When the brain is traumatized there is “an energy crisis that compromises the capacity of the brain to cope with challenges, and often reduces cognitive ability.” This paper recently published in the journal Neuroscience reports that curcumin, extracted from the spice turmeric, has a significant beneficial impact on the ability of brain tissue to cope with “events that regulate energy homeostasis crucially impact synaptic function and this can compromise the capacity of the brain to respond to challenges during the acute and chronic phases of TBI.” The authors conclude that curcumin and similar compounds show value in recovering from brain injury: “Results show the potential of curcumin to regulate molecules involved in energy homeostasis following TBI. These studies may foster a new line of therapeutic treatments for TBI patients by endogenous upregulation of molecules important for functional recovery.”