Curcumin May Improve Memory and Mood According to New Study

Now there’s even more reason to love Indian food. The substance that gives curry its bright yellow color is curcumin. New research has shown that certain forms of curcumin can help improve memory and mood individuals with age related memory loss.  Curcumin, found in turmeric, has long been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also has been hypothesized that curcumin as a dietary supplement could contribute to the low prevalence rate of Alzheimer's disease and better cognitive performance in India.

The research, published online Jan. 19 2018 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, examined the effects of an curcumin supplement on memory performance in individuals without dementia.  Also studied, was the possible impact of curcumin’s on the plaques and tangles which are hallmark brain symptoms of those with the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.  Results of the study indicated that those who took curcumin demonstrated significant improvements in their memory and attention, while the subjects who received placebo did not improve in either area. Those taking curcumin showed improvements of 28 percent on memory tests over 18 months and showed improvements in mood.  

"Exactly how curcumin exerts its effects is not certain, but it may be due to its ability to reduce brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer's disease and major depression," said Dr. Gary Small, director of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA's Longevity Center and of the geriatric psychiatry division at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and the study's first author." “These results suggest that taking this relatively safe form of curcumin could provide meaningful cognitive benefits over the years.”, UCLA's Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging.

Reference

Gary W. Small, Prabha Siddarth, Zhaoping Li, Karen J. Miller, Linda Ercoli, Natacha D. Emerson, Jacqueline Martinez, Koon-Pong Wong, Jie Liu, David A. Merrill, Stephen T. Chen, Susanne M. Henning, Nagichettiar Satyamurthy, Sung-Cheng Huang, David Heber, Jorge R. Barrio. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2017.10.010