Taking a curcumin supplement every day could help improve memory – News Block

An easily absorbed curcumin supplement improves memory performance

According to a study, consuming a certain type of curcumin every day helped improve memory in people who had mild age-related memory loss.

Curcumin is the compound found in turmeric that comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant and gives Indian curry its golden-orange color.

The research looked at how an easily absorbed curcumin supplement affects memory performance in people without dementia, as well as the potential effect of curcumin on microscopic tangles and plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s.

Curcumin has been shown in laboratory research to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has also been suggested as an explanation why older people in India have a reduced prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and higher cognitive performance.

Exactly how curcumin affects the brain is not known, but it could be due to its ability to reduce inflammation in the brain, which has been associated with both major depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

The placebo-controlled study included 40 people between the ages of 50 and 90 with mild memory problems. They were randomly assigned to take 90 mg of curcumin or a placebo twice a day for 18 months.

Standardized cognitive assessments were administered to the 40 individuals at the start of the study and at 6-month intervals, and blood curcumin levels were monitored at the start of the study and again after 18 months. PET scans were administered to 30 of the participants to determine the levels of tau and amyloid in their brains at the start of the study and again after 18 months.

People who took curcumin experienced significant improvements in attention and memory skills, while people who received a placebo did not experience any improvement. People who took curcumin improved by 28% on memory tests over 18 months.

People taking curcumin also experienced mild mood improvements, and their brain PET scans revealed significantly fewer tau and amyloid signals in the hypothalamus and amygdala compared to people taking placebos.

The hypothalamus and amygdala are areas of the brain that handle some emotional and memory functions.

However, turmeric and curcumin supplements can be difficult to absorb at significant levels. However, absorption may be enhanced when combined with other ingredients, such as a compound in black pepper known as piperine, which has been found to increase the bioavailability of curcumin by 2,000%.

Combination of vitamin D and curcumin could help eliminate amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer’s

In another study, researchers found that a type of vitamin D in combination with curcumin could help boost the immune system to help remove amyloid beta from the brain, which forms Alzheimer’s plaques.

Vitamin D3 is an essential nutrient for immune system and bone health and is synthesized from sunlight through the skin. Vitamin D deficiencies can occur all winter long or in people like those with Alzheimer’s who spend a lot of time indoors.

From blood samples of 9 Alzheimer’s patients, 1 individual with mild cognitive impairment, and 3 healthy controls, monocyte cells were isolated that transform into macrophages that function as the immune system’s cleaning crew, moving through the body and the brain. brain and gobble up waste products like amyloid beta. The macrophages were then incubated with synthetic or natural curcumin, vitamin D3, and amyloid beta.

The researchers determined that natural curcumin was not easily absorbed, broke down quickly before it could be used, and had a low potency level, making it less effective compared to synthetic curcuminoids.

They found that curcuminoids increased the surface binding of amyloid beta to macrophages and that amyloid beta uptake and uptake was strongly stimulated in macrophages by vitamin D in most people.

Since curcumin and vitamin D work differently with respect to the immune system, each used alone or a combination of the two could be more effective depending on the person.

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