The City That Eats

And While We Are Discussing Health Benefits Of Certain Foods . . .

Consider those of curry:

The spice that gives many curries a yellow colour could help halt the spread of breast cancer, research suggests.

Scientists found that curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric, appeared to stop tumours spreading to other parts of the body.

It proved particularly effective when combined with an existing chemotherapy drug.

Researchers described their findings as 'exciting' and said they hoped patients would be able to benefit from the discovery within a few years.

Scientists took 60 mice with breast cancer and, after removing the tumours, gave some curcumin and others a normal, drug-free diet.

The rest were given a common chemotherapy drug called Taxol, or a combination of curcumin and Taxol. The team found that 96 per cent of those on a normal diet with no medication developed tumours in the lungs that were visible without a microscope.

By contrast, none of those given curcumin and Taxol developed clearly visible tumours.

Even when examined under a microscope, only 28 per cent of the mice given a combination of curcumin and Taxol showed signs that the cancer had spread.

Mice given only curcumin also saw a 'significant reduction' in the number of visible lung tumours.

Scientists think that the spice helps shut down a protein that plays a key role in the spread of cancers.

Get thee to an Indian restaurant. Here's a list of Indian restaurants in Chicago.

Confirming The Health Benefits Of Fish

We've noted this before, but it is worth noting again that fish is very good for you:

Eating fish at least once a week slows the toll aging takes on the brain, while obesity at midlife doubles the risk of dementia, a pair of studies concluded on Monday.

Omega-3 fatty acids contained in fish have been shown to boost brain functioning as well as cutting the risk of stroke, and eating fish regularly appears to protect the brain as people age, the six-year study of Chicago residents said.

"The rate of (mental) decline was reduced by 10 percent to 13 percent per year among persons who consumed one or more fish meals per week compared with those with less than weekly consumption," wrote Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

"The rate reduction is the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age," she added in the report published online by the Archives of Neurology.

The protective effect from eating fish was evident even after researchers adjusted for consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Now, if only fish weren't so expensive to obtain . . .

Everything They Told You Is True

Green tea does a body a good:

An ingredient of green tea may help to protect the brain against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, research in the US suggests.

University of South Florida scientists found the component prevented Alzheimer's-like damage in the brains of mice bred to develop symptoms.

The component - EGCG - is already strongly suspected of offering protection against certain cancers.

The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

It provides evidence that EGCG decreases production of the beta-amyloid protein thought to play a key role in the development of Alzheimer's symptoms.

It is this protein that forms the characteristic plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer's patients which are thought to lead to nerve damage and memory loss.

After treating Alzheimer's mice for several months with daily injections of pure EGCG, the researchers observed a dramatic decrease - as much as 54% - of brain-clogging Alzheimer's plaques.

Lead researcher Dr Jun Tan said: "The findings suggest that a concentrated component of green tea can decrease brain beta-amyloid plaque formation.

"If beta-amyloid pathology in this Alzheimer's mouse model is representative of Alzheimer's disease pathology in humans, EGCG dietary supplementation may be effective in preventing and treating the disease."

But a caveat of sorts is in order:

Green tea contains many antioxidants, including those known as flavonoids, that can protect against damage to the brain caused by charged particles called free radicals.

However, the Florida team showed that other flavonoids in green tea actually block EGCG's ability to prevent the harmful build up of beta-amyloid.

Thus drinking green tea alone would not likely have a beneficial effect.

Dr Doug Shytle, who also worked on the study, said: "This finding suggests that green tea extract selectively concentrating EGCG would be needed to override the counteractive effect of other flavonoids found in green tea."

"A new generation of dietary supplements containing pure EGCG may lead to the greatest benefit for treating Alzheimer's disease."