Cooking with brain healthy herbs and spices can boost your brain. Add these 10 spices to your diet to improve your brain health.
Turmeric: Found in curry, turmeric contains a chemical that has been shown to decrease the plaques in the brain thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.1
Saffron: In three studies, a saffron extract was found to be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating people with major depression.2
Sage: Sage has very good scientific evidence that it helps boost memory.3
Cinnamon: Cinnamon has been shown to help attention and it helps regulate blood sugar, which decreases cravings. Plus, cinnamon is a natural aphrodisiac for men “” not that most men need much help.4
Basil: This potent antioxidant improves blood flow to the heart and brain and has anti-inflammatory properties that offer protection from Alzheimer’s disease.5
Thyme: Supplementing the diet with thyme has been shown to increase the amount of DHA “” an essential fatty acid “” in the brain.6
Oregano: Dried oregano has 30 times the brain-healing antioxidant power of raw blueberries, 46 times more than apples, and 56 times as much as strawberries, making it one of the most powerful brain cell protectors on the planet.7 Click to read about more foods that pack an antioxidant punch.
Garlic: Garlic promotes better blood flow to the brain and killed brain cancer cells in a 2007 study.8
Ginger: Can ginger make you smarter? A study that combined ginger with ginkgo biloba suggests that it does. Ginger root extract may also be helpful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and migraine headaches.9
Rosemary: A 2006 study reported that rosemary diminishes cognitive decline in people with dementia.10
http://www.amenclinics.com/amen-home/28-change-your-brain-change-your-body/113-10-brain-healthy-spices
REFERENCES
1. Masoumi, A., B. Goldenson, S. Ghirmai, et al. 2009. 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Interacts with curcuminoids to stimulate amyloid-beta clearance by macrophages of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 17(3):703?“717. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1080.
2. Akhondzadeh Basti, A., E. Moshiri, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2007. Comparison of petal of Crocus sativus L. and fluoxetine in the treatment of depressed outpatients: a pilot double-blind randomized trial. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 31(2):439-42.
Akhondzadeh, S., N. Tahmacebi-Pour, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2005. Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research 19(2):148-51.
Akhondzadeh, S., H. Fallah-Pour, K. Afkham, et al. 2004. Comparison of Crocus sativus L. and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a pilot double-blind randomized trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine4:12.
Moshiri, E., A.A. Basti, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2006. Crocus sativus L. (petal) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine 13(9-10):607-11.
Noorbala, A.A., S. Akhondzadeh, N. Tahmacebi-Pour, et al. 2005. Hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot trial. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 97(2):281-4.
3. Kennedy, D.O., and A.B. Scholey. 2006 The psychopharmacology of European herbs with cognition-enhancing properties. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 12(35):4613-23.
4. Zoladz, P.R., and B. Raudenbush. 2005. Cognitive enhancement through stimulation of the chemical senses. North American Journal of Psychology 7(1):125-138.
5. Aggarwal, B.B., and S. Shishodia. 2004. Suppression of the nuclear factor-kappaB activation pathway by spice-derived phytochemicals: reasoning for seasoning. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences1030:434-41.
6. Youdim, K.A., and S.G. Deans. 2000. Effect of thyme oil and thymol dietary supplementation on the antioxidant status and fatty acid composition of the ageing rat brain. British Journal of Nutrition 83(1):87-93.
7. Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, ARS, USDA, Little Rock, AR. 2007. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15866.
8. Das, A., N.L. Banik, and S.K. Ray. 2007. Garlic compounds generate reactive oxygen species leading to activation of stress kinases and cysteine proteases for apoptosis in human glioblastoma T98G and U87MG cells. Cancer 110(5):1083-95.
9. Kabuto, H., M. Nishizawa, M. Tada, et al. 2005. Zingerone [4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanone] prevents 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopamine depression in mouse striatum and increases supoxide scavenging activity in serum. Neurochemical Research 30(3):325-32.
Topic, B., E. Tani, K. Tsiakitzis, et al. 2002. Enhanced maze performance and reduced oxidative stress by combined extracts of zingiber officinale and ginkgo biloba in the aged rat. Neurobiology of Aging 23(1):135-43.
Mustafa, T., and K.C. Srivastava. 1990. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in migraine headache. Journal of Ethnopharmacology29(3):267-73.
10. Kennedy, D.O., and A.B. Scholey. 2006. The psychopharmacology of European herbs with cognition-enhancing properties. Current Pharmaceutical Design 12(35):4613-23.
