Does Turmeric Help You Retain Your Memory?
If you need another reason to add turmeric to your diet, consider this: it can help you retain your memory! Please keep reading to learn more about how our Wild Turmeric can help support your brain function.
Curcumin: The Secret Ingredient
Turmeric is a popular spice that originated in South Asia. It is used in many recipes worldwide and is famous for its unique taste and bright yellow color.
The spice is made from the root of Curcuma longa, which is part of the ginger family. That means if you don't buy it in a spice jar, it will look like a yellow ginger root!
Part of the reason it was so prevalent throughout history was its medical benefits. Several cultures used turmeric to treat everything from cuts and bruises to colds and tumors!
So, what makes turmeric so unique, and how can it help your memory? The key is curcumin.
Curcumin is a substance with various health-promoting effects, and it is what gives turmeric its flavor and color. This active ingredient is the driving force behind the memory benefits we will describe below!
Turmeric contains anywhere from 2% to 8% curcumin, so that is why it provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
How Turmeric Supports your Brain
Let's review how incorporating turmeric into your diet can support your brain. It can fight against neurodegenerative diseases, reduce aging effects, and prevent toxicity.
Fights Against Neurodegenerative Diseases
One of the main ways that turmeric can help you retain your memory is by fighting against neurodegenerative diseases. In other words, it helps combat illnesses linked to memory loss, like Alzheimer's.
When these diseases begin to develop, amyloid-beta proteins begin to accumulate in your brain. These plaques build up over time and start to limit your brain function.
Curcumin works to stop these protein molecules from building up, which protects your neurons and increases your memory capabilities. Not only does it minimize the aggregation of amyloid-beta, but it also boosts the presence of the enzymes that breaks them down!
Likewise, turmeric can protect your brain cells from damage and death, ultimately enhancing your ability to learn and remember things.
Although this research is currently limited to animal studies, and there is still much to learn, the results are promising!
Reduces the Effects of Aging
It is no secret that your memory will decline as you age. The good news is that adding turmeric to your diet can help you slow this pace.
Due to decreased brain cell production, we begin to have memory problems as we age. Researchers examined curcumin's impact on animal neurogenesis and discovered that it might delay the decrease.
By adjusting the levels of brain chemicals like corticosterone and serotonin, your brain can fight the effects of aging and keep your memory fresh. Similarly, it increases the presence of antioxidants in your brain to alleviate oxidative stress – a significant factor in age-related brain diseases.
In another trial, researchers examined how curcumin affected the cognition levels of elderly individuals. They found that it improved alertness and reduced mental fatigue!
Protects You from Toxicity
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and exposure to environmental toxins like lade can also cause changes in your ability to think and remember. Curcumin can reduce the effects of these toxic substances by restoring or preventing these memory alterations.
We can accumulate toxins from the water we drink, the foods we eat, and even the air we breathe – so taking curcumin as a preventative measure is essential. Our nervous systems and brain cells are especially susceptible to toxicity, which can even be linked to diseases like Alzheimer's.
