The specific ingredients and proportions of curry powder vary from dish to dish and region to region, so it is difficult to say what the specific health benefits of any one mix of curry powder may be. However, some of the standard curry ingredients have health benefits that may surprise you. Of special interest are turmeric, ginger, garlic, ground fennel seed and coriander.
Turmeric
A study published in the July 1996 "Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry" demonstrated a significant reduction in the cholesterol levels of rats with the addition of curcumin to the diet of the rats. Curcumin is the therapeutically active component of turmeric.
Ginger
Ginger, another common ingredient in curry powder, has a variety of benefits, including reduced blood pressure and reduced nausea. A study published in "Saudi Medical Journal" in August 2008 demonstrated that subjects who were given daily doses of 3 g of ginger had significant reductions in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides.
Garlic
The medical community has long accepted garlic as an herb with many health-promoting properties, especially with regard to heart health. The August 1982 issue of "Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences" presented a study that is one of many that examined the relationship between compounds found in garlic and onions and a reduction in cholesterol levels. The study found that garlic and onion oils significantly reduced cholesterol even in the face of the high-sugar diet fed to the test rats.
Fennel
The "European Journal of Scientific Research" published a study in April 2011 that demonstrated the effects of a liquid extract of fennel on the cholesterol levels of mice. Mice receiving the aqueous fennel extract showed significant reduction in both their plasma, or blood, cholesterol levels and the level of cholesterol in their livers.
Coriander
The September 1997 issue of "Plant Foods For Human Nutrition" contains a study in which rats fed a high-fat diet with added cholesterol showed significant reduction in their total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol when they received supplemental coriander. In addition to reducing their "bad" cholesterol numbers, the rats showed increases in high-density lipoprotein, or "good," cholesterol levels.
References
- "Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry"; Hypolipidemic Action of Curcumin, The Active Principle of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats; P. Suresh Babu, et al.; July 1996
- "Saudi Medical Journal"; Investigation of the Effect of Ginger on The Lipid Levels. A Double Blind Controlled Clinical Trial; Reza Alizadeh-Navaei, et al.; August 2008
- "Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences"; Hypolipidemic Action of Onion and Garlic Unsaturated Oils in Sucrose Fed Rats Over a Two-Month Period; I. Adamu, et al.; August 1982
- "European Journal of Scientific Research"; Hypolipidemic and Anti-Atherogenic Effect of Aqueous Extract of Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Extract in an Experimental Model of Atherosclerosis Induced by Triton WR-133; Fatiha Oulmoude, et al.; April 2011
- "Plant Foods for Human Nutrition"; Hypolipidemic Effect of Coriander Seeds (Coriandrum Sativum): Mechanism of Action; V. Chithra, et al.; September 1997
