Turmeric and Brain Health: Myths vs. Facts
Plus, Sheet Pan Tikka-Spiced Chicken or Tofu With Lots of Veg
Hello, everyone. I am writing to you from the Chicago airport—one of my faves because I get to eat the tortilla soup from Frontera Grill. I am headed to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island to speak with participants of the U.S. POINTER Trial. My topic: Building Your Own Brain Health Pyramid. The POINTER trial is happening all over the U.S. at different medical centers. When the results are published sometime next year it will be the largest U.S. study ever looking at the impact of lifestyle interventions on dementia risk. I jumped at the chance to be a very small part of this historic trial as part of the participants’ brain health education program. Let me know in the comments: Would you like me to share a few of my slides?
All this month we have been digging into the data on brain health supplements. Today we are talking about curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric. Curcumin has been in the news over the years because of its unique anti-inflammatory powers. Curcumin supplements often proclaim a long list of brain health benefits, like improving memory and blocking amyloid plaque formation in the brain. There’s no shortage of advice on cooking with turmeric, too, like combining it with black pepper to enhance absorption and choosing a brand without harmful levels of lead.
While some of these things may be true, others are widely exaggerated. But there’s one thing about turmeric that’s not controversial: it is a vibrant spice with complex flavors and essential for some dishes. I’ll get into the myths vs. facts about curcumin, below, along with one of my favorite fall recipes—an easy sheet pan dinner with turmeric-spiced chicken, tofu, or just vegetables.
Where Does Curcumin Come From?
Turmeric is a rhizome; find it in its whole food form in many grocery stores next to the fresh ginger. Like many colorful plants, turmeric contains many polyphenols—bioactive substances with health-promoting actions. (Refresh your polyphenol knowledge with this post.) Curcuminoids are a family of polyphenol compounds found in turmeric; the most studied of these is curcumin. There are generally three ways to consume curcumin: