LONDON (Reuters) - Eye drops from turmeric can reveal dementia years before symptoms appear, British scientists have found.
The researchers found that the droplets developed at the University of London facilitate early diagnosis of dementia before any behavioral signs of memory loss.
A daily dose of eye drops containing curcumin, which is responsible for the yellow color of turmeric, has helped detect Alzheimer's disease (the most common form of dementia) in genetically engineered mice to develop the disease two years before the onset of behavioral symptoms.
Curcumin makes abnormal proteins in the brain visible by clinging to them, appearing as fluorescent spots, making them detectable by looking at the back of the eye.
"Looking at successful trials, the search for retinal markers for Alzheimer's and other brain diseases, as well as glaucoma, can become part of the normal eye test within five years," said Dr. Cordeiro, professor of ophthalmology at Imperial College London. .
