We tell you now the incredible power of turmeric benefits and properties: a valid help from nature against inflammation.
Curcuma longa is a plant characterized by a large rhizome, that is an underground stem from 50 to 120 cm high with large leaves with elongated petiole similar to those of ginger. The flower has a beautiful pale white-yellow color. The name turmeric derives from the word Kour Koum, which means Saffron: in fact, Turmeric is also known as Saffron of the Indies.
The part used in herbal medicine is precisely the rhizome, which is collected from plants of at least 3 years old and then immediately in succession the washing operations, short boiling with water, subsequent drying (in the sun or in large ovens) and finally the grinding that allows to obtain a yellow-orange powder, a color attributable to the presence of curcuminoids, which are the main constituents of turmeric to which its properties are attributable. Among the curcuminoids, the majority component is curcumin (which constitutes 95-97% of curcuminoids) followed by demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curumin. According to the EMA, the dried drug (seared and dried Curcuma longa rhizome) must not contain less than 3% of total curcuminoids calculated as curcumin.
Curcuminoids have shown great scientific interest as they are able to interact with numerous biological targets, and hence the numerous actions attributed to them: antioxidants, antivirals, antimicrobials, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory and healing.
Turmeric properties, benefits and its role in chronic inflammation
According to the ESCOP, the rhizome turmeric is to be used in the symptomatic treatment of mild digestive disorders and minor biliary dysfunctions. From the monographs of ESCOP, EMA, WHO, turmeric has the following properties:
- choleretic activity (increased bile secretion from the liver) and cholagogue (increased excretion of bile from the gallbladder);
- carminative activity;
- anti-inflammatory activity (exhibited at the level of transduction signals and gene transcription in case of immune hyperactivation);
- anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic and antitumor.
Among the new therapeutic indications, Turmeric benefits are:
- age-related macular degeneration;
- uveitis, diabetic retinopathies;
- control of glucose metabolism;
- complement to antineoplastic therapy;
- neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s),
- joint pain;
- intestinal inflammation.
Curcuma longa and its active compounds, curcuminoids, have become extremely topical since it was understood that most of the chronic diseases of our century are attributable to the chronic inflammatory state caused by numerous acute and chronic infections. At the beginning of our century a particular interest was directed to the inflammatory enzymes cyclooxygenase COX-2 which are hyper expressed in numerous malignant tumors. Today we also know that chronic low-grade, or silent, persistent inflammation after many years can lead to chronic degenerative diseases and cancer and favor their evolution. In certain pathological pictures, curcuminoids, unlike drugs, allow to reduce chronic inflammation and improve symptoms without causing important side effects.
Turmeric naturally has great advantages but has a poor bioavailability
The extracts of Curcuma longa are represented by the curcuminoids of which curcumin (which makes up 95-97% of the curcuminoids) is the most active form in modulating the inflammatory signals and cell proliferation. Despite the numerous properties and the recognized safety profile, Turmeric’s therapeutic activity is only possible at high doses. The poor bioavailability is essentially attributable to poor intestinal absorption because turmeric is unstable at physiological pH and rapid metabolization. To increase the bioavailability of the compound, numerous strategies are used, including the complexation of curcumin with phospholipids, or other lipid carriers. In the phytosome there is an interaction between the active ingredient (curcumin) and the polar head of the phospholipid so as to be an integral part of the membrane. The new molecular entity thus formed improves the bioavailability of the active ingredient and allows its use at low doses. Thus, the phytosome of curcumin has systemic levels significantly higher than the curcumin not complexed with an increase in bioavailability of about 30 times.
Where can we find turmeric in an easily assimilated state?
Curcuma Gold is our supplement that contains Curcuma Fitosoma®, which thanks to the patented association with soy lecithin, has allowed a significant improvement in the absorption of gastro-intestinal and a more rapid crossing of cellular barriers. In order also to enhance the digestive and hepatic efficacy Curcuma Gold also contains a dry extract of ginger. The significant improvement in the bioavailability of Curcuma Fitosoma has been demonstrated in the clinical study “Comparative Absorption of a standardized Curcumoid Mixture and Its Lecithin Formulation“. The study found that the absorption of total curcuminoids is 30 times higher in Curcuma Fitosoma®, the absorption of demetossicurcumin (component with higher anti-inflammatory activity) is 68 times higher than in Curcuma Fitosoma®, the maximum plasma concentration is higher than about 15 times.
