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Curry spice turmeric boosts memory by nearly 30%, eases depression, study finds
- jmckib 9y agoSo is this outdated now? > The review goes into four examples for which details are available, all of them complete wipeouts, and those would seem to serve as good proxies for the rest given that no curcumin trial has ever reported any convincing positive results. http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2017/01/12/curcumin-will-waste-your-time http://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2017/01/12/cur...
- sturmen 9y agoNote: this was a relatively small sample (40 total, split in half for placebo/not), who were elderly people who already have "mild" memory problems, and given a concentrated turmeric derivative rather than just sprinkling it over food. In summary: very cool, and I'd offer these curcumin supplements to anyone 50+ but sprinkling turmeric on your breakfast cereal ain't going to do much for high schoolers.
- mkempe 9y agoActually the age range was 51-84, so middle plus old age, not all "elderly". Normal people flourish and are in their prime around 50. Volunteers had "objective cognitive performance scores and clinical histories consistent with normal aging or MCI (i.e., mild neurocognitive disorder) and inconsistent with dementia (i.e., major neurocognitive disorder)." [emphasis added]
- olympus 9y ago"Normal people flourish and are in their prime around 50." This is false. The only advantage people in their fifties have is experience. Your body is past its peak physically and mentally. People flourishing in their fifties are by and large reaping the benefits of things done in their younger decades, not because they are peaking. I'm not saying that someone that is 50 years old is decrepit, but ask nearly any academic and they'll tell you they were better when they were younger. Ask nearly any athlete (ultramarathoners being an exception) and they'll tell you they were better when they were younger.
- mkempe 9y agoSo you say you don't call people who are 50 "decrepit" -- but do you call people in their middle age or in their 50s "elderly"?
- olympus 9y agoI didn't make that comment. However, I would say that people in their fifties have started to experience age-related decline in numerous areas (memory included). Showing a memory improvement in people 50-80 should be more accurately described as "restoring" their memory rather than "boosting" it, which implies that they now have supranormal memory.
- Elrac 9y agoAm in my late 50s, can confirm. Memory, concentration, attention, and a bunch of other faculties, both mental and physical, are trending disgustingly downward. I know there are things I could do to fight it, but motivation is another one of those things going down. f--- it, f--- everything.
- glangdale 9y agoPushing 46, can confirm. Literally just got that thing that screams "maybe you need bifocals not contacts" where nothing close quite comes into focus... basic response is "fuck it, fuck everything" like you say.
- sigi45 9y ago40? so nothing relevant? :(
- elchief 9y agoYou realize that statistics is capable of using very small sample sizes right?
- sigi45 9y agoAnd you do realize that 40 is just a tremendious small sample size in comparison to a complex system like a human beeing? I mean yeah you need one dog who speaks but apparently, when you read other comments, there are enough papers saying the opposite to this one.
- mlechha 9y agoNumber of samples depends on the effect size. e.g. You only need n=1 to claim a dog can talk.
- mrguyorama 9y ago>Because curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties may protect the brain from neurodegeneration My very first question was: Please provide a possible physiological pathway for this. I'm so glad it was answered in the very first sentence. So many of these "Superfood does X" studies are just trials with 10 people over a month, with no explanation as to __how__ it could possibly happen. It significantly increases the skepticism I have whenever something like this comes up I also did not know Turmeric had anti-inflammatory properties. I guess I have reading to do. Also interesting that they used (what seems to be) a name brand supplement instead of Turmeric
- vondur 9y agoI vaguely remember reading that the physiology of acetaminophen is still not completely understood. I doubt we will be lucky to figure this one out quickly. I also remember reading that the level of dementia in India is much lower than western nations and turmeric was thought to be part of the reason for that.
- IntronExon 9y agoGiven what we’re learning about the impact of gut microbiome on CNS, immune system, and other systems I wonder if the GI effect is it, but with secondary effects related to activity of bacterial colonies.
- tudorw 9y agofound this, 'Biochemical mechanism of modulation of human P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) by curcumin I, II, and III purified from Turmeric powder' https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006295204004800 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000629520...
- noir_lord 9y agoGut biome is insanely important, I've had digestive issues for over a year and it's been depressing that they couldn't find the cause. I finally gave up waiting and decided to experiment myself, started drinking a yakult every morning and last thing at night, within two weeks things started... Moving and now 6 weeks in its like it used to be, bloatings gone, regular as clockwork, energy levels are up and I generally feel better. I still have other issues that are more serious but the medication handles those ok. I started taking vitamin D a few weeks before that as well and that seemed to help as well.
- Sinidir 9y agoI had heard of the positive effects of tumeric/curcumin but this is just on another level.
- rdtsc 9y agoI also heard turmeric is an antibiotic. Here is at least one study I found on it: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4374920/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4374920/ So I wonder if helps because it alters the bacterial flora in the body.
