There’s a good reason why Asians who consume lots of curries retain sharp mental function and little cognitive decline with age. It’s turmeric, the spice that gives curries their golden color. More specifically, it’s the curcumin found in turmeric. The best way to maintain a healthy, highly functional brain is to prevent out-of-control brain oxidation (“brain rust”) and its partner in crime, brain inflammation (“brain on fire”). And one of the best supplements you can take to do this is curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that is uniquely beneficial to the brain. A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial done at UCLA found that when older adults with mild memory complaints were given just 180 milligrams of curcumin a day for a year and a half, they significantly improved their performance on memory and attention tests, enhanced their mood, and had less amyloid and tau (associated with Alzheimer’s disease) in the parts of their brains that control memory and…

For many people, fear of senility and dementia trumps even the fear of death, and there is justification for their concern. Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, recently advised retirees to plan for the fact that currently more than half of men and women over the age of 80 have either dementia or such serious cognitive impairment that they are unable to handle their own finances. Rates of Alzheimer's Disease are skyrocketing. A 2007 Johns Hopkins University study estimated that by 2050, one in every 85 people will have the disease -- that's 4 times the prevalence found in 2006. A recent survey published in the British Medical Journal found that mental decline begins in the mid 40s for most people. These investigators predicted that the average person will lose 20% of their cognitive ability between the ages of 45 and 75. But are you the average person? I hope not! The average person is eating a toxic and nutrient deficient d…