Turmeric May Enhance Memory and Joints

As summer closes, the mornings get cooler, the days get shorter, and I reach for my warm turmeric tea. Pretty soon the leaves will be turning yellow, much like the color of turmeric.

Turmeric is most known for containing compounds called curcuminoids. Studies have linked curcuminoids to the reduction of inflammation and memory benefits. Absorption of the curcumin compound is assisted by the compound piperine, found in black pepper. Below are two recently published studies that tested curcumin.

Curcumin may enhance memory. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. This study involved 40 people aged 54-81 without dementia. Participants took a placebo or 90 mg curcumin, enhanced for better absorption, twice a day for 18 months. Memory tests and brain PET scans were taken and compared. The researchers were interested in the effect of curcumin on memory and the brain plaques and tangles that tend to increase with age and are particularly higher in people with Alzheimer dementia. The curcumin supplement group saw improvement in total memory recall, long-term memory retrieval, visual memory, delayed recall, and attention. The curcumin treated group also experienced a decrease in brain plaques and tangles in the amygdala and didn’t experience the same increase in brain plaques and tangles in the hypothalamus that the placebo group experienced. The researchers pointed out that little curcumin actually gets taken into the brain so the beneficial effect is likely indirect.

Curcumin may enhance joint mobility. Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study. This group of researchers was concerned with the occurrence of side effects of traditional arthritis medications. They gave 139 participants a traditional osteoarthritis drug or 500 mg turmeric supplement (88% curcuminoids) three times a day for 28 days. The group receiving the curcumin supplement experienced fewer side effects such as flatulence and stomach ulcer. The curcumin group also experienced an improved Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and decreased pain. The curcumin supplement was associated with improved joint health and no side effects that required additional intervention.

Garlic may support healthy lipid levels. Supplementation of garlic and coriander seed powder: Impact on body mass index, lipid profile and blood pressure of hyperlipidemic patients. In this study, 80 participants with hyperlipidmia were divided into 4 groups. Each received a 2 g supplement containing a placebo, garlic powder, coriander seed powder, or a mixture of coriander and garlic for 40 days. The group receiving the coriander saw the greatest improvement in blood pressure and the group receiving the mixture saw the greatest improvement in triglyceride level. The group receiving garlic powder alone saw the greatest improvement in BMI, total cholesterol, LDL, and improved HDL. The researchers attributed the improvements in the garlic-treated group to the sulfur containing compounds in garlic (allicin).

Editor Note

Thrivous Tenacity Arthroprotector provides a clinical dose of Turmeric Curcumin with Black Pepper in a delayed-release capsule for enhanced absorption. Tenacity also provides clinical doses of Boswellia, SAMe, and Vitamin K Complex to enhance joint and bone function.