- rincebrain 9y agoTaking general-purpose antibiotics is usually not a great thing for your gut, since it doesn't discriminate. Now, if it more selectively nuked some nastier things, I could buy that.
- swapsmagic 9y agoFor bad throat, I usually had it in night, raw (if you can) (1/3 tbsp) and in the morning you will see the difference. Most of the time, my bad throat gets much better in morning, which usually opposite if i didn't take it.
- gshakir 9y agoIt is a great spice to use in your cooking. But use only a pinch, it is very potent.
- mc32 9y agoIt also seems to stain chopping boards.
- gshakir 9y agoYes, it can stain skin as well. Actually, you can apply it to the skin (via a recipe) to make it vibrant. This is common practice in India. I usually get turmeric powder (unadulterated) instead of raw.
- mc32 9y agoAnd kitchenware for a couple of wash cycles too, I've found. Only reason I've used the root is when I'm out of ginger. Not perfect substitute, but, meh, kind of okay.
- SEJeff 9y agoAnd hands if you have light colored skin! I found this out the very hard way once and had to scrub a layer of skin off after I spilled some.
- unfamiliar 9y agoI simply can't use a chopping board if it doesn't look the part.
- ThomPete 9y agoTumeric is primarily for its color not so much for the taste.
- IncRnd 9y agoMaybe for the dried stuff, but fresh turmeric tastes entirely different.
- blambljoob 9y agoThe wikipedia for curcumin suggests that it is not bioavailable. The results of this study are attributed to the supplement Theracurmin, which is a bioavailable form of curcumin. So maybe don't bother increasing your turmeric intake based on this study. Lots of people won't realize that though, and by the time this research gets through the news cycle people will be buying turmeric in bulk. Good time to buy stocks in turmeric producers?
- xutopia 9y agoThere isn't very much curcumin in turmeric. About 2% by weight. It would take 4.5grams of dried turmeric to get the same dose from the study. Admittedly it doesn't talk about bioavailability of turmeric powder.
- happybit 9y agoSorry to leave two comments in the same thread, but while I’m here... A tablespoon of turmeric weighs about 8 grams, so I don’t see why 4.5 would be an unrealistic amount to consume per day. Coffee is only about 1.8% caffeine by weight, but it gets the job done.
- mlechha 9y agoNobody eats a tablespoon of turmeric! We usually use 1/4 teaspoon for a 4 person meal. Source: I'm Indian.
- happybit 9y agoCombining curcumin with piperine (from black pepper) increases curcumin’s bioavailability by 2000%, something many studies on curcumin fail to take into account. Cultures with a history of turmeric consumption often combine it with black pepper. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9619120/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/9619120/
- AdmiralAsshat 9y agoGlanced at the study. The supplement appeared to be 90mg of curcumin, taken twice daily. A quick google search says there are about 15 mg per tablespoon. That would mean you'd need to eat about 6 tbsp of turmeric to get a comparable amount. Probably even more so, since I don't think turmeric is pure curcumin. For reference, the average curry or other dish using turmeric in my household takes about 1 tbsp, so at a glance I would consider it impractical to get that much naturally through your food. My next curiosity would be whether a smaller amount can show similar benefit, or whether it needs to be at a level only available in a supplement.
- forgotmypw 9y agoDoes it build up in your body if you eat it often enough.
- praneshp 9y ago1 tbsp per person? I think I average 1 tsp for a 2-person dish, I should ask my mom if I should increase how much turmeric I use.
- jk2323 9y agoYou could eat it with pepper, to increase potency.
- cpcallen 9y agoI think your numbers might be off. From https://www.livestrong.com/article/543411-how-much-curcumin-is-there-in-powdered-turmeric/ https://www.livestrong.com/article/543411-how-much-curcumin-... : "Turmeric contains approximately 2 percent curcumin by weight, so a tablespoon of turmeric, which weighs 6.8 grams, contains about 0.136 gram curcumin, or 136 milligrams." So that means the study quantity was equivalent to about two teaspoons a day.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- dandelany 9y agoI think you got your units confused. A tablespoon of turmeric is more like 15 grams, 15000 mg. Turmeric is ~2% curcumin by weight, so you’d need 4500mg of turmeric to get 90mg of curcumin, or about a third of a tablespoon.
- dnt404-1 9y agoTurmeric is a base spice used in many dishes from South Asian Indian subcontinent. It is good news if this has positive benefits. Maybe country comparative research can provide more evidence.
- glangdale 9y agoFor those commenting on bioavailability, black pepper supposedly makes it more bioavailable: https://examine.com/supplements/curcumin/ https://examine.com/supplements/curcumin/ It's an interesting result, but they do note that the subpopulation is somewhat self-selected: "Only approximately 15% of the screened volunteers were included in the study, and our recruitment method yielded a sample of motivated, educated, physically healthy subjects concerned about age-related memory problems. The sample, therefore, was not representative of the general population. "
- flipp3r 9y agoVery interesting to see this posted. In Japan its ingredients are used in an anti-hangover drink, this youtube video https://youtu.be/Ij_aJI5O9Rs https://youtu.be/Ij_aJI5O9Rs goes somewhat deeper into it, where the poster tried a combination of it and pepper to strengthen the effect.
