Regardless of how old you are, taking care of your brain health is of the utmost importance. Even if your body was in top health, but your brain wasn’t, you’d struggle to live a long and fulfilling life. With dementia cases on the rise worldwide, it’s especially important for older adults to take extra care of their brain health. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, nearly 11% of people over the age of 65 have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common type of dementia. This doesn’t even include the other 100+ different types of dementia.
So, what can you do to help protect your brain?
Top health officials recommend the following to protect your brain as you age:
✔️ Quit smoking
✔️ Maintain a healthy blood pressure level
✔️ Be physically active
✔️ Maintain a healthy weight
✔️ Get enough sleep
✔️ Stay engaged and social
✔️ Manage your blood sugar
But there are other things that you can do as well. For example, there are two natural compounds that have been shown to help boost the health of your brain. Especially when taken together.
While we highly recommend you do the above to help keep your brain healthy, in this blog, we’re going to discuss these two compounds and how just by taking these together and nothing else, you can improve and protect your brain.
Let’s start with curcumin…
Curcumin and Brain Health
In a 2018 study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, adults between the ages of 50 and 90 years with memory complaints showed a huge improvement in their memory (and mood) after taking a daily dose of curcumin. But how? [1]
Curcumin is the most active compound found within the ancient turmeric root. It’s been heavily studied in recent decades, with findings showing that it may be one of nature’s most powerful anti-inflammatories, a good natural alternative to painkillers, a protector of the heart, as well as a brain-booster.
While most of the research comes down to a brain protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), that isn’t the only way curcumin helps the brain.
Starting with BNDF, let’s get into how curcumin can help the health of your brain.
Curcumin and BDNF
BDNF is a crucial protein found within the brain. While it regulates many different cellular processes involved in brain maintenance, it also does something amazing: regenerates, repairs, and creates brain cells.
BDNF is known as a key contributor to the “plasticity” of the brain, especially when it comes to learning and memory. This means that it’s one of the main players in changing your brain for the better. [2]
As we get older, it’s not uncommon for our brains to lose levels of BDNF. This means that as we age without it, the neurons that otherwise would have been protected, saved, or replaced by the work of BDNF will simply be lost forever. On top of this, BDNF increases communication networks within neurons, another benefit that would also be lost with lower BDNF. This describes why it’s harder to think or remember as we age. [3]
So, BDNF is important to memory and learning faculties in our brain, especially as we age. But how does curcumin come into play?
Curcumin helps increase levels of BDNF within your brain. According to research, BDNF levels can increase after consistent use of curcumin after just 8-12 weeks. [4]
This is crucial, especially as we age, as many brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, have been linked to low levels of BDNF. [5]
Lowers risk of dementia
Speaking of Alzheimer’s, did you know that it’s mainly caused by the build-up of amyloid plaques within the brain? The unfortunate part is that these amyloid plaques are simply a by-product of a larger type of protein that your brain actually needs for normal function.
But here’s the good news: remember that 2018 study from above that found curcumin improved memory? Well, they also found that after 18 months, those taking curcumin every day had less plaque build-up than those not taking curcumin. Research published in the same year confirmed that curcumin decreases the production of this plaque, stops it from building up, and actually helps to clear up any that has already started to build up. [6]
Another protein that can build up in the brain and is associated with dementia is tau. Under normal circumstances, this protein assists with brain maintenance. But it can sometimes detach and then build up within the brain, causing cognitive issues. In the 2018 study from above, researchers also found less tau buildup in those taking curcumin!
These two factors, along with the boost in BDNF, are huge components in the way curcumin will help protect your brain from disease as you age. But there’s also another major way that you can expect curcumin to protect your cognition…
Reduces neuroinflammation
Anywhere in the body that has chronic inflammation, disease is sure to eventually take hold. And the brain is no different.
Neuroinflammation can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle factors that increase the levels of pro-inflammatory cells within the body, which then infiltrate the brain. Neuroinflammation is directly linked to an increase in brain degeneration and many types of disorders.
Researchers believe that one of the best ways to target dementia early on is to quell inflammation in the brain so that it is not weakened.
Thankfully, curcumin has been shown through several studies to reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cells that enter and harm the brain, lowering overall inflammation. [7, 8]
DHA and Brain Health
When it comes to brain health, curcumin has another trick up its sleeve that we haven’t mentioned yet. But before we reveal what that is, let’s talk about DHA.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a type of omega-3 fat that’s essential to a healthy lifestyle. Your body doesn’t make much of it on its own, so it’s important to ensure you’re getting it through diet or supplementation.
One of the biggest benefits of DHA is how it helps support brain function.
More than a dozen studies have shown that a high intake of omega-3 fats is linked to a reduced risk of declining brain function. And it’s even been shown in multiple studies to improve the mental ability of those with dementia. [9]
It may come as no surprise, then, to learn that those with Alzheimer’s disease have lower levels of DHA in their brains than those with good brain function. [10]
Research also indicates that those who take omega-3s are 30% less likely to have symptoms of depression than those who don’t take these omegas. [11]
So, what does DHA have to do with curcumin?
Curcumin and DHA
Just when you thought curcumin was already incredible for the brain, you find out this:
Curcumin boosts your body’s DHA production and increases DHA absorption.
Research published in 2015 found that: [12]
✅ Curcumin boosts DHA brain content.
✅ Curcumin helps the body absorb DHA, which is typically difficult for the body to take in.
✅ Curcumin complements the action of DHA in the brain.
✅ Curcumin enhances the production of DHA in both the brain and liver.
That’s right – when you take curcumin, not only is the curcumin supporting and protecting your brain, but it’s also boosting the presence of other compounds that your brain needs to keep healthy!
We know what you’re thinking… Now I have to buy two supplements to get these brain benefits.
Well, we have good news…
Our Curcumin Gold Contains BOTH Curcumin and Vegan DHA
All in a delicious, highly absorbable liquid formula, you can get both of these compounds at the same time in our Micelle Liposomal Curcumin Gold supplement.
If you’re over the age of 40, it’s time to start protecting your brain.
Simply take Curcumin Gold every day to boost memory, clear plaque buildup in the brain, and remain sharp as a tack well into old age!
