Scientists at New York Medical College and the University of Catania in Italy made the discovery when they looked at the health benefits of curcumin, a spice found in most Indian foods.
In their tests on rats, the researchers found that curcumin induces an enzyme called hem-oxygen-ase that acts as a defense against "free radicals." Those are the substances known to damage DNA, bringing about diseases like Alzheimer's.
India produces and consumes most of the world's curry and it has much lower rates of Alzheimer's among the elderly than Western countries.
Sounds like a good excuse to "get spicy"!