- nwah1 9y agoBlack pepper increases bioavailability of everything by inhibiting your cytochrome p450 enzymes, which increases your vulnerability to toxins.
- IAmGraydon 9y agoThere’s a difference between bioavailability and half life. Metabolic enzyme inhibition increases half life due to decreased hepatic metabolism of certain drugs. Bioavailability is how much of a drug your body absorbs from the initial dose. Also, black pepper inhibits CYP3A4, not 450.
- agumonkey 9y agoturmeric can be expensive, I bought a few bottles last year, I should investigate how to grow some home.
- telesilla 9y agoFresh turmeric root cost dollars, find a local asian grocery store and make your own. It's great as a tea.
- agumonkey 9y agoI'm on tetley green tea these days, it's lovely. Thanks for the tip.
- praneshp 9y agoIf you have an Indian grocery store, you can go there and find it super cheap.
- agumonkey 9y agoI have a few around, I will rob them half their stock. My grandmother used to cook with these, I'm sure my mother will be delighted.
- reubenswartz 9y agoDon't know about the study-- it seems interesting but like more research is needed-- but I do know that if you throw a little turmeric on your broccoli or cauliflower or whatever, before you roast, the veggies come out extra delicious. My kids will even eat them without complaining. ;-)
- always_good 9y agoYeah, it's just a good, mild spice that turns food a beautiful golden color from rice to lentils. Health benefits would be a cool bonus but the vegetables you put them on are more obviously healthy anyways.
- trs80 9y agoIn Japan they have been drinking turmeric tea for ages. This is an easy option for you if you'd like to try it out.
- Grazester 9y agoMy dad drinks a cup of turmeric tea every night. Its seems like people have always known it was good for you but its good this study proves it.
- booleandilemma 9y agoI’m very surprised to not see any Dune comments in this thread.
- geraldcombs 9y agoThere are if you interpret "bioavailability" as "THE SPICE MUST FLOW."
- ggm 9y agoCHOAM are into blockchain?
- Will_Parker 9y agoLack of turmeric is the mind killer.
- justaman 9y agoI'll add it to my kael, coconut oil, avacado smoothie.
- contingencies 9y agoIf you're going to overtly retro/exotico-stylize then why not go the whole hog with kæl? :)
- Karupan 9y agoPersonal anecdote: was born and brought up in south India and my grandma used to make me drink turmeric + ground black pepper milk every night. It was a standard practice to serve it with black pepper, even though I’m sure they didn’t really know about bioavailability. Kids were forced to drink it when they have the flu. Used to hate it as a kid, but of late I’ve been looking to replace one coffee/tea with turmeric milk.
- Florin_Andrei 9y agoJust curious: what's the amount of each ingredient that goes in one drink?
- moab 9y agoAbout a half-teaspoon or so of turmeric, and about a teaspoon of black pepper. A teaspoon of black pepper might be a bit aggressive, so adjust it to suit your taste, but my mom seems to think lots of pepper is necessary to reduce coughing/phlegm when you're down with a cold.
- Karupan 9y ago200ml of hot (not boiling) milk 1 tsp of ground turmeric powder A pinch or two ground black pepper If you’re not used to turmeric, I’d suggest starting with half tsp as it’s got quite a strong flavour (especially when not cooked with other spices)
- gopalv 9y ago> 200ml of hot (not boiling) milk If you're lactose intolerant, you can do this with yoghurt with a little water & salt instead. Since this usually happens when I do have a cold, my laziness translates into a coffee cup of yoghurt + water + 1 minute in a microwave to zap all the bacteria out of it.
- contingencies 9y agoThere is a school of thought that the worst thing to consume in case of a cold is dairy.
- perseusprime11 9y agoWhat happens to the bioavailability of turmeric when you put it in your food for cooking purposes? I know turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian foods.
- dahidahi1 9y agoTurmeric has been used in India since ancient times. There are many references to it in Ayurveda - the Indian/Hindu medical sciences. Ayurveda believes in using food as medicine to non only prevent a large majority of human diseases, but also to cure several of them — all with almost zero side effects. Turmeric is just one such extremely powerful & healthy food item that Western science seems to be playing catch up on. Many others like black pepper, honey, asafoetida (hing), coconut oil, copper utensils, cloves, cardamom, mustard seeds, neem (gold), milk, clarified butter (ghee). So, expect more things to come out from the research of Western labs, knowledge that is common to most grandmothers in India for ages. But the other aspect is that we are slowly losing all that because Indians try to mimic the West in almost everything they do & nowadays do not trust our own sciences like Ayurveda etc, even at the risk of debilitating side effects. Side fact: An American company tried to patent turmeric & almost got away with it. This had to be fought by the Indian government to prevent (or nullify) the patent application.
- lgessler 9y agoAyurvedic medicine is far from infallible. Take this for instance, a selection from a reasonably popular Ayurvedic text (https://www.amazon.in/Bhojan-Chikitsa-1-Ganesh-Narayan-Chauhan/product-reviews/8186098372/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1 https://www.amazon.in/Bhojan-Chikitsa-1-Ganesh-Narayan-Chauh...) that is aimed at a general audience and purports to explain the health benefits of various common foods (my translation follows): > कैंसर: कैंसर में पहले तीन दिन रोगी को उपवास कराएं, फिर अंगूर सेवन कराना आरम्भ करें। कभी-कभी एनिमा लगाएं। एक दिन में दो किलो से अधिक अंगूर न खिलाएं। कुछ दिन पश्चात छाछ पीने को दी जा सकती है। अन्य कोई चीज़ खाने को न दें। इससे लाभ धीरे-धीरे महीनों में होता है। इसकी पुल्टिस घावों पर लगा सकते हैं। इस रोग की चिकित्सा में कभी-कभी अंगूर का रस लेने से पेट-दर्द मलद्वार पर जलन होती है। इससे डरना नहीं चाहिए। दर्द कुछ दिनों में ठीक हो जाता है। दर्द होने पर सेक कर सकते हैं। > Cancer: for cancer, have the patient fast for three days, then begin their intake of grapes. Perform enemas intermittently. Don't feed the patient more than two kilos of grapes in a day. After a few days, buttermilk may be given for drinking. Do not provide anything else to drink. In the next few months, an improvement will slowly be noted. A poultice may be applied to their wounds. In the course of the treatment of this disease, the intake of grape juice will occasionally cause stomachaches and a burning sensation on the anus. This is no cause for concern. The pain will subside in a few days. Compressions may be given to alleviate the pain. You could argue that such obvious quackery has also been peddled by Western doctors who are trained in the scientific method. That is true, but at least these doctors' manuscripts wouldn't be accepted by any reputable journal. Admittedly I'm not sure how the Ayurvedic medical community organizes itself in India, but I'm willing to bet it doesn't place so much emphasis on the scientific method, and you also imply this in your comment. A less extreme example of what's found in the book, a remedy for diabetes using bitter gourd juice: > मधुमेह: रोगी को १५ ग्राम करेले का रस सौ ग्राम पानी में मिलाकर नित्य तीन बार करीब तीन महीने पिलाना चाहिए। खाने में भी करेले की सब्ज़ी लें। > Diabetes: Have the patient drink 15 grams of bitter gourd juice in 100 grams of water 3 times daily continuously for three months. They should also eat cooked bitter gourd. I think you'd agree that the remedy above isn't as good a treatment for diabetes as an insulin regimen--the one prescribed, by the way, by Western medicine. In summary, there's no doubt that traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda or Chinese traditional medicine have discovered legitimate remedies, but it seems like they generally prescribe a large number of false positive treatments. And if you also believe that the scientific method is the best epistemological apparatus that humans have found so far, then you should be skeptical of these remedies until they have been clinically demonstrated to be effective.
- jtwebman 9y ago30 total people with 15 on placebo seems like a very small sample size to me but a great study to maybe get funding for a bigger one for sure.
- psychometry 9y agoEveryone without statistical training thinks sample sizes are too small, but rest assured these studies are usually planned very deliberately. Power calculations are usually done in advance to determine the necessary sample sizes needed to demonstrate the magnitudes of different hypothesized effects according to a desired confidence level.
- dsjoerg 9y agoIn this day and age one cannot "rest assured" about the quality of statistical practice in science. For example: http://retractionwatch.com/2016/03/16/evidence-based-medicine-has-been-hijacked-a-confession-from-john-ioannidis/ http://retractionwatch.com/2016/03/16/evidence-based-medicin...
- 100ideas 9y agoWhat’s your opinion of this study’s statistical power?
- cwyers 9y agohttp://andrewgelman.com/2017/12/04/80-power-lie/ http://andrewgelman.com/2017/12/04/80-power-lie/
- ebullientocelot 9y agoOftentimes planned deliberately to achieve something that might not be obvious from the content or presentation of the paper.
- lifeisstillgood 9y agoSo, just as a sanity check, would we expect to see 30% less depression in country sized populations where turmeric consumption is common - for example is India less depressed than, say, USA. And how on earth do we control for it?
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- ghostbrainalpha 9y agoNo. For 3 Reasons. 1. The 30% number was for memory, not depression. 2. Also it says that it may "ease" depression, not eliminate it. So you would still have the roughly the same numbers of depressed people, but they may rate their depression slightly lower. 3. The definition of depression might be slightly different in a different country, so even a basic sanity check is still going to need to look at individual subjects and evaluate depression levels before and after turmeric treatment.
- dawhizkid 9y agoIs the interesting thing that turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties or that reducing inflammation eases depression and boosts memory? There are many ways to reduce bodily inflammation...fasting and keto come to mind.
- calimac 9y agoIt’s great to see an 18 month double blind placebo controlled trial confirmed in western scientific terms what the great healers and masters have professed for years!
- swapsmagic 9y agoI forgot to mention, Turmeric is a natural antiseptic. Can be applied to small cut wounds and protects from infection. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
- mikeleung 9y agoThere are side effects to be aware of taking curcumin together with other medications: "Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Talk with your health provider. Turmeric might decrease blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking turmeric along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed. Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others." Turmeric might slow blood clotting. Taking turmeric along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Talk with your health provider. Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Turmeric might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Taking turmeric along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of some medications. Before taking turmeric talk to your healthcare provider if you take any medications that are changed by the liver. Some medications that are changed by the liver include some calcium channel blockers (diltiazem, nicardipine, verapamil), chemotherapeutic agents (etoposide, paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine), antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole), glucocorticoids, alfentanil (Alfenta), cisapride (Propulsid), fentanyl (Sublimaze), lidocaine (Xylocaine), losartan (Cozaar), fexofenadine (Allegra), midazolam (Versed), and others." https://www.rxlist.com/turmeric/supplements.htm#Interactions https://www.rxlist.com/turmeric/supplements.htm#Interactions
- epmaybe 9y agoJust some quick questions regarding the volunteer flow chart in the paper (sorry for those of you behind a subscription paywall). What do the authors mean when a patient was excluded for an abnormal MRI? Why were only 30/40 of the remaining participants' PET scan data analyzed? Was it due to sufficient power? Some other random questions The authors used a "t test" for continuous measures of data. What kind of t-test though? Since these are repeated measures over time, I have been told a dependent t-test is needed. Is that what was used? PROC MIXED in SAS has a parameter for "repeated" measures, so I would assume so but it's really not clear. Very interesting paper, and I will hopefully be reading it in full shortly.
- tmaly 9y agoI see turmeric root in grocery store. How would this compare to say a powdered turmeric?
- ggm 9y agoAnd in late breaking news, sales of bleach and clothes whitener are up worldwide as turmeric is discovered to be a potent yellow dye for clothes...
- Finnucane 9y agoHah, yes, its power to stain anything it touches requires no controversial studies to demonstrate.
- ggm 9y ago...small children, "lets cook", spice jar with stuck lid...
- DoreenMichele 9y agoAnd in other news, alternative health fanatics embrace the Doreen Designs line of naturally dyed turmeric yellow and black clothes to simplify their lives. No more need to bleach anything or worry about spills.
- tudorw 9y agoIf your interested in 'food as medicine', Watercress is very interesting, "This is the first study to report an effect of vegetable consumption on metabolism of a lung carcinogen in humans." http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/4/8/877.short http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/4/8/877.short Seems it inhibits CYP2E1, here's a long list of the interactions between drugs and the genes CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 https://liferaftgroup.org/long-list-of-inhibitors-and-inducers-of-cyp3a4-and-cyp2d6/ https://liferaftgroup.org/long-list-of-inhibitors-and-induce... [edit] Pharma-Nutrition is the buzzword for this, one only needs to look at the acquisitions of nutritional science assets by big pharma. The book is a bit expensive but there is some previews; https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/331906150X/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/331906150X/ref=oh_aui_se...
- mtw 9y agoFor every turmeric study claiming health benefits, I can also find a study finding none. It's one of the most controversial subject. Read several papers at least before deciding anything. It's even less clear when you try to evaluate curcumin vs turmeric.
- carlmr 9y ago>For every turmeric study claiming health benefits, I can also find a study finding none. Which is why this should be filed under P for publication bias. If there are enough studies with 40 people, some of them will show positive results.
- DiabloD3 9y agoEven more fun: "Vanillin Affects Amyloid Aggregation and Non-Enzymatic Glycation in Human Insulin" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-15503-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-15503-5 Vanillin is a metabolite of curcumin, which is the medicinal chemical of note in turmeric.
- iambateman 9y agoCouple questions... I’ve read that Bromelain (from Pineapples) can help with sinus inflammation. Is there any indication about Turmeric helping with sinus inflammation? Silly question...is “inflammation” one thing? As in do brain inflammation and sinus inflammation go together? Finally, any resources on reducing inflammation generally?
- DiabloD3 9y agoReducing inflammation is surprisingly easy, which is why most people just don't do it (they want an expensive magic pill instead of just using methods that actually work). First, remove the largest inflammatory things from your diet: no grains, no refined sugars, no processed meat, no dairy (unless it is truly fermented, such as hard cheeses and true greek yogurt), and no legumes. Second, walk about 2 miles a day (at least 5000 steps), and frequently (preferably every two days, but not everyone can do it this frequently) do lifting, preferring higher weight over higher reps. Third, sleep properly. Enforce a proper sleep schedule as if it's the last thing you do, even if you have to wear sleep masks and avoid bright and/or blue artificial light like the plague. Fourth, after the first one, still make sure you're getting the proper nutrition (focus on your minerals, you never get enough), and you may still have to supplement with a good vitamin. NOW Adam softgels is the least expensive one I know of that isn't garbage, and is a good base to build a supplement program around (if you choose to do that).
- CuriouslyC 9y agoNot only is there strong anecdotal evidence for legume consumption being healthy given the prevalence of legumes in blue zone diets, there is also a mountain of scientific evidence indicating the short chain fatty acids produced by fermentation of legume polysaccharides provides a large number of health benefits. Additionally, low fat non-greek yogurt consumption has been linked to a variety of positive health outcomes. Finally, moderate grain consumption is alright assuming you're physically active and the grains are unrefined. If you spend more time studying the scientific literature you will see that the paleo diet is mostly trendy bullshit. In terms of training, high repetition weight training is absolutely beneficial, while being much easier to recover from than lower rep weight training. While it shouldn't make up the majority of your training, it is worth making a significant portion of your total training volume.
- arca_vorago 9y agoAnecdotal but my grandfather with severe rheumatoid arthritis takes two glasses of of water with tumeric every day and has said he notices significant benefits.
- elchief 9y agoAnti-inflammatories are in the news lots now. Low-dose aspirin, intermittent fasting, turmeric. Why are we chronically inflamed?
- seanfreiburg 9y agosugar mostly
- askvictor 9y agoThere are a few theories around, mostly around the changes in lifestyle in the last couple of hundred years compared to what we're evolutionarily accustomed to. Things like not walking/exercising nearly as much as we once did, a much more refined and sugary diet, much less exposure to pathogens (lazy immune system theory).
- JofArnold 9y agoPollution.
- upbeatlinux 9y agoCurrently there are a studies [1] suggesting Alzheimer's is an inflammatory disease where a bunch of different particles like micro-plastics, heavy metals, microfibers, etc accumulate in the brain causing a brain immune response (amyloid beta and tau) that is more dysregulated in people with certain genetic backgrounds. Honestly I think this hypothesis makes the most sense - especially if you look at Alzheimer's global and local distribution patterns. Locally people near freeways get Alzhiemer's at way higher rates [2] (I've seen interesting maps of this before but can't find any ATM). Think about all the particulate matter (incomplete combustion products, rust particles, little pieces of tire) you are breathing in near freeways. Globally industrial countries have the highest rates of dementia, and the lowest rates are in Africa, India, and South Asia [3]. These places have less industry, less traffic, less plastic (I mean, they are catching up fast, but historically if you're looking at patterns), etc. [3] also mentions a correlation between meat eating and dementia. I don't necessarily think this is due to the "any meat is bad for you" FUD instead it's most likely due to two factors - plants have greater anti-inflammatory properties - any type of fat will accumulate loads of particles and plants don't have fat tl;dr nutrition is complicated and there is a lot of FUD - [1] https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/alzheimers-disease-consists-of-three-distinct-subtypes-according-to-ucla-study https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/alzheimers-disease-consis... - [2] http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-pollution-alzheimers-20170131-story.html http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-air-poll... - [3] https://nutritionfacts.org/2015/11/12/where-are-the-lowest-rates-of-alzheimers-in-the-world/ https://nutritionfacts.org/2015/11/12/where-are-the-lowest-r...
- icantdrive55 9y agoThey started out with 259 volunteers, and based their conclusions on 40 individuals. The Theracurmin would change the color of the urine, but the researchers don't believe that affected Placebo. Volunteers came in every three months for supply. They were given eith Placebo, or Theracurmin. I'm wondering if any of the volunteers cut open the capsules at home? "Let's just see what I'm taking?" I don't know. My point is I'm getting tired of percentages. The average person looks at a percentage and assumes it must work. All previous studies on this spice showed no benefit. But that might be due to bioavailability--of course. Actually my point is I don't trust most studies, especially the studies that study the brain, and how it functions. I'm still in shock over the copious amounts of tricyclics/heterocyclic antidepressants I was prescribed. I'm still in shock the expense. The mandatory office visits. Being told "you just don't want to be on antidepressants!". Yes, the side affects are real. And completely dissalusioned when I read the actual studies on the wonder drugs. This study on Theracurmin seems like it could be easily done in most rest homes. If I knew for sure the patients didn't know what they were taking by breaking open, I imagine a gel capsule; I would give the study more credence.
- hannob 9y agoSmall study, probably not preregistered (didn't find anything about it in the description). Likely Publication Bias or p-hacking. I'm starting to get interested when it's been independently replicated.
- loeg 9y agoResults too good to be true, as well :-).
