Submitted by Pam Klim, Independent Advocare Distributor
Often people ask members of our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board what ingredients go into our products and why. Today, Dr. Stohs give us the background on one of the ingredients in our new BioTune product (found in the BioTools kit) — and it’s one you may be surprised to find out has a member of the family hanging out in your spice rack at home.
What Are Turmeric and Curcumin?
Turmeric is the dried, ground rhizome of the perennial herb Curcuma longa L. It is also known as haldi in Hindi, and has been used in Asian cuisine as a dietary spice and flavoring agent, preservative, and coloring agent. It has also been used as a herbal remedy for inflammatory conditions and other diseases since the second century BC. Turmeric contains a group of polyphenolic compounds known as curcuminoids. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is believed to be the most potent of the curcuminoids and constitutes 2–8 percent of turmeric. Curcumin is known for its characteristic, intense yellow color, which it imparts to foods and other products with which it is mixed.
What Potential Health Benefits Does Curcumin Possess?
In the past 25 years, hundreds of research papers have been published investigating curcumin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cancer chemoprotective, and potential chemotherapeutic properties. The majority of these studies have been conducted in animals and in vitro systems. About 40 human clinical trials have been conducted and another 40 clinical trials are currently in progress.
Oxidative stress induced by oxygen- and nitrogen-containing free radicals play a major role in the pathogenesis of most if not all diseases. Curcumin is a very potent antioxidant, scavenging a variety of reactive oxygen species including super oxide anion and hydroxyl radicals as well as nitrogen dioxide radicals. Studies have shown that curcumin is as much as eight times more effective as vitamin E in scavenging some forms of reactive oxygen species. Curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory via its ability to inhibit the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX), similar to many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the potential adverse effects.
Various studies have indicated that curcumin possesses a wide range of anti-cancer effects. The molecular basis of these effects is attributed to its complex actions on various target systems including growth regulators, adhesion molecules, transcription factors, regulators of angiogenesis (new blood vessel formation), and cell signaling molecules.
As a consequence of the growing number of research studies, the following biological effects have been attributed to curcumin and turmeric: antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, wound healing, immunomodulatory properties, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-antigenic, anti-mutagenic, and anti-metastatic. Furthermore, research data suggest that curcumin may protect the liver, heart, nervous system, lungs, kidneys, eyes, joints, gastro-intestinal tract, respiratory tract, and pancreas from a variety of diseases and toxic insults. Further research studies will be required to confirm the extent of these beneficial effects. Major benefits of curcumin and turmeric include the fact that they have wide margins of safety and are relatively inexpensive. They have been used in foods on a daily basis for hundreds of years. One study has shown that a dose of up to eight grams of curcumin per day given to human subjects for three months was without adverse effects.
The effectiveness of curcumin has been limited because of its poor bioavailability or absorption from the gut. This means that blood levels of curcuminoids are much lower than levels in the gastrointestinal tract. The specific turmeric extract BCM-95â has successfully addressed this problem. Consequently, this particular form of curcumin leads to a sustained systemic distribution of the active curcuminoids, making it a superior ingredient.
AdvoCare includes curcumin BCM-95â in Digest Ease and BioTune based on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and organ protective properties as well as other potential health benefits.
Pamela Klim is an Advocare Independent Distributor residing in Bettendorf, Iowa. Pam’s passion is helping others achieve optimal health and wellness, weight loss, and/or sports performance with Advocare. Founded in 1993, they have set the industry standard for safety testing and cutting-edge science, using only the highest quality raw materials obtainable to make their supplements. Advocare’s full-spectrum line of supplements are for men, women, and athletes, and cover everything from weight loss, energy and mental focus, and sports performance to overall general health and wellness. They have been designed for anyone who wants to feel better, look better, and perform better every day. Pam also helps others share the products and pursue the Advocare income opportunity. For more information, please contact Pam at 563-940-2295. Email: klimwellness@gmail.com. Website: www.advocare.com/03034246.
Sources on request
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