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C URCUMIN —T HE 21 ST C ENTURY C URE
people of other ethnicities, was taken as proof that curcumin indeed
crosses the blood-brain barrier and that large quantities of it are
actually absorbed into the brain tissue.
Here are a few of the most interesting research results on cur-
cumin and the brain:
Grow new brain cells: Until recently, scientists believed that it was
impossible to grow new brain cells, but they busted that myth with
the discovery of neurogenesis, the scientifically validated creation
of new brain cells. University of Florida researchers have now con-
firmed that curcumin stimulates the birth of new neurons, particu-
larly in the hippocampus, the seat of memory in the human brain.
Protect brain cells: Authors of a study published in the journal Cur-
rent Alzheimer’s Research were enthusiastic about antioxidant
properties of curcumin to prevent brain cell deterioration and
death. Inflammatory cells called cytokines have a role in speeding
up Alzheimer’s, and the abilities of curcumin to inhibit the COX-2
enzyme can help protect those brain cells.
Destroy plaques and tangles: Scientists at UCLA called curcumin
“anti-amyloid” for its ability to overcome the beta-amyloid protein
that forms the plaques and tangles. They also noted that people
with Alzheimer’s show signs of inflammation in their brains and
credit curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties with an ability to
address that problem. Another UCLA animal study showed cur-
cumin supplements reduced substances believed to cause plaque
by 43 to 45%. Some researchers have suggested curcumin binds
directly to plaques and eliminates them.
The most exciting new research on curcumin, and particularly
the BCM-95 ® formulation, suggests that curcumin helps dissolve
those beta-amyloid plaques that are widely believed in the scientific
community to cause the neuronal “short-circuit” that results in mem-
ory loss indicative of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
The 34 participants in this study published in the Journal of
Psychopharmacology had all been diagnosed with probable or
possible Alzheimer’s disease based on criteria set by the National