Many typical curry ingredients can help battle cancer and heart problems.
To make the most of the benefits, swap creamy kormas for a tandoori dish and ditch pilau rice for basmati.
Help heart health
TOMATO-based curries contain health-boosting antioxidant lycopene.
Eating cooked toms regularly can help prevent the formation of blood clots, lowering the risk of heart attacks and strokes by as much as 48 per cent.
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant
Curry powder, paprika and thyme may also help cut heart disease risk as they contain salicylic acid, thought to stem inflammation in the blood vessels that could otherwise lead to hardening of the arteries.
Lose weight
SEVERAL studies have shown that capsaicin, found in spices such as chilli, can raise the metabolic rate by up to 50 per cent for as long as three hours after you eat a curry by raising the heart rate (which does also explain those curry sweats).
Fight cancer
ACCORDING to Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK, there is mounting evidence that curcumin – found in most curries – may be able to block or even shrink tumours.
Curcumin
Researchers at Leicester University’s oncology department found that eating foods rich in curcumin may prevent many cancers, including those of the breast, prostate and colon.
Boost immunity
NO curry would be complete without a generous helping of garlic. Research shows that garlic contains allicin, which is antibiotic, anti-fungal and may even be antiviral, helping you ward off bugs before they strike.
Garlic
A strong immune system is key to fighting infection and illness. And, as garlic is a potent mucus fighter, it can also be used to combat colds and flu.
Keep brain sharp
TURMERIC may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The brain condition is associated with a build-up of “knots” called amyloid plaques in grey matter. A chemical in turmeric can reduce the build-up of these knots by up to 50 per cent.
Turmeric
Turmeric has also been found to improve memory, aid digestion, reduce inflammation, fight infection and guard against heart attacks.
Duck a cold
THE spices in many curries have anti-viral properties that help to fight colds.
Professor Ron Eccles from the Common Cold Centre in Cardiff said: “They also help trigger the body’s natural defences by producing extra mucus to trap the virus and soothe inflamed passages. Eating spicy dishes also clears the nostrils and gets rid of that ‘bunged-up’ feeling, helping sufferers recover more quickly.”
Max your minerals
DIETICIAN Dalhia Campbell says: “Lean red meat in curries is an excellent source of vitamins and key minerals, including zinc, selenium and potassium.
“Zinc is vital for growth, healing and a healthy immune system. Selenium helps protect cells from free radical damage so may ultimately help reduce the risk of cancers and heart disease.
Zinc
“Potassium helps to regulate fluid balance in the body.”
Ease arthritis
GINGER – an ingredient common in curries – contains an antioxidant called zingerone.
This reacts with free radicals that can cause tissue damage and joint inflammation, nullifying their effect and therefore helping to reduce the pain of arthritis.
Ginger
Chilli has also been shown to be a powerful painkiller, so you get a double whammy.
Lower cholesterol
ONIONS and garlic contain high levels of sulphides, which many experts believe can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and help “thin” the blood, minimising the risk of clotting.
Onions
Also, onions contain a compound called quercetin which promotes “good” HDL cholesterol.
Researchers in Hong Kong found red onions could reduce bad cholesterol levels in hamsters by 20 per cent.
Cut blood pressure
CORIANDER – another common ingredient of Indian and Thai curries – contains high levels of antioxidants that help to lower high blood pressure and prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals.
Coriander
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Eating curry could offer new hope for sufferers of tennis elbow and other forms of tendinitis, says new research.
A key ingredient found in Indian curries blocks tendon inflammation in the joints, which causes pain and misery for thousands.
The discovery could eventually lead to the development of a remedy for a painful condition which is on the increase, according to an international team of researchers.
They have shown that curcumin, which gives the spice turmeric its trademark bright yellow colouring, can be used to suppress biological mechanisms that spark inflammation in tendon diseases.
In a paper due to be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, researchers at The University of Nottingham and Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich described laboratory experiments that show the ingredient can switch off the inflammatory cell cycle involved.
Dr Ali Mobasheri of the University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, who co-led the research, said: ‘Our research is not suggesting that curry, turmeric or curcumin are cures for inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and arthritis.
‘However, we believe that it could offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition.
‘Further research into curcumin, and chemically-modified versions of it, should be the subject of future investigations and complementary therapies aimed at reducing the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the only drugs currently available for the treatment of tendinitis and various forms of arthritis.’
Tendons, the tough cords of fibrous connective tissue that join muscles to bones, are essential for movement because they transfer the force of muscle contraction to bones but are prone to injury, particularly in athletes.
Tendinitis (or tendonitis) is a form of tendon inflammation, which causes pain and tenderness near to joints and is particularly common in shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, heels or wrists. Other examples of common tendon disease include tennis and golfer’s elbow and Achilles tendinitis.
The global incidence of tendinitis is on the increase because people are living longer and older people are more at risk of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes.
At present, standard treatment aims to relieve pain and reduce inflammation using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as aspirin or ibuprofen. In more serious cases of tendon injury, steroid injections can be given directly into the tendon sheath to control pain and enable physical therapy to start.
However, NSAIDS and steroids are associated with undesired side effects including stomach ulcers, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, headache, diarrhoea, constipation, drowsiness and fatigue.
There is an acute need for new treatments with fewer debilitating side effects, said Dr Mobasheri.
This latest research looked at curcumin, a key ingredient of the spice turmeric, which has been used for centuries in traditional Indian or ‘Ayurvedic’ medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent and remedy for symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome and other disorders.
In the laboratory, researchers used a culture model of human tendon inflammation to study the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin on tendon cells.
The main objective of the study was to observe the effects that curcumin had on the inflammatory and degenerative properties induced by signalling molecules called interleukins.
Interleukins are a type of small cell-signalling protein molecules called cytokines that can activate a whole series of inflammatory genes by triggering a dangerous ‘switch’ called NFkB.
The results showed that introducing curcumin in the culture system inhibits NFkB and prevents it from switching on and promoting further inflammation.
Previous research suggests turmeric may be useful in a variety of conditions, including cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
However, experts say it is difficult to get a big enough dose to remedy medical problems from a curry meal, as 100g of curry powder has to be eaten to deliver a 3.6g clinical dose.
Hundreds of thousands of people suffer inflammation of the tendons each year. Apart from exercise-related injury, the condition can be sparked from repetitive strain on the joints and overuse.
TUCKING into a spicy curry could be the secret to losing weight.
Cayenne pepper, a key ingredient in curries, raises body temperature and helps you burn off calories, scientists have found.
Even more remarkable, it helps you eat less at the next meal.
Researchers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, think the active compound in the pepper, capsaicin, may be responsible.
Their study, published in the journal Physiology & Behaviour, explored the effects in 25 adult men and women. Half were regular curry eaters and half preferred plainer food.
When the volunteers ate half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a test meal, their internal body temperature and postprandial energy expenditure, which is the heat released as the body digests food, increased.
The changes were more pronounced for those who did not usually eat spicy food, suggesting curry eaters may become desensitised to the effects. They also found appetite levels at subsequent meals decreased.
Cayenne pepper mixed with maple syrup and lemon juice is used by Hollywood stars to keep slim. Beyonce has admitted taking it for two weeks to lose a stone and a half.