Get some curry in a hurry

The good news? Curcumin, an ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, may help prevent heart failure. The bad news? So far, it's only been tested on lab rats. Nevertheless, researchers from National Hospital Organization in Kyoto and the University of Toronto's cardiology division hope that this is a step forward in helping to prevent heart disease in human.

Two separate studies were conducted using rats that been engineered (that is, they were either given special drugs or had surgery) to put them at risk of heart failure. The curcumin was then administered to the rats, I guess once they were deemed good and unhealthy.

The rats that were given curcumin exhibited greater resistance to heart failure and inflammation than the rats that were not given anything (apart from medically induced heart problems, that is -- which I'm sure they're grateful for).

The results of the study, which were published in the February edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed no sign of side effects from curcumin.

Whether or not curcumin could be used by humans to prevent heart failure remains uncertain at this point. But, in the meantime, you can always use it to zest up some of your healthy dinners!!