TURMERIC
Turmeric is the dried, powdered root of the plant Curcuma longa and is used in curry powders. Curcuminoids are compounds found in turmeric. Most research has focused on curcumin which gives turmeric its distinct color.
Benefit:
Cognitive function: Theracurmin – a form of curcumin that has been shown to absorb 27 fold higher than standard curcumin powders was used in a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial over 18 months.
There was improvement in cognitive scores, mood and less accumulation of proteins (tau & amyloid) in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s. This is a product I take and have used extensively in my practice – there have been few tolerance issues. Patients and I have noticed fewer “aches & pains.”
Depression/anxiety: Improvement in depression/anxiety scores have been shown in small clinical trials after 2-3 months of curcumin, including people already on an SSRI antidepressant such as Prozac (fluoxetine) & Zoloft (sertraline).
Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: 1000 mg of curcumin daily has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain . It multiple studies curcumin provide mild to moderate relief in osteoarthritis and appears to be a safer alternative to NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc) which are known to substantially increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, raise blood pressure, damage the kidneys and cause peptic ulcer disease.
Muscle soreness – from intense exercise has been shown to be decreased in multiple studies. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-015-3152-6,
Muscle power has also been shown to be preserved after intense exercise with curcumin supplementation vs placebo.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis: a small double blind randomized placebo controlled trial in patients who did not achieve remission with the drug mesalamine were placed on 1.5 grams of curcumin twice/day or placebo. At week four, none of the placebo patients achieved remission while 53.8% of those receiving curcumin did.
Cancer prevention: In the laboratory curcumin has been shown to suppress proliferation of cancer cells but human clinical trials are limited. They are encouraging for colon cancer but more studies are needed.
Quality: Products listed below have been shown to be free of heavy metals, have bioavailability and contain what is listed on their labels by independent testing labs.
How much should you take? Absorption is a key issue with turmeric. It is not easily absorbed. Taking it with a plant based fat/oil will help with absorption. Due to its short half life 2-4 hours), it’s best to take a dose twice/day. Theracurmin HP absorbs 27 fold more than turmeric spice and has the longest half life: 9-11 hours. I have used it extensively in my practice and found it to be well tolerated and effective.
Safety: I do not recommend taking any of the high absorption formulations of turmeric products listed below if you are on a blood thinner. Their absorption is many times greater than normal turmeric supplements and they can thin out the blood too much. Lead contamination and accurate content are also legitimate concerns. Some products on Amazon were found to contain only 3% of curcumin listed on the label. The products below have been tested by reputable labs to be free of the heavy metals lead, arsenic and cadmium. They are reliable and bioavailable.