A spice takes on Alzheimer’s disease
By John Travis
From San Diego, at the Society for Neuroscience meeting
India has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. A diet rich in curcumin, a spice used in yellow curry, may offer a potential explanation and a new therapy for the brain disorder, according to a new study.
Research over the past few years has documented that regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, significantly reduces a person’s chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease (SN: 8/12/00, p. 101: Ibuprofen cuts Alzheimer protein build-up). Yet physicians hesitate to recommend regular use of NSAIDs because the drugs can have serious side effects, including liver and kidney damage, when taken for extended periods.