Curcumin helps improve memory, possibly migraines.

Curcumin, which is one of the ingredients in turmeric, has long been touted for many of its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. A study presented at the 2017 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference showed that curcumin improves memory in healthy adults without Alzheimer’s disease.

This double-blind study was performerd by Dr. Gary Small and his colleagues at UCLA and it involved 40 men and women with a mean age of 63. Half of these subjects received 90 mg of Theracurmin brand of cucurmin twice a day, while the other half was given placebo for a period of 18 months. Researchers administered both verbal and visual memory tests and also measured brain deposits of amyloid plaques and tau tangles using special imaging methods (PET scans). These deposits are found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

The scores for both types of memory improved in the curcumin group, but not in the placebo group. Curcumin also prevented buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brains. Daily curcumin also improved attention and mood.

Four patients in the curcumin group and two in the placebo group had stomach pains and nausea. These were the only side effects.

The authors concluded that “This relatively inexpensive and nontoxic treatment may have a potential for not only improving age-related memory decline, but also as a prevention therapy, possibly staving off progression, and eventually future symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.”

There is less clinical evidence for the use of curcumin for the prevention of migraines. A recent study, published in the journal Immunogenetics, Iranian researchers reported that a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin reduced the production of TNF. TNF is a protein that is involved in sending messages between cells, which leads to increased excitability of neurons, neuroinflammation, and pain. The study involved 74 patients with migraines, who were divided into 4 groups – placebo, curcuming, omega-3, and combination of omega-3 and curcumin. The combination produced not only a reduction in TNF levels, but also fewer migraine attacks than seen in the other 3 groups.

Curcumin is not very well absorbed and several companies have tried to improve its absorption using various methods. The UCLA study utilized Theracurmin, which is an ingredient in several brands of curcumin. Another type, Longvida also seems to be better absorbed and is also used by several manufacturers.