Landscape Language

Bicolor (adj) – having two colors

“Avalanche lilies are white and glacier lilies are yellow” is a common statement in the park this time of year. For quick identification it is true enough. Glacier lilies (Erythronium grandiflorum) are yellow. Avalanche lilies (Erythronium montanum) are mostly white. However, avalanche lilies are actually bicolor! Their petals have two colors – primarily white but yellow at the base. Avalanche lilies are currently blooming in abundance throughout the subalpine regions of the park.

NPS photo of avalanche lilies in Paradise, 7/11/17. Description: A cluster of flowers with white petals and yellow centers. ~kl

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miisbee

7 years ago

Curcumin improves memory and mood: Twice-daily supplements boosted cognitive power over 18 months

Lovers of Indian food, give yourselves a second helping: Daily consumption of a certain form of curcumin – the substance that gives Indian curry its bright color – improved memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss, according to the results of a study conducted by UCLA researchers.

The research, published online Jan. 19 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, examined the effects of an easily absorbed curcumin supplement on memory performance in people without dementia, as well as curcumin’s potential impact on the microscopic plaques and tangles in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Found in turmeric, curcumin has previously been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in lab studies. It also has been suggested as a possible reason that senior citizens in India, where curcumin is a dietary staple, have a lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and better cognitive performance.

“Exactly how curcumin exerts its effects is not certain, but it may be due to its ability to reduce brain inflammation, which has been linked to both Alzheimer’s disease and major depression,” said Dr. Gary Small, director of geriatric psychiatry at UCLA’s Longevity Center and of the geriatric psychiatry division at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, and the study’s first author.

Gary W. Small, Prabha Siddarth, Zhaoping Li, Karen J. Miller, Linda Ercoli, Natacha D. Emerson, Jacqueline Martinez, Koon-Pong Wong, Jie Liu, David A. Merrill, Stephen T. Chen, Susanne M. Henning, Nagichettiar Satyamurthy, Sung-Cheng Huang, David Heber, Jorge R. Barrio. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2017.10.010

Turmeric powder and roots. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.Credit: © pinkomelet / Fotolia

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miisbee

7 years ago