- soneca 9y agoGreat "credibility check". There should be a "nutriction facts table" for scientific papers quoted at articles. Sample size, preregistration, replication, p-value. At least a practice to include that in the abstract
- pjmorris 9y agoMaybe along the lines of 'A statistical definition for reproducibility and replicability'? I think there are more attributes to be included, but it seems like a good place to start on a 'nutrition label' for papers. [0] https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/07/29/066803 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/07/29/066803 [1] https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/scifigure/index.html https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/scifigure/index.html
- platz 9y agoWhat is the power & effect size?
- bildung 9y agoEffect size is the amount of change that has been observed, in this case the ability to memorize things. Significance is the probability of the result being coincidence. So "highly significant" only means "most probably not coincidence". That means you can have a "highly significant" result where the actual result (= effect size) is tiny. In study design, both are related: The higher the number of test persons, the easier it is to archive significance. Therefore, proper design would be to first guesstimate (based on existing literature etc.) the effect size, then define the minimum number of test persons necessary.
- sabujp 9y agoIndians will die of heart attacks and cancer before they become old enough to get alzheimers or other mental issues. Before you downvote me to oblivion, many indian and non-indian dr.s friends have told me this.
- FlyingSideKick 9y agoAs an athlete (and former competitive snowboarder) I find turmeric tea to be a more powerful pain reliever for my knees, which have little cartledge left, than Advil. I make my tea with fresh turmeric, black pepper, honey and a bit of cream. This recipie seems to work wonders for joint pain however it doesn’t seem to have improved my forgetfulness.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- Nomentatus 9y agoIt's well known that turmeric is a powerful anti-histamine. Interrupting inflammation will make you feel better; but whether you're doing yourself good or harm in the long run is a very different matter. The body's responses aren't always wrong. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=turmeric+histamine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=turmeric+histamine
- m3kw9 9y agoSo do you have to eat a pound of it? A lot of studies now a days shows significant effects only in significant amounts
- rsbartram 9y agoEating and living healthy is critical to a long life. Most studies show that balanced eating is more important to your health than exercise so it is no wonder mother nature provides so many natural remedies for so many ailments. Setting smart health goals is one thing, https://latechnews.org/setting-smart-health-goals/ https://latechnews.org/setting-smart-health-goals/ but improving your mental health through natural remedies is always preferred in the holistic approach.
- relyks 9y agoI'm surprised no one has mentioned here that there's been research on using Turmeric as an antidepressant. It's known to increase BDNF in the brain, the same protein generated during aerobic exercise. BDNF is one of the reasons exercise is so beneficial for mental health. "Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in WKY rat model of depression is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF" (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432812006997 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016643281...) "Effects of curcumin on brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels and oxidative damage in obesity and diabetes" (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2013-0133 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2013-0133)
- LearnerHerzog 9y agoThere are many benefits to turmeric. I've been using it in a lot of things for a while now https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-h...
- buyx 9y agoI’m wary about where I source my turmeric from, because of Lead Chromate contamination: https://www.bu.edu/sph/2017/04/04/high-levels-of-lead-detected-in-turmeric-purchased-from-boston-stores/ https://www.bu.edu/sph/2017/04/04/high-levels-of-lead-detect...
- quickpost 9y agoHave any suggestions on the best sources to avoid this type of contamination?
- buyx 9y agoI avoid third-world sources of tumeric (and most other food, especially when given to my children). Corruption and food safety make poor bedfellows IMO.
- dharma1 9y agoBuy organic turmeric or grow your own. It's crazy that some Asian growers add lead on purpose - https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/is-your-turmeric-contaminated-with-lead https://www.naturalstacks.com/blogs/news/is-your-turmeric-co...
- exabrial 9y agoWhat doseage though? I've read that it does have a lot of good properties but you'd have to eat pounds of it
- sandGorgon 9y agoFun fact - tumeric was the trigger for India creating a patent fighting engine around Indian traditional medicine (Ayurveda and unaani) including a gene bank and international legal force around biopiracy. We now have something called Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) - http://www.tkdl.res.in/tkdl/langdefault/common/Home.asp?GL=Eng http://www.tkdl.res.in/tkdl/langdefault/common/Home.asp?GL=E... http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/586384/Patent/Traditional+Knowledge+And+Patent+Issues+An+Overview+Of+Turmeric+Basmati+Neem+Cases http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/586384/Patent/Traditional+Know...
- sudhirj 9y agoIf this is real, we Indians have the best memory on the planet and the lowest depression in the world. With the UK a close second after the appropriated all out “curry” recipes. Colour me skeptical.
- cbzbc 9y ago> Colour me skeptical. Can also be arranged, as long as the colour of sceptical is an off-orange shade.
- option_greek 9y agoFor those who want to try the turmeric directly and without preparing curry, you can take it this way. This is a traditional recipe for cold/flu but can be generally taken everyday. Mix a half teaspoon full of turmeric with little bit of black pepper powder (varies based on how much you can tolerate) in a glass of milk with either a spoon of sugar or honey.