Turmeric benefits
Here are other in vivo clinical studies conducted on Curcuma Fitosoma®:
- Turmeric and digestive system: the protective effect of Turmeric extract on the liver, from toxic substances such as alcohol, has been the subject of numerous studies. Other clinical studies have shown the positive effect of turmeric on patients suffering from colitis and irritable bowel syndrome, improving quality of life after two months and reducing abdominal pain. Thanks to the synergy with ginger, the digestive and hepatic efficacy of Curcuma Fitosoma has been enhanced. To benefit from it, we recommend taking 2 tablets of Curcuma Gold a day for at least two months.
- Turmeric and musculoskeletal system: The osteoarticular pathology is characterized by diseases of the degenerative musculoskeletal system, such as osteoarthritis, and of a purely inflammatory type such as rheumatoid arthritis. In rheumatoid arthritis, chronic autoimmune disease, curcumin inhibits those molecular signals that promote joint inflammation and destruction but are also involved in neoplastic pathology: it has an activity similar to anti-TNF drugs but without their side effects and is able to reduce C-reactive protein. Curcumin is also effective in relieving chronic pain including neuropathic pain. In osteoarthritis, curcumin counteracts the effects of the inflammatory molecules that are responsible for the destruction of the cartilage, determines the reduction of pain and an improvement in the motility of the affected joints. From a study by Panachi et al. (2015) shows that in the presence of curcuminoids, oxidative stress is significantly reduced, which is a determinant of the degradation of the extracellular matrix and increases the serum levels of the antioxidant enzymes. The antihyperalgesic effect of curcumin can be attributed to blocking the activation of the capsaicin receptor receptor, involved in pain control (Yeon et al., 2010). A clinical study of 2015 by Rapacioli et al. highlighted the activity of Curcuma phytosome® against acute pain showing that the daily intake of 4 tablets of Curcuma Fitosoma® is comparable to the therapeutic dosage of paracetamol but with side effects (gastric tolerability) significantly lower. We recommend the association with Doloreum, useful for joint functionality, to enhance its action.
- Turmeric and prostate: In recent experimental work, it appears that curcumin is effective in non-bacterial chronic prostatitis. The mechanism of action can be attributed to the decrease of some pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFalpha in the blood and in the tissues and to inhibition of the COX-2 cyclooxygenase (Zhang et al., 2010); According to Kim (2013) pro-inflammatory cytokines secreted by macrophages in the presence of prostatic inflammation, they stimulate hyperplastic prostatic growth for hyper-regulation of the HIF-1 alpha factor that is inhibited by curcumin. in experimental studies, curcumin reduces the weight and volume of the prostate gland so much that Kim et al. (2015) support its usefulness in the treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (blog.). The administration of Curcuma fitosoma® in patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy reduces the symptoms of the disease. Synergistically associating Curcuma Gold with Prostapygeum will enhance the effect.
- Turmeric and Diabetes: a recent study by Zhang et al 2013 stated that curcumin could positively influence most of the key aspects of diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia. In addition, curcumin has been shown to be effective in reducing liver disorders associated with diabetes, such as “fatty liver” and modulating diabetic neuropathy. To get results on diabetes with Curcuma Gold it is advisable to take it for at least 6 months without interruption. In addition, a new clinical study of 38 diabetic patients confirmed the efficacy of Curcuma Fitosoma in diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and dry eye syndrome, in the dosage of 2 tablets per day for 2 months.
Conclusions
Turmeric, with the numerous molecular mechanisms of its many active compounds, is the subject of attention for the prevention but also for the therapy of osteoarticular diseases, of the metabolic syndrome, and for the treatment of degenerative and tumor diseases that recognize the inflammation base chronic. To be assimilated, however, it is necessary to use it in a liposomal form.
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