New research suggests that a curry a day might keep the doctor at bay, as a key ingredient in the Saturday night favourite has infection fighting properties.
It just sounds like a good excuse to have a few more curries to us, but researchers in the States have actually shown that curcumin – found in the popular curry spice turmeric – causes a protein called cathelicidin anti-microbial peptide (CAMP), to almost triple and boost your immune system.
According to the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, curcumin helps the body to fight off bacteria and viruses, including those that cause TB.
Professor Adrian Gombart of Oregon State University said: ‘Curcumin is generally consumed in the diet at fairly low levels. However, it’s possible that sustained consumption over time may be healthy and help protect against infection, especially in the stomach and intestinal tract.
‘This research points to a new avenue for regulating CAMP gene expression.
‘It’s interesting and somewhat surprising that curcumin can do that, and could provide another tool to develop medical therapies.’
The team from Oregon State University hope that their new discovery will one day help to decrease infections. Well at least they’ve given us a great excuse for now.
