Curcumin - The Mellow Yellow Health Tool

Focus on...

Some more detailed examination of the benefits of curcumin and the problems with formulation.

Why is this useful?

There are lots of necessary supplements for the over 50’s [protein, ‘Vitamin’ D, vitamins B12 and B9 [Folate], Magnesium, Zinc …] At this point if you have followed my recommendations, you are rattling and considering the expense.

So when it comes to other additional agents, they must be really beneficial.

Curcumin [one of the active ingredients in dietary turmeric -that golden spice that stains your kitchen yellow when you have a curry] should definitely be on your list.

But … eating more Curry is not the answer.

The two questions I must answer to convince you are:

1.       What data is there on benefit and is it scientifically solid?

2.       What formulations achieve adequate bioavailability?

Preclinical data

Preclinical means science In the test tube and in small animals. Curcumin and its metabolites demonstrate anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-depressant, dementia delaying and anti-cancer activity. A shown in the diagram[1].

 

Research in actual people

Safety

Thre is NO safety issue, dose-escalating studies have indicated the safety of curcumin at doses as high as 12 g/day over 3 months. [2]

Effectiveness in inflammation

There are around 30 credible studies looking a the physiological response: they either show reduction in important inflammatory markers [TNF alpha, IL6, CRP] or a rise in protective chemicals like IL 10.[3]

Clinical trials in general

There have been multiple reports of potential usefulness in patients with pro-inflammatory diseases. The article referenced here [4] identified 440 reputable scientific papers. Targets included cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic and inflammatory disease, skin conditions and nuerological disease. dyskinesia, , cholecystitis, and chronic bacterial prostatitis. A fuller list is in the diagram below [that comes with the referenced article].

 

Dementia & other neurological diseases

Because of a multiplicity of action’s again reactive oxygen species, inflammation and mechanisms of brain damage, curcumin is under extensive investigation.[5]

A recent controlled trial of Theracumin is exciting. This is the first long-term (18 months) double-blind, placebo controlled trial of a bioavailable fornf curcumin [Theracurmin®] in non-demented adults.

Daily oral Theracurmin led to significant memory and attention benefits.

FDDNP-PET scans performed pre- and post-treatment suggested that behavioral and cognitive benefits are associated with decreases in plaque and tangle accumulation in brain regions modulating mood and memory. The cognitive benefits may stem from curcumin’s anti-inflammatory and/or anti-amyloid brain effects.[6]

Diabetes

In animal models, curcumin extract delays diabetes development, improves β-cell functions, prevents β-cell death, and decreases insulin resistance[7]

One-hundred overweight/obese T2DM patients were randomised curcumin (300 mg/day) group or placebo After 3 months the curcumin group showed significant reduction of fasting glycaemia, insulin resistance and HbA1c, together with a decrease in serum triglycerides and total free fatty acids (FFAs)[8]

Bioavailability

Bioavailability is the extent to which taking a pill means a therapeutic dose actually gets into the bloodstream and stays there long enough to be effective.

A review in 2019 identified 11 curcumin products for which there was good quality absorption data[9]. There are a number of different techniques for making the non-water-soluble curcumin bio available. These are all fairly equivalent in terms of the Area under the Curve [that is the mathematical integration of the area under a blood level graph for say 8-10 hours after ingestion]. The studies are not entirely comparable so differences may be as much about study design as the bioavailability of the product.

The really important thing is to use an enhanced absorption product that is available to you at a good price. I suggest a twice daily dose

Theracurmin has been beneficial to the brain and has a good profile ⁶, [10]. You may wish to choose that if your main concern is dementia prevention. The dose used was 90mg twice daily. That is 6 capsules a day and £75 a month. I see no strong evidence to recommend theracurmin over other bioavailable option at present.

I have not included the products that combine Curcumin and bioperine as that adds a further agent of uncertain impact.

Product	Capsule/ tab size	Availability	£ Cost/ 500mg/ 180mg in UK	Studies
Intelligent Labs Meriva [Indena]	250 mg	Amazon UK	£0.42
Lamberts Curcumin Extra [Omniactive]	500mg	Lamberts & other sites UK	0.66
LongVida	500mg	Amazon UK/US	0.27
Jarrow Formulas phytosome	500mg	Amazon UK/US	0.56
Thorne Meriva	500mg	Amazon US
Dr’s Best. Meriva phytosome	500mg	Amazon UK	0.54
Nutricology Meriva	500 mg	Amazon US
Natural Factors Theracurmin	30mg	Amazon UK	£2.50 per daily dose

 

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[1] Gupta, S.C., Patchva, S. & Aggarwal, B.B. Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials. AAPS J 15, 195–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-012-9432-8

[2] Gupta, S.C., Patchva, S. & Aggarwal, B.B. Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials. AAPS J 15, 195–218 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1208/s12248-012-9432-8

[3] Jessica J A Ferguson, Kylie A Abbott, Manohar L Garg, Anti-inflammatory effects of oral supplementation with curcumin: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 79, Issue 9, September 2021, Pages 1043–1066, https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuaa114

[4] Kunnumakkara AB, Hegde M, Parama D, Girisa S, Kumar A, Daimary UD, Garodia P, Yenisetti SC, Oommen OV, Aggarwal BB. Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci. 2023 Mar 6;6(4):447-518. doi: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00012. PMID: 37082752; PMCID: PMC10111629.

[5] Adami, R., & Bottai, D. (2022). Curcumin and neurological diseases. Nutritional Neuroscience, 25(3), 441–461. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2020.1760531

 

[6] Small GW, ,. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2018 Mar;26(3):266-277. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2017.10.010. Epub 2017 Oct 27. PMID: 29246725.

 

[7] Pivari F, Mingione A, Brasacchio C, Soldati L. Curcumin and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Prevention and Treatment. Nutrients. 2019 Aug 8;11(8):1837. doi: 10.3390/nu11081837. PMID: 31398884; PMCID: PMC6723242.

[8] Na L.X., Li Y., Pan H.Z., Zhou X.L., Sun D.J., Meng M., Li X.X., Sun C.H. Curcuminoids exert glucose-lowering effect in type 2 diabetes by decreasing serum free fatty acids: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2013;57:1569–1577. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201200131.

[9] Jamwal R. Bioavailable curcumin formulations: A review of pharmacokinetic studies in healthy volunteers. J Integr Med. 2018 Nov;16(6):367-374. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2018.07.001. 

[10] Chung H, Yoon SH, Cho JY, Yeo HK, Shin D, Park JY. Comparative pharmacokinetics of Theracurmin, a highly bioavailable curcumin, in healthy adult subjects. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2021 Oct;59(10):684-690. doi: 10.5414/CP204058. PMID: 34423771; PMCID: PMC9097512.