Spicy Curry Could Curb Methane Emissions

We've addressed the problem of the methane from livestock farts and burps contributing to global warming. One way to attack the problem is to breed sheep that produce less methane. But researchers at Newcastle University say that adding curry spices to livestock feed could produce the same results.

Research has found that coriander and turmeric - spices traditionally used to flavour curries - can reduce the amount of methane produced by sheep by up to 40 per cent.

Working a bit like an antibiotic, the spices were found to kill the methane-producing ''bad'' bacteria in the animal's gut while allowing the ''good'' bacteria to flourish.

The findings are part of a study by Newcastle University research student Mohammad Mehedi Hasan and Dr Abdul Shakoor Chaudhry.

Spices also help an animal digest its food more efficiently, which could reduce the amount of feed needed. Coriander was the most efficient spice in the experiment, followed by tumeric and then cinnamon. Link -via Fortean Times

(Image credit: Flickr user Tambako the Jaguar)