CURRY

CURRY Spice fights MS and Alzheimer's Disease: Throughout my research, a common thread is that MS follows geographic latitudes and cultural differences. Individuals who grew up from the ages of 8-15 years within 40 degrees of the equator have little chance of developing MS.
Click for Global occurance map of MS:

Most scientists agree this Global difference is due to the large quantity of Vitamin D absorbed directly from the intense sunlight. I became quite fascinated why some cultures do not have instances of MS and Alzheimer's while other cultures are overly susceptible. When I first began researching Curry, there were numerous web articles referring to the miracles of curry as a preventative for Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Cancer. Now there seems to be very little curry healing information available online or its very well buried by Google and Yahoo. I've been using BBC.com for easier access to health research without all the garbage and drug ads to sift through.

One of the most informative articles regarding Curry and Alzheimer's is posted on the UCLA Newspaper website.

The reason Curry works is it is one of the few substances that can cross the very selective blood brain barrier (BBB). Researchers discovered through Magnetic imaging (MRI) that each time an MS patient developed a new lesion, the Blood Brain Barrier was compromised and active. Since curry also permeates the blood brain barrier, the theory is that the curry interferes with demyelination of the sheath and plaque buildups associated with Alzheimer's. By reinforcing the BBB, the disease causing, foreign particles are neutralized by the presence of the curry. Do yourself a favor and start EATING CURRY!!!!

This is a great site of the anatomy of the blood brain barrier.

CULINARY
All About Curry Powder
by Sandra Bowens

Turmeric, fenugreek, cardamom....sound like Latin to you? Or do they remind you of Indian food? These exotic spices are components of curry powder. Along with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, dill seed, cloves, fennel seed, mustard, nutmeg, the list could go on and on. Some curry powders are made up of as many as 30 herbs and spices while others may be as simple as four or five ingredients. The average blend combines 15.

Although we associate it so closely with Indian food, curry is an English invention. In fact, Madhur Jaffrey uses the word exactly once in her 2002 book, Indian Cooking. But if we flashback to the early 1800's, we begin to understand.
The spice trade created large trading centers in different parts of India. Englishmen with the East India Company moved in along with their wives and 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers to maintain order. The British were running factories and partaking in all manner of trade. Their enjoyment of the local foods ensued but they didn't really understand it. Whereas, the Indians chose to grind spices as needed, carefully selecting different flavors for different dishes, the British could not see these subtleties. They called all of the food "curry."


Curry plant / Curry leaf
Curry Plant
helichrysum italicum
helichrysum angustifolium

Curry Leaf: Murraya Koenigii