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Curcumin and Alzheimer's
Can you please comment about the research into the possible benefits of curcumin for Alzheimer’s disease. It's been on TV recently and also I found some US websites referring to its usefulness?
Curcumin, or turmeric, has both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action in the body - and since we know that people who use both these types of supplements or drugs have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, this is the likely theory behind any suggestion that this everyday spice can help protect against the long, slow and painful loss of intellectual function from which Alzheimer patients suffer.
However, this is not the route I would investigate since there are other more promising alternatives. As long ago as the mid-1970s, for example, researchers demonstrated how the brains of Alzheimer’s patients showed drastically reduced levels of the enzyme the body needs to make the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine - the substance secreted from the ends of many nerve fibres to transmit nerve impulses - from the choline it gets in the diet.
Since this brain chemical is crucial to memory function, then taking steps to support its production would be the route I would take, rather than investigating turmeric. You can supplement choline, which is present in egg yolks, by taking 500mg a day of choline bicartrate or by using a phosphatidycholine supplement but as ever with any serious medical condition, this is not recommended without proper supervision from a qualified natural health practitioner who can monitor progress.
You can mail order both a choline bicartrate and phosphatidycholine supplement from Revital (0800 252875). Take either remedy, but not both.