As if we needed another excuse to eat as mush curry as we want to – curry is thought to stop dementia.

According to scientists from the Linkoping University in Sweden, eating curry at least once a week is a good way of preventing dementia. The findings, published in the journal PLoS One, could help explain why rates of dementia are lower among the elderly in India than in Western countries.

Curcumin in turmeric is the substance  which prevents is believed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s by removing an amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. It is an anti-inflammatory that has been used for thousands of years as a spice in curry dishes in many parts of the world.

When will there be curry pills for Alzheimer’s patients?

Professor Per Hammarstrom of Linkoping University, said: “The results confirm our belief that it is the oligomers that are most harmful to the nerve cells. We now see small molecules in an animal model can influence the amyloid form. To our knowledge the encapsulation of oligomers is a new and exciting treatment strategy.”

Drugs with similar properties to curcumin could potentially be used as preventative treatments.