A Nimble Nutrient

Shutterstock One thing that enables the nutrients in foods to be so important to health is the power of repetition. For example, numerous phytochemicals exist in many fruits and vegetables, and consumed daily, even in small amounts, they can provide an outsize benefit to the mind and body. You’ve probably heard of carotenes, linked to eye health, and resveratrol, thought to be important for longevity. Consider curcumin, the vivid yellow-orange substance that gives the root turmeric its distinctive color. A member of the ginger family, turmeric has long been a staple of Indian culture, consumed in curries or prescribed as a natural remedy. Turmeric contains just 3 to 5 percent curcumin, but even such a low concentration of the nutrient, consumed regularly, can address ailments from inflammation and depression to cancer and dementia . Curcumin is a polyphenol, one of a group of chemicals that occur naturally in plants to ward off disease or destruction—from insects or solar radiation—and aid recovery from such threats. Consumed in foods, polyphenols remain bioactive, delivering similar perks to their new human hosts. Although curcumin has long been used in traditional medicines, recent clinical trials have given it the stamp of scientific approval. Studies show that curcumin stimulates the release of proteins called cytokines that calm and heal inflammation. Chronic inflammation plays a role in many illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity , dementia, and depression. “There’s a lot of evidence that people with depression have greater levels of inflammation and oxidative stress ,” says psychologist Adrian Lopresti, a senior researcher at Murdoch University in Australia who has conducted clinical trials of curcumin as a treatment for depression. “That may be how curcumin works to improve mental health.” Studies show that curcumin also guards the aging brain, shielding against cognitive decline and protecting against […]

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