Saffron: In three studies, a saffron extract was found to be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating people with major depression.2
Sage: Sage has very good scientific evidence that it helps boost memory.3
Cinnamon: Cinnamon has been shown to help attention and it helps regulate blood sugar, which decreases cravings. Plus, cinnamon is a natural aphrodisiac for men “” not that most men need much help.4
Basil: This potent antioxidant improves blood flow to the heart and brain and has anti-inflammatory properties that offer protection from Alzheimer’s disease.5
Thyme: Supplementing the diet with thyme has been shown to increase the amount of DHA “” an essential fatty acid “” in the brain.6
Oregano: Dried oregano has 30 times the brain-healing antioxidant power of raw blueberries, 46 times more than apples, and 56 times as much as strawberries, making it one of the most powerful brain cell protectors on the planet.7 Click to read about more foods that pack an antioxidant punch.
Garlic: Garlic promotes better blood flow to the brain and killed brain cancer cells in a 2007 study.8
Ginger: Can ginger make you smarter? A study that combined ginger with ginkgo biloba suggests that it does. Ginger root extract may also be helpful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and migraine headaches.9
Rosemary: A 2006 study reported that rosemary diminishes cognitive decline in people with dementia.10
http://www.amenclinics.com/amen-home/28-change-your-brain-change-your-body/113-10-brain-healthy-spices
REFERENCES
1. Masoumi, A., B. Goldenson, S. Ghirmai, et al. 2009. 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 Interacts with curcuminoids to stimulate amyloid-beta clearance by macrophages of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 17(3):703?“717. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2009-1080.
2. Akhondzadeh Basti, A., E. Moshiri, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2007. Comparison of petal of Crocus sativus L. and fluoxetine in the treatment of depressed outpatients: a pilot double-blind randomized trial. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry 31(2):439-42.
Akhondzadeh, S., N. Tahmacebi-Pour, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2005. Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research 19(2):148-51.
Akhondzadeh, S., H. Fallah-Pour, K. Afkham, et al. 2004. Comparison of Crocus sativus L. and imipramine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a pilot double-blind randomized trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine4:12.
Moshiri, E., A.A. Basti, A.A. Noorbala, et al. 2006. Crocus sativus L. (petal) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. Phytomedicine 13(9-10):607-11.
Noorbala, A.A., S. Akhondzadeh, N. Tahmacebi-Pour, et al. 2005. Hydro-alcoholic extract of Crocus sativus L. versus fluoxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression: a double-blind, randomized pilot trial. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 97(2):281-4.
3. Kennedy, D.O., and A.B. Scholey. 2006 The psychopharmacology of European herbs with cognition-enhancing properties. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 12(35):4613-23.
4. Zoladz, P.R., and B. Raudenbush. 2005. Cognitive enhancement through stimulation of the chemical senses. North American Journal of Psychology 7(1):125-138.
5. Aggarwal, B.B., and S. Shishodia. 2004. Suppression of the nuclear factor-kappaB activation pathway by spice-derived phytochemicals: reasoning for seasoning. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences1030:434-41.
6. Youdim, K.A., and S.G. Deans. 2000. Effect of thyme oil and thymol dietary supplementation on the antioxidant status and fatty acid composition of the ageing rat brain. British Journal of Nutrition 83(1):87-93.
7. Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, ARS, USDA, Little Rock, AR. 2007. Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=15866.
8. Das, A., N.L. Banik, and S.K. Ray. 2007. Garlic compounds generate reactive oxygen species leading to activation of stress kinases and cysteine proteases for apoptosis in human glioblastoma T98G and U87MG cells. Cancer 110(5):1083-95.
9. Kabuto, H., M. Nishizawa, M. Tada, et al. 2005. Zingerone [4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-butanone] prevents 6-hydroxydopamine-induced dopamine depression in mouse striatum and increases supoxide scavenging activity in serum. Neurochemical Research 30(3):325-32.
Topic, B., E. Tani, K. Tsiakitzis, et al. 2002. Enhanced maze performance and reduced oxidative stress by combined extracts of zingiber officinale and ginkgo biloba in the aged rat. Neurobiology of Aging 23(1):135-43.
Mustafa, T., and K.C. Srivastava. 1990. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in migraine headache. Journal of Ethnopharmacology29(3):267-73.
10. Kennedy, D.O., and A.B. Scholey. 2006. The psychopharmacology of European herbs with cognition-enhancing properties. Current Pharmaceutical Design 12(35):4613-23.
