Curry (from Tamil: கறி) is the English description of any of a general variety of spicy dishes, best-known in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, Chinese and other South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, though curry has been adopted into all of the mainstream cuisines of the Asia-Pacific region. Along with tea, curry is one of the few dishes or drinks that is truly "Pan-Asian", but specifically, its roots come from India. The concept of curry was later brought to the West by British colonialists in India from the 18th century. Dishes that are often classified as curries in Europe and America are rarely considered curries in their native countries.

Treatment of brain cells called astrocytes, with the Indian curry spice, curcumin (turmeric) has been found to increase expression of the glutathione S-transferase and protect neurons exposed to oxidant stress.

In recent years, laboratory and animal studies have suggested that curcumin--the pigment that gives the Indian curry spice turmeric its bright-yellow hue--may have some power to kill tumors and clear the brain plaques that characterize Alzheimer's disease.

...Preliminary research suggests Jayne may be right. A study in the November issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism suggests turmeric, one component of curry spice, almost completely prevented joint swelling in rats with arthritis. Other studies have suggested that the spice could protect against diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's...

Turmeric, the spice that gives curry its yellow hue, may hold promise as a therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), animal research suggests.In experiments with rats, scientists at the University of Arizona in Tucson found that an experimental turmeric extract was able to prevent RA-like joint inflammation and destruction in the animals.

Extract of a spice used in curry could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, US research suggests.CURRY RULES