Turmeric is an ancient Indian herb that dates back to the Vedic period of India. The word Turmeric symbolises purity, prosperity and fertility. The traditional old Indian spice ‘Turmeric’ has powerful medicinal properties and has received a great deal of attention in research studies.
Known as the ‘Indian Saffron’ this spice found in Indian curries is thought to be responsible for having the lowest rate of Alzheimer’s in India compared to the western world. (A common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is very prolific in many parts of the world especially in developed western nations. It is a disease which progressively diminishes the healthy tissue of a brain leading to memory loss, mental and behavioural ailments.)
The disease Alzheimer’s is relatively uncommon in India. People over the age of 65 living in certain rural areas of India have a less than 1% chance of developing this disease. In urban and other rural areas the risk is 2.5%. When compared to the findings in United States, people aged over 65 depending on where they live the chances of developing Alzheimer’s ranges from 5% to a shocking 17%.
Experimental research and Epidemiological studies show that in the elderly Indian population whose diet generally consists of turmeric spice, the levels of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s is very low. Research from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) found turmeric to be more effective than the drugs being considered for Alzheimer’s disease treatment and prevention.
In 2012 a remarkable study was published in International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda. Researchers studied three Alzheimer’s patients exhibiting irritability, anxiety, and agitation among other symptoms. Results showed that behavioural issues had improved significantly after being treated with less than a gram of turmeric daily for a three month period.
A host of these amazing findings have shown that a compound in Turmeric ‘Curcumin’ not only prevents changes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer’s but actually reverses some of the damage already present.
“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and dietary needs, I would without much hesitation choose Turmeric.”
–Dr. David Frawley, Founder of the American Institute for Vedic Studies
No doubt this simple and powerful culinary herb attains the status of Golden Goddess in India.