Cumin (jeera), a dietary staple in India, could help in the battle against Alzheimer's, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have said.

A  new UCLA-Veterans affairs study involving genetically-altered mice suggests that curcumin - the yellow pigment found in the curry spice - inhibits the accumulation of destructive beta amyloids in the brains of Alzheimer's patients and also breaks up existing plaques.

The findings have been reported in the online edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Professor Gregory Cole, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at ULCA, was the principal investigator of the study.

Though Ayurveda has some really good ayurvedic medicine for obesity, it is generally not prescribed for women who are still in the reproductive period. Hence here is a simple remedy that has been tried and tested for slimming down naturally.- Take one glass of starch (water drained from cooked rice).- Mix a little cumin seed powder (jeera powder) and salt.- Over a period of six months, you will notice a gradual but assured loss of weight.