Cooking with curry will keep your mind sharper, longer

Posted on Oct 31st 2006 8:40AM by Brigitte Dale

Filed Under: Fitness, Alternative & Green Health

New research suggests that eating curry can keep aging brains healthy. When you think of curry, you most likely think of Indian food. Well it seems to be no coincidence that reported cases of Alzheimer's disease among India's elderly are four times lower than the number of cases in the U.S.

According to researchers, the reason for these statistics is the wide use of curry in Indian cooking and something called curcumin, which is found in the curry spice turmeric and has major antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. If you're not used to cooking with curry but want to start, here's a great resource for curry recipes.

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Tags: aging, curry, mental health

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

JC 11-02-2006 @ 9:21AM

Your article is misleading. When you state people should cook more with curry it leads one to believe that curry is a spice when the term curry actually refers to a blend of spices. Each Indian woman developes her own unique curry blend. It becomes her signature if you will. The amount of tumeric in each blend will vary. In american cuisine you can find tumeric in pickles!

Lorna 11-02-2006 @ 12:31PM

Got this great tip from a cooking class at Macy's DeGustibus (NYC) - when you cook with curry, add a dash of chili powder, and vice versa. They complement and deepen each other's flavors.

Judy Praust 11-02-2006 @ 11:13AM

Everyone can buy Curry Powder. The article is not misleading. If you
read the ingredients - you can plainly see that Curry Powder contains
Coriander, Fenugreek, Tumeric, Cumin, Pepper, Celery Seed, Bay Leaves,
Nutmet Cloves, Onion, Cayenne, Orange Peel and Ginger. Just reading
the ingredients tells you it is a blend of Spices.

Tom Wills 11-02-2006 @ 1:30PM

Tumeric is also found in many mustards -- it gives them that bright yellow color. It is also used to aid digestion. Buy it in bulk at Indian food stores under the name "haldi."

pooja 11-02-2006 @ 11:32AM

I agree. curry is a blend of spices. the one which you are stressing on is turmeric. Turmeric DOES NOT equal curry.

diana curl 11-02-2006 @ 1:55PM

How much currie or Indian spice mix do you need and how often to keep your brain young. Indian people have grown up with these spices so how does an American catch up?

deborah foster 11-02-2006 @ 11:50AM

People, it is tuRmeric, with an R, i get so tired of sloppy spelling and grammar on the internet.
also, vendant, you are a low-life. no one wants to hear from you. keep your worthless, ignorant and ugly comments to yourself.

Wren 11-02-2006 @ 11:43AM

Is it the tumeric in the curry? That's funny, it seems to be some amazing wonder spice. I was just taking it last weekend to ease a nasty case of diarrhea causesomeone reccomended it to me, and It did help out a lot.

D. Fisher 11-02-2006 @ 12:08PM

In the US curry is available premixed in a spice jar, and labeled Curry Powder. It is true that pickles, primarily 'bread-and-butter' types, have some turmeric in them. In this study I think it would have been more helpful to study each individual component of curry powder, or to state which spice was isolated, (turmeric?) and/or state whether the combination had a synergistic affect. I did a search of curry powder ingredients, and it seems some do not even have turmeric! See this site (http://dinnercoop.cs.cmu.edu/dinnercoop/Recipes/karen/CurryPowder.html) for 3 recipes for making curry powder; they differ significantly! Further, curries are made with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, dill seed, horseradish, mustard, nutmeg, chili peppers, the list could go on and on forever. Some curry powders are made with as many as 30 herbs and spices while others may be as simple as four or five ingredients. The average blend combines around 15 different ingredients.Turmeric can be purchased seperately and added to rice, giving it a lovely golden color. I have added it to rice and stir-fried vegetables consistantly, since learning it is an anti-immflamatory and helps arthritis. Turmeric does not have the spicy flavor of curry powder, which some people find hard on their systems. I also add turmeric to mustard, right when I purchase it, which does not change the flavor, but adds the benefits. It can be added to mayonaise for sandwhich use, as well. Most casseroles, chili, soups, salsas, and egg dishes are agreeable to the addition of turmeric.Turmeric will stain clothing, as will most curry based sauces and dishes. Many of the spices and herbs used in curry are beneficial, fenugreek for leveling blood sugar, ginger for digestion, cinnamon is being researched as brain and heart healthy, etc.

David 11-02-2006 @ 12:05PM

Everyone can buy curry powder but most cooks who want to make geunine Indian meals do not necessarily use curry powder but combinatons of the various "curry" spices, depending upon the dish. Please tell me just what spice or which spices will keep the mind sharper longer. Thanks.

Bob Jones 11-02-2006 @ 1:57PM

nice post NOT! did you approve?

"man fuk your article nigga"

Wesley Curry 11-02-2006 @ 12:09PM

I hardly recommend curry powder. My family invented it
back in 1934.

Wes Curry

Carolyn Murdock 11-02-2006 @ 12:51PM

I believe the whole article about curry is misleading. If you look up the life expectancy in India you will see that it is only about 60 years. Life expectancy in the US is much greater.. about 78 years. Alzheimers is a condition of old age. That is why the incidence of it in this country is much higher. I am sure the spices in curry powder are very good for people because they fight certain diseases by being antioxidents, but I believe the article is misleading if we compare ourselves to people in India. They have deplorable health conditions, rampant infection, and few doctors for the lower caste.

berry 11-02-2006 @ 12:54PM

How much yellow mustard would you need to eat to get a daily dose of curry?

Rini 11-02-2006 @ 5:22PM

Vedant I am shocked by your response. This is not good language and no one needs to read that . Kindly refrain from using abnoxious language online, as lot of kids read it too.

Turmeric/HALDI is a common cooking ingredient. My son is going to conduct an experiment with HALDI and different health benefits. Wren, I'll tell him about your experience.

Risa 11-02-2006 @ 1:02PM

VENDANT - how did you even find this page to insert your sick comment?

AUTHOR: David asked if there was one (turmeric?) spice in curry that may slow Alzheimers. Is it the one ingredient, or ALL the various spices that are included in "curry"?

Audrey Booth 11-02-2006 @ 1:05PM

To Wesley Curry: You state you "hardly" recommend curry
powder which you claim your family invented. Well if my family
invented curry powder or anything else I would "heartily"
recommend it. That said, I would further like to state that I have
always put a quarter of a teaspoon of curry power into my
deviled eggs (2 hardboiled) and it makes the flavor sing. I buy a good quality curry seasoning and trust that they have compbined
the best ingredients including turmeric.

EM 11-03-2006 @ 1:55AM

according to Dr. Wiel a combination of tummeric and ginger is best. I was suffering from terrible carpel tunnel. I was about to go to the doctor but had started taking the tummeric and ginger, due to Altzhimers in the family and my carpel tunnel has gone away

kirtee 11-03-2006 @ 2:36AM

People just buy turmeric by itself and add it to whatever floats your boats.Read your curry powder's ing. label to make sure it includes turmeric. Dr Andrew Weil will be coming out with a turmeric tea, look forward to that.All other curry haters can screw.

Steph 11-02-2006 @ 1:43PM

Turmeric can also be used as a natural dye for fibers. It yields a wonderful bright yellow color. Be careful, though, it can
temporarily dye your skin, too, much like henna. Also it can be used as a primary yellow pigment when mixing up natural watercolors. P.S. Vendant-I actually felt better when reading your ignorant comment. I realized that there is someone out there who needs to get a life much more desperately than I do.

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