 What's the latest on treating memory disorders with the spice saffron? Saffron had evidently been widely used in the Persian medical tradition for memory problems, but it wasn't put to the test until this study, which I profiled, showing Alzheimer's dementia symptoms continue to get worse on placebo, but getting better on saffron over a 16-week period. The researchers concluded that, at least in the short term, it's safe and effective and mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. What about head-to-head versus the leading drug used for such patients? It appeared to work just as well, but with significantly less vomiting, a common side effect of the drug. So that's where we were as of 2010. What's the update? In 2013, we got the first glimpse at a potential mechanism. Alzheimer's disease involves brain nerve cell destruction. Our brain cells can be killed by a buildup of tangles or the buildup of amyloid plaques, where aggregates of a protein called amyloid beta act is a poison. But in a Petri dish, at least, adding the red pigment found in saffron, called crocin, significantly reduces this amyloid clumping, an effect that can be plainly seen under an electron microscope. So the component of saffron that makes it so colorful appears to have the ability to prevent amyloid formation. What about the tangles? There's the amyloid, and then there's the tangles, which crocin also seems to be able to block in vitro. Again, as demonstrated with electron microscopy. So maybe that's why saffron helps in Alzheimer's disease? But do you have to catch it early? Note this was just for mild to moderate Alzheimer's. What about moderate to severe Alzheimer's? We didn't know until now, head-to-head against the leading drug for severe Alzheimer's and against saffron seemed to help just as well. And one might consider just as well better since there haven't been any serious adverse effects attributed to saffron, whereas the drug is so safe with an increased risk of sleepiness, weight gain, confusion, hypertension, nervous system disorders, and falling. And the saffron study wasn't funded by supplement or spice companies, non-commercial public grants, but all the studies were done in Iran, which controls about 90% of the saffron crop. So there's a national interest in promoting saffron consumption, just like the New Zealand government funds research on kiwifruit, though who else has got to fund studies on a simple spice?