TURMERIC MAY HELP SUPPORT MEMORY
The health benefits of turmeric have been well documented and now it seems as well as digestion and bones it may help improve memory. In a study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry[i], people with mild memory loss who took a twice daily dose of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric that gives it its characteristic yellow colour, reported a 28 per cent improvement in memory as well as a better mood compared with a placebo group who showed no such improvement. The researchers also found that those taking curcumin had fewer of the ‘plaques and tangles’ that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s in their brains.
LYCOPENE COULD HELP SUPPORT THE HEART
Lycopene, the plant chemical found in tomatoes, has long been known to help boost prostate health. And now according to a new study[ii] it may also have potential heart- protective properties. More research is needed but it may be time to increase your intake of tomatoes and products containing lycopene. Anyone for a pizza?
MAKE THIS THE YEAR YOU STOP SMOKING
Still puffing away? March 14th is this year’s no smoking day so why not make this the year you quit for good. It really is the best thing you can do for your health with study after study showing that stubbing out can help reduce your risk of problems such as stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
Meanwhile, if you are finding it hard to concentrate as you come off the nicotine, rhodiola rosea, or golden root as it is sometimes called, may help to bring things back into focus. Extracts of this hardy herb from Russia are thought to help boost physical and mental health and such are its reputed powers that it is recognised as an official medicine in Russia and Scandinavia for treating fatigue, memory loss and poor concentration.
[i]www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1064748117305110?via%3Dihub
[ii] Food Chem. 2018 Apr 15;245:1148-1153. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.11.055.
