Turmeric has been in the news for several years now. However upon first graduating naturopathic school in 1991 there was little if any research on any ayurvedic herbs, including the ancient Indian staple, turmeric.
Some recent research has looked at people in a town in India who were over 65 and that had signs of Alzheimer’s and compared them to a group in a Pennsylvania town who like most people eat little — or no — turmeric. The results were startling. In India just 4.7 per 1000 person years (a common measure of incidence rate) showed signs of Alzheimer’s, compared with a rate of 17.5 per 1,000 person years in Pennsylvania.
In another study, from the National University of Singapore, involved 1,010 people over age 60. Those who ate turmeric “often to very often” or even “occasionally” scored higher on mental performance tests than those who rarely or never ate it.
As an anti-inflamatory agent turmeric is only equaled by aloe vera. Turmeric relieves inflammation of the gut as well as all organs of the body. Remember, inflammation the number one manifestation of disease in the body. I always recommend turmeric to my patients with IBS or Crohn’s Disease. In fact, any disease with an “ itis” as its suffix tells us there is an inflammation. And that list is very long.
I often recommend my patients over 50 to consume one or two teaspoons per day. You may sprinkle it (or curry, as turmeric is a part of curry and gives it it’s traditional orange/yellow color) into egg salad or put it in soups or include it into sauteing vegetables.
If you’re not a fan of turmeric or curry you can take it in capsule form. Be aware that turmeric is fat soluble and thus best taken with fats. Personally, I take my daily two teaspoons with two tablespoons of coconut oil, another great anti-inflammatory which is high is good fats, the medium chain fatty acids.
If you or a love one are taking medication for Alzheimer’s Disease you’ll be happy to know there is no known risk in mixing turmeric with these medications. Of course if you’re on any meds you should always consult with your health professional before adding something new.
For questions or comments reach Steven West at heartwest@gmail.com
