Why Turmeric May Be The Vegetarian’s Best Friend

Why Turmeric May Boost Vegetarian Brain’s Omega-3 (DHA) Levels, NIH Research Reveals

A fascinating new study on the golden-hued polyphenol found in turmeric root known as curcumin reveals a new mechanism by which this extensively studied phytocompound may alleviate cognitive disorders, especially in vegetarians and vegans.

In the National Institutes of Health funded study titled, “Curcumin boosts DHA in the brain: Implications for the prevention of anxiety disorders,” researchers found that curcumin enhances the biosynthesis of the essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the rat brain. DHA deficiency is quite common and can have a wide range of adverse consequences to the optimal functioning of the brain. If this animal study’s results are applicable to human physiology and metabolism, it may contribute significantly to validating the role of vegetarianism or a more plant-centric diet in human nutrition.

Curcumin has been the subject of over 7,000 published studies in the past 45 years, over 1500 of which can be found on the GreenMedInfo.com database showing its potential therapeutic value in over 600 health conditions, making it possibly the world’s most important herbal compound.

The study revealed three principal findings:

• Curcumin enhances the synthesis of DHA from its precursor, α-linolenic acid (C18: 3n-3; ALA) and elevates levels of enzymes involved in the synthesis of DHA such as FADS2 and elongase 2 in both liver and brain tissue
• Curcumin increases DHA synthesis in the liver
• Treatment with curcumin and ALA resulted in elevations in brain DHA and were associated with reduced anxiety-like behavior in rodents

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/turmeric-may-boost-vegetarian-brains-omega-3-dha-levels-nih-research-reveals/?utm_campaign=frn16&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email-automated&utm_content=2126&utm_term=existing-email-list&email=shutaleva%40gmail.com&firstname=Zhanna&lastname=