- Dementia is on the rise in the U.S., so it may be time to tweak your diet to be more focused on brain health.
- Luckily, there are herbs and spices that can positively affect brain health.
- Turmeric -There’s evidence that rates of Alzheimer’s disease are lower in some parts of the world than others and one hypothesis is that spicy food - especially curry, which is made with turmeric - contributes to the decreased risk. One backs that up, finding that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, improved memory in adults by 28% over 18 months.
- Saffron- This spice is rich in antioxidants and shows it was as effective as the Alzheimer’s drug Memantine after one year of use.
- Rosemary- Not only is it tasty, this herb has been shown to in older adults and it’s also been found to protect against neuro degenerative diseases.
- Sage- Also used for its brain benefits, this herb has been found to improve learning and cognition in older adults with mild to moderate Alzheimers, and improve memory in healthy individuals.
- Cinnamon- An extract made from cinnamon helped protect lab rats from cognitive impairment in one and it may also have for Parkinson’s patients.
- Nutmeg- Research suggests a nutrient found in this spice may help improve cognition and memory.
- Ginger- Along with aiding digestion and fighting inflammation, ginger has been found to be useful in treating dementia and Alzheimer’s.
- Pepper- We use it all the time and it’s a good thing because regular old pepper has been shown to improve memory deficit.