Curcumin(tumeric extract) increases the antioxidant glutathione

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The substance the body produces to counter Glutamate is the antioxidant glutathione. Curcumin(tumeric extract) that states that it increases the bodies production of the antioxidant glutathione.

You cannot take glutathione directly as a pill or supplement because it breaks down in the gut, But some supplements will cause the body to increase the natural production of glutathione.

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Popular Botanical Supports Brain Health

A recent study investigated the effects of a popular herb in regards to cognitive deficits and oxidative damage in the brain.

Curcumin is a potent antioxidant and the principle active constituent in turmeric (Curcuma longa). In a new study, rats were treated with a chemical called streptozotocin to induce oxidative damage within the brain, which is used as an experimental model for dementia. The rats then received either 80 mg per kg of curcumin or placebo for 3 weeks.

After 2 weeks of streptozotocin treatment, the rats showed significant cognitive deficits as measured by passive avoidance and water maze tasks. The rats that received curcumin demonstrated significantly improved cognitive performance compared to the rats that did not. In addition, the group supplemented with curcumin also showed a significant decrease in markers for oxidative stress such as 4-hydroxynonenal, malonaldehyde, thiobarbituric reactive substances, hydrogen peroxide, protein carbonyl, and oxidized glutathione. Curcumin also augmented levels of the potent antioxidant glutathione and the enzymes responsible for the regeneration of glutathione in specific areas in the brain, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.

Furthermore, curcumin increased the activity of the enzyme called choline acetyltransferase in the hippocampus, which is important in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Reduced levels of acetylcholine are believed to play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers concluded, “The study suggests that curcumin is effective in preventing cognitive deficits, and might be beneficial for the treatment of sporadic dementia of Alzheimer’s type.”

Reference:

Ishrat T, Hoda MN, Khan MB, Yousuf S, Ahmad M, Khan MM, Ahmad A, Islam F. Amelioration of cognitive deficits and neurodegeneration by curcumin in rat model of sporadic dementia of Alzheimer’s type (SDAT). Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2009 Mar 27. Published Online Ahead of Print.