Getting a Healthy Brain Could Be as Easy as Eating These 8 Herbs

Turmeric

This mustard yellow powder is an antioxidant and a powerful anti-inflammatory. In India, where turmeric is eaten daily in curries, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is 25 percent lower than the risk in the U.S. In lab studies, mice that were fed curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) developed fewer amyloid plaques, associated with Alzheimer’s, than rats that weren’t. Clinical trials haven’t found a direct link between the herb and brain health (find out what the science really says about turmeric), but it can’t do any harm. Add turmeric or curry powder to any curry dish and to egg salad, or include up to a teaspoonful in pea soup, casseroles, or lentils. For a new take on paella and Spanish rice, sub out saffron for turmeric. Try this recipe for a Creole skillet dinner, and check out these other everyday habits that prevent Alzheimer’s.