Adding just one gram of the Asian spice turmeric to breakfast could help improve the memory of people who are in the very early stages of diabetes and at risk of dementia.

That’s the upshot of new research out of Taiwan that suggests antioxidant compounds in the spice, which is used in curry dishes, could halt the progression of dementia or reduce its impact.

The study, led by Mark Wahlqvist, from the Monash Asia Institute at Monash University, tracked the working memory of a group of Taiwanese men and women aged 60 or older who had recently been diagnosed with untreated pre-diabetes.

“We found that this modest addition to breakfast improved working memory over six hours in older people with pre-diabetes,” Wahlqvist said.