Do you take Turmeric supplements? (Part 1)

Turmeric has been a mainstay of Indian Ayurvedic medicine where it is used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune supporting qualities. Today food seems awash with turmeric: everything from cooking to trendy drinks. While whole turmeric is used in cooking it is the curcumin in turmeric that accounts for its therapeutic properties and the reason I use in supplements. Only 3-4% of turmeric powder is Curcumin so relying on adding turmeric for curcumin means you have to eat a lot of it!

Curcumin is probably the most studied plant extract for its benefits on human health. A quick count found 140 studies. One is, “Curcumin: a new paradigm and therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of osteoarthritis.” (Henrotin, 2013). The study concluded “curcumin represents a new paradigm since it is not yet a recommended intervention in osteoarthritis but should be considered based on its safety and efficacy.”

As an example, I have many clients who have benefitted from curcumin often to calm tissue affected by inflammation. One client had a troublesome Baker’s cyst behind his knee. Taking my Curcumin product has greatly reduced swelling and discomfort.

But here is the problem: Curcumin is largely insoluble in water and has very low absorption rates. This is worsened by the liver removing curcumin from circulation. If you want to test this, get a teaspoon of turmeric and try to stir it into a glass of water. Curcumin is even worse with about 1% solubility in even hot water. Adding things like black pepper can help but this is a gastric irritant. One of the main issues with traditional Curcumin + Black pepper extracts is that it can cause or worsen upper digestives issues like reflux,

BioSolve ® is a patented Curcumin extract that overcomes the problems of solubility by combining a clever process adding food starches. The result is a natural water-soluble curcumin extract with superior absorption. Studies show over 8 times the absorption over traditional Curcumin extracts. This means that Curcumin can quickly go to work to help calm inflamed tissue and protect cells from damage.

I suggest you commence Curcumin Plus with a higher dose of at least 2 capsules daily. You could even go higher for a few weeks of 2 twice daily before reducing. Continue reading below for more information on Curcumin Plus.
Please contact me for personalised advice.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@abundant.co.nz.  Join his newsletter at www.abundant.co.nz.

Curcumin Plus: Each capsule has BioSOLVE® 500mg and Oxifend® OPC (grape seed) extract 100mg.

Curcumin Plus is a cutting edge curcumin (from turmeric) supplement. Curcumin is one of nature’s most incredible ingredients. One of the best sources of information is the Linus Pauline Institute through the University of Oregon. Click on this link for excellent information on Curcumin. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/curcumin

Curcumin has low bioavailability….until now

The Linus Pauline Institute information acknowledges the biggest problem with curcumin: It has low bioavailability. The main reason is curcumin is poorly soluble in water. If you stir a teaspoon of standard curcumin powder to a glass of water, most of the curcumin separates from the water. To be well absorbed in our gut the curcumin needs to be soluble in water.

BioSOLVE® is the first patented water soluble curcumin extract. If you get a teaspoon of BioSOLVE and mix it into a glass of water it will rapidly dissolve. This means your gut can absorb the curcumin. This also means we no longer have to add piperine (black pepper extract) to enhance absorption. This is a bonus for sensitive stomachs as piperine can irritate the stomach.

Oxifend® OPC extract

This is the same extract we recently added to Cell-X. We include Oxifend® OPC in Curcumin Plus to significantly increase the antioxidant capacity. OPC is one of the most potent free radical scavengers helping to protect cells from oxidative (free radical) damage. This is widely accepted as the dominant cause of premature cell aging and damage. If we protect cells, we also protect the tissue those cells comprised. Additionally OPC has a strong effect on the immune system especially in helping regulate inflammatory processes.

Caution: Do not use Curcumin if taking warfarin or similar anti-coagulant medications without advice from your prescribing medical doctor. Adult use only.

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