Turmeric Can Regenerate Brain Cells

Fresh Turmeric

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Several new studies show that an ancient but still popular Indian spice, turmeric, could help repair the brain and possibly even be used one day to treat degenerative brain diseases.

Turmeric offers us many health benefits, including the ability to treat, and even cure, many diseases with no side effects. Multiple research studies show that turmeric can replace many of the toxic medications used to treat chronic illnesses today such as pain or inflammation medications, some diabetes drugs, antidepressants, and cholesterol lowering medications.

As incredible as it might sound, it’s exciting to find out that turmeric could help repair brain damage after devastating events such as head trauma or strokes.

In one study, scientists wanted to see what effect turmeric would have on brain cells. They first covered endogenous neural stem cells (which are found in adult brains) in a turmeric extract. Researchers say that they saw up to 80 percent more stem cell growth than the control group, which received no turmeric extract.

These scientists then injected a different chemical extract from turmeric (aromatic ar-turmerone) into one part of the brain of a rat and watched the same type of increased growth and the proliferation of stem cells into neurons. Using PET imaging, researchers found that the hippocampus in the rats that received turmeric had expanded.

 

SEE ALSO: 8 Spices that Reduce the Risk of Cancer

 

To some extent, the brain had that capability to repair itself. This is done by neural stem cells which transform into neurons and two other kinds of neural cells upon stimulation, which helps the brain to restore itself.

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