Spices have been used as food preservatives for centuries. Salt’s ability to draw moisture, the breeding ground for microbes, places it in the top spot, closely followed by cumin ‘The Spice of the Ancients’. In addition to their preservation qualities, many compounds isolated from spices have shown antimicrobial activity against some of the most common microorganisms that affect the quality of food and its shelf life. We can directly benefit from these antimicrobial properties by eating them regularly.
All diseases occur primarily due to inflammation, oxidative stress, aging, trauma, vascular dysfunction, and mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction. Actively selecting spices and herbs with known anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties directly shapes our health. Aim to include all those herbs and spices in your kitchen cupboard and garden to benefit from nature’s pharmacy cabinet. We are the architects of our brain’s future and simple day to day choices may make a significant difference.
Can you improve the diversity of foods you eat and include 50 different food sources, including herbs and spices, during the week?
We have selected five spices below for their studied effects on neurological diseases (NDs) and combined them into a summer curry recipe. We might just as easily have included black pepper, mustard seeds, coriander, saffron, rosemary, oregano, cloves and cinnamon, amongst many others, for their individual and synergistic properties but we focused on availability and popularity, and those with the scientific evidence to actively support their use.
The gut-brain axis should be considered in any discussion concerning neurological diseases, so our recipe includes coconut milk. Its high content of lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid (MCFA) converted to monolaurin, is easily digested and exerts antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties, supportive of a healthy gut microbiome and gut-brain axis.
Substitute cooking oils for coconut oil where applicable; the higher the quality and grade of oil the less the coconut flavour.
We have selected the following five spices to include in our recipe found at the bottom of this page.
Turmeric/Curcumin
The spice turmeric, from the Curcuma plant family, contains a highly active polyphenol called curcumin, not to be confused with the spice cumin. Curcumin has been extensively studied and shown to mitigate the pathophysiology involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. One of its beneficial actions is its ability to accelerate adult hippocampus neurogenesis by increasing the density of newly formed cells. Curcumin also exerts inhibitory action against reactive astrocyte and glial cells activation, preventing the death of hippocampus cells in the brain. Curcumin is also believed to have potential in the active treatment of Alzheimer’s disease due to its ability to disrupt β-amyloid formation and prevent the production of plaques. In animal studies, curcumin has demonstrated neuroprotective effects against seizures, migraine, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and general neuroinflammation.
Ginger
For thousands of years, ginger (zingiber officinale, a member of the Zingiberaceae family) has been used as a food and herbal medicine in Asia and the Far East and referred to in Chinese remedies as far back as 400 BC. The rhizomes/roots have been used in traditional systems of medicine to treat a wide variety of conditions including colds, muscular cramps, toothache and arthritis. Among the many bioactive compounds found in ginger, the most notable are 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. With relevance to NDs ginger inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1. Eating ginger can cut down on fermentation, constipation and other causes of bloating and intestinal gas.
Garlic
Crush garlic (allium sativum) into your food to release its allicin (diallylthiosulfinate) content. Allicin is a biologically active defence molecule with potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties that can improve cognitive function in neurodegenerative and neuropsychological disorders. As an antioxidant, allicin fights reactive oxygen species (ROS) by downregulating NOX (NADPH oxidising) enzymes and directly reduces cellular levels of different types of ROS produced by a variety of peroxidases. Most of the neuroprotective actions of allicin are mediated via redox-dependent pathways.
Allicin inhibits cholinesterase, an important enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is indicated in the management of Alzheimer’s disease, the maintenance of neurotransmitter balance in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactive syndrome (ADHD).
Another widely studied garlic preparation is aged garlic extract. Sliced raw garlic stored in 15-20% ethanol for more than 1.5 year is referred to as aged garlic extract. Processing garlic in this way increases the activity of certain newer compounds, such as S-allylcysteine, sallylmercaptocysteine, allixin, N-0 -(Ideoxy- D-fructos- 1 -yl)-L-arginine, and selenium which are stable and potent antioxidants.
Cumin
Cumin and the active component of turmeric, curcumin, are often confused. Cumin and turmeric are different plants. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) belongs to the Apiaceae family, which includes carrots, coriander, caraway, and fennel. Cuminaldehyde, its main active ingredient, is an important phytochemical which possesses many health benefits. Other active constituents include terpens, phenols, and flavonoids. Cuminaldehyde’s demonstrated in animal studies and its lipid concentrated lowering effects in human studies.
Curry leaves
Studies have demonstrated that curry leaves contain substances that may help protect against neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
A study in mice found that oral treatment with high doses of curry leaf extract improved levels of brain-protecting antioxidants, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GRD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The extract also reduced the level of enzymes associated with Alzheimer’s disease progression. Another study showed that oral treatment with curry leaf extract for 15 days improved memory scores in both young and aged mice with induced dementia.
Try our recipe below or experiment with different spices.
Coconut Fish Curry
(adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe)
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons oil, such as sunflower or olive
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 3 fresh green chillies, seeded and thinly slices
- 1 handful dried curry leaves
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 3 onions, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp chili powder – mild
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 6 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
- 1 (400 ml) can coconut milk
- Salt
- 225g fresh fish fillets, cod, haddock, hake, etc…
- 1 tsp tamarind syrup
- 1 large handful baby spinach
- 1 large handful fresh coriander, chopped
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan, and when hot add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to pop, then add the fenugreek seeds, fresh green chilies, curry leaves and ginger. Stir and fry for a few minutes.
- Chop the onions and add to the same pan. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is light brown and soft, then add the chilli powder and turmeric.
- Chop the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add 1 small glass of water and the coconut milk. Simmer for about 5 minutes until it has the consistency of double cream, then taste and season carefully with salt. Add more water if necessary.
- Add the fish and tamarind syrup to the sauce and simmer for 6 minutes. Add the baby spinach and chopped coriander and serve.
For a vegetarian version, add 800g of your favourite vegetables when you add the onions.
