Best Curcumin C3 Complex® with Bioperine® tablets and Best Curcumin w/Bioperine® capsules contain a potent standardized extract of Curcuma longa root, commonly known as turmeric. Turmeric is the yellow spice that gives flavor to curried dishes. The herb has been employed in the