- YeGoblynQueenne 9y agoFrom the Wikipedia page on Curcumin (section Research): In vitro, curcumin exhibits numerous interference properties which may lead to misinterpretation of results.[3][6][20] Although curcumin has been assessed in numerous laboratory and clinical studies, it has no medical uses established by well-designed clinical research.[21] According to a 2017 review of over 120 studies, curcumin has not been successful in any clinical trial, leading the authors to conclude that "curcumin is an unstable, reactive, non-bioavailable compound and, therefore, a highly improbable lead".[3] The study claims to have studied a bioavailable forom of curcumin, Theracumin® but it uses a very restricted interpretation of "bioavailability": The use of adjuvants that block curcumin metabolism, or nanoparticles, liposomes, phospholipid complexes, and other strategies have improved its bioavailability somewhat, but only as defined as increased curcumin blood levels8,64–66 with minimum effects on curcumin availability to the brain. The study also notes its sample was small: The relatively small sample size in this study warrants caution in interpreting our results and limits their generalizability. It just doesn't sound like their results are going to stand the test of time.
- dumbneurologist 9y agoNone of your criticisms from wikipedia pertain to this publication. The paragraph is essentially making the argument that a randomized, double blind (DB), placebo controlled (PC) clinical trial (RCT) is unlikely to show that curcurmin is effective. yet, the published article is exactly that, and shows a statistically measurable impact on a clinically meaningful endpoint: a direct refutation of the paragraph. the fact the "interference properties" and being an "unstable, reactive, non-bioavailable compound" is subsumed by the study design. claims to have studied a bioavailable form of curcumin This is not really relevant to the claim or conclusions. could it be that the bioavailability matters? maybe. could it be that curcurmin is a trick molecule to study? yes. but come what may, this is direct evidence (not proof) of a cause-effect relationship between this treatment and the outcome. the only thing this effects is the chance that other forms of curcurmin will be comparable (and it might have consequences for regulatory status by the FDA). The study also notes its sample was small This is a very weak criticism when the study is positive (i.e. shows an effect). when the sample size (and statistical power) of the study is small, you need a BIG EFFECT SIZE to be positive. The fact that the trial was positive actually means that it's more likely to be clinically important, because a big effect size means it protects memory in a dramatic way. This is like penicillin: in the pre-antibiotic era, how many cases of pneumonia do you need to treat in order to be satisfied that penicillin is effective? Not bloody many, because the effect size is so dramatic. Likewise for parachutes. few are the therapies that fall into this category, but when you have an inkling that one does following a DB, PC, RCT, you better pay attention. So does it need to be replicated? definitely. does the sponsorship matter? definitely; they could have cheated in some way. until then does it make sense to prescribe this to seniors, or encourage them to increase curcurmin in their diet? quite possibly, given the presumably low rate of adverse effects. Bottom line: this study is not the end-all be-all of curcurmin and memory, but there is legitimate early evidence that the emperor has clothes. edits: mainly spelling, formatting
- thibautg 9y agoI’ve just added some turmeric on my 256 Gb SSD and its memory increased to 332 Gb. It works.
- dberhane 9y agoHere is another research published recently by BMJ about benefits of curcumin for cancer (myeloma) patients: Long-term stabilisation of myeloma with curcumin http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2016-218148.long http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2017/bcr-2016-218148.long
- cellularmitosis 9y ago“What I’ve learned” just did a video on tumeric for hangovers. Summary: mix it with pepper and fat for best results. https://youtu.be/Ij_aJI5O9Rs https://youtu.be/Ij_aJI5O9Rs Tumeric may also help with ulcerative colitis. Here’s a summary of the studies: https://youtu.be/teJ9QHCdN2Q https://youtu.be/teJ9QHCdN2Q Avoid tumeric if you are taking blood thinners.
- fleitz 9y agoFear not, if this study was done by a drug company for an anti-depressant that did marginally better than placebo over four weeks no one would question it's validity.
- mrmondo 9y agoI was not expecting to be linked to what appears to be properly conducted science based trial. As others have noted the sample size was small at 40 people which just leads me to looking forward to a larger scale controlled study.
- jlebrech 9y agoalso look at other types of nootropics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootropic
- xiaopanga 9y agoDid no one read the last bit on the people who did the research? there seems to a clear conflict of interest in this paper. " Dr. Small also reports having served as an advisor to and/or having received lecture fees from Allergan, Argentum, Axovant, Cogniciti, Forum Pharma- ceuticals, Herbalife, Janssen, Lundbeck, Lilly, Novartis, Otsuka, and Pfizer. Dr. Heber reports receiving consult- ing fees from Herbalife, and the McCormick Science Institute.The manufacturer of Theracurmin, Theravalues Corpora-tion, provided the Theracurmin and placebo for the trial,funds for laboratory testing of blood curcumin levels, and funds for Dr. Small’s travel to the 2017 Alzheimer’s As- sociation International Conference for presentation of the findings"
- DaniFong 9y agoIt's also delicious