Monday, February 4, 2013

The Power of Curcumin to Influence Health

Curcumin is one of my favorite herbs as a veterinary practitioner.  It has been used for centuries in both Ayurvedic and Chinese medical cultures for various health conditions ranging from gastrointestinal complaints to management of pain and inflammation.  

Curcumin is actually the active ingredient found in the root of Turmeric and ranges in concentration from 2-4%.  It is formulated as a bright yellow orange powder as seen in the photo below.  Curcumin is high in demand due not only to published medical research touting its benefits, but it is also used in the cosmetic and dye industries as seen with its potential staining capabilities.  In my eyes, this is curcumin's only downfall!

Research has found that Curcumin inhibits transcription factor NF-kB, which then results in the decreased formation of many pro-inflammatory cytokines or proteins.

Curcumin photoroot
        
Upregulation of NF-kB has been connected with many health conditions ranging from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, but has also been connected with other health concerns such as diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory conditions and even cancer.  By downregulating NF-kB with the use of Curcumin, we can potentially reduce the incidence of many of these conditions and improve the quality of life for many people as well as animals.  

So, how can Curcumin improve your life or that of your companion pet or horse?  As mentioned above, Curcumin reduces the inflammatory cascade at a cellular level and impacts the formation of several inflammatory proteins.  This results in a more broad approach to inflammation and pain reduction.  Many prescription pain medications inhibit only a small piece of the inflammatory cascade and tend to have an 'all or nothing' type of approach, which results in side effects. 

Personally, I use our Cur-OST formulas in instances of pain associated with injuries, arthritis, joint problems but also use them routinely in horses for management of arthritis, laminitis, navicular syndrome and even conditions such as asthma and ocular problems.  Remember, inflammation is connected with many different types of conditions and pain doesn't have to be present to indicate inflammation!  I find that by using our Cur-OST formulas, we are able to reduce or eliminate prescription pain medications, but also the patients seem to recover more completely with improved health as well.  We also utilize our Cur-OST formulas in almost every cancer case, whether that is a companion pet or a horse.  The amount of research on Curcumin and cancer is stunning and I feel by using these formulas we are able to improve the quality of life for our patients but also promote overall health.

Curcumin is one of many herbs that can inhibit NF-kB.  It is best, in my opinion, to utilize multiple herbs which complement one another in order to gain effect as well as allow the reduction of needed dosages.  One issue has been raised regarding the bioavailability or absorption of curcumin.  Research has shown that despite administering high doses to patients, blood levels have only indicated trace amounts of the compounds.  In our Cur-OST products, we utilize a patented form of Curcumin called BCM-95, which utilizes volatile oils found in the turmeric root to help improve absorption and resulting in higher blood levels.  We have found this to be true in our patients in comparison to other Curcumin preparations and by using this patented compound, we are able to reduce overall doses and yet, achieve good results.  Curcumin is a fat soluble herb and thus is best consumed with food in my opinion to enhance absorption.

I hope that you find this information useful and educational.  Your health, as well as that of your companion pet and horse are my priority.  In future editions of our email newsletter,  I hope to introduce you to more of our ingredients in a more in depth fashion.

Tom Schell, D.V.M.
Nouvelle Research, Inc.
tschelldvm@nouvelleresearch.com
www.curost.com

No comments: