Use these five herbs and spices to boost your brain health
New Delhi:
Mental health issue seems to be affecting more and more people, perhaps owing to the changing lifestyle. As scientists and medical experts grapple to deal with the problem, a new study has linked herbs and spices to brain health. These herbs and spices commonly grown in most kitchen gardens have been found to be beneficial for the brain. The study suggests that some of the herbs and spices have medicinal properties that can help heal certain mental health problems such as Alzheimer’s and memory loss.
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These herbs and spices will help boost your brain health:
- Ginseng: Ginseng is a root of Panax. Panax Ginseng is known to have great medicinal value since the 3rd century AD. Used as a food in ancient China for its strength-giving and rejuvenating powers, Ginseng is one of the most popular plants in herbal medicine. It contains anti-inflammatory chemicals called ginsenosides that prevent and treat inflammatory diseases.
- Gotu Kola: Not known to many, this herbaceous plant has long been used to improve mental clarity in alternative medicine such as Ayurveda. According to an animal testing finding, Gotu Kolu may help the brain fight oxidative stress and treat Alzheimer's and improve cognitive function.
- Ashwagandha: As a land of alternative medicine, India relies a lot on herbs and spices. Ashwagandha, which is a part of the Ayurveda medicine, was shown to impede the formation of beta-amyloid plaques and help strengthen the brain by reducing oxidative stress.
- Ginkgo Biloba: A spice made out of the maidenhair tree, Ginkgo Biloba has long been used in ancient China to treat mental illnesses such as dementia. The ancient Chinese believed that this spice could help cognitive function by stimulating circulation and promoting blood flow to the brain.And although there has been no definite proof of ginkgo biloba curbing dementia some research also showed evidences of this spice enhancing the cognitive function in people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment.
- Sage: Used mostly as a garnishing spice, sage may possess memory-enhancing properties, according to some studies. And a research done by the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine identified sage as one of the several herbs that may be beneficial to Alzheimer's patients.
Never eat the clean part of a moldy bread or sandwich!
Apart from the listed herbs and spices, you can also include lemon balm, turmeric, yi-gan san and ba wei di huang wan as a substitute natural remedy for the brain.
First Published : 15 Oct 2018, 12:51:28 PM
