Friday, September 17, 2010

Good News Friday! - Turmeric & Its Possible Effect on Alzeimers

Ahhhh Friday...that favorite day of the week.....For so many of us it signals the end of the work week and the beginning of a few days of rest and relaxation.  For others, myself included, the weekend is often a couple of more workdays but they are more fun nonetheless because of the ability to socialize with friends, go the the lake, movies, bowling with the kids and other things not possible through the week because of the frantic pace of the work week.  Taking the kids back and forth to school, soccer practice, dance classes etc are great and I wouldn't trade them for all the money in the world.  But like all of you.....I LOVE my weekends!!

I like to, as the name implies, post good news on Friday so that we can all kick-start our weekends off the right way.  This subject is very important to me as one of my dearest family members is affected by Alzheimers. 

I personally do not know the research behind this article but it is certainly worth a close look where the health of our loved ones are concerned.  I will be digging into this subject in great depth in the coming days and weeks.

Read this article from NaturalNews.com.......

Nature is full of various herbs and spices that protect against disease and even treat and cure it. And according to Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist and Fox News' "Medicine Hunter", turmeric root -- also known in its extract form as curcumin -- is one such powerful spice that appears to both prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and even cure it.


"People who develop Alzheimer's disease get a sticky plaque in the brain called amyloid beta," explained Kilham to Dr. Manny Alvarez in a recent Fox News interview. Such plaques either develop as a result of Alzheimer's, or they are the direct cause of it. But either way, they are directly related to the degenerative process.

However studies show that turmeric actually eliminates these plaques, both when they are first starting to form and even during the late stages of their advancement.

"What we have in turmeric is something that appears to inhibit the development of Alzheimer's disease…and actually help to reduce the occurrence of plaque in the brain if you have it," noted Kilham. "We know in animal studies, when animals actually have amyloid beta plaque in their brains and they're given turmeric root…that plaque is reduced."

Observational studies have also shown that people groups who eat large amounts of turmeric virtually never get Alzheimer's.

"In countries where people consume a lot of [turmeric], there's a very low incidence of Alzheimer's disease," emphasized Kilham. "In India and Southeast Asia, it's a rare disease. And [in the U.S.] it's very, very common."

According to Kilham, drug companies are hard at work trying to develop drug versions of turmeric, but he recommends eating real turmeric whenever possible, and taking turmeric extract supplements if eating the spice in food is not an option.

"A challenge that we face is that drug companies…can't patent turmeric root," he said. "So they will continue to try to develop something else. [But] eating turmeric, eating its extracts…appears to be protective against one of the most horrific and debilitating diseases we know."


If this research is proven, it could mean a drastic change in the health, well being, and quality of life of sooo many people.  As well as turning the medical world upside down.  Do you have a loved one in your family with Alzheimers? Tell us your stories.......

3 comments:

Prairie Story said...

I like your good news Friday! Alzheimers so horrible. My grandparents bothed passed from it. The good news is that I like to make Hummus using Turmeric... next time I do, I'll be adding a little more! ~Alison

The Wise Alternative 918-836-0565 said...

Alison I am glad that you like Good News Friday! When I found the article on turmeric I knew I HAD to post it.... Thanks!!

hellaD said...

I love turmeric as well, what an amazing spice, so powerful and anti-oxidizing. Great post.