therapeutic trials

with anti-inflammatory drugs in Alzheimer 's disease: the
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and clinical dementia . J Alzheimers Dis. 2002;4:435-45.

29. What You Need to Know About Nonsteroidal Anti-

Inflammatory Medications (NSAIDs). The Cleveland Clinic
Health Information Center. Accessed on September 8,
2005. Available at: http://www.clevelandclinic .org/
health/h ealthinfo/ docs/0700/0714.asp?index=4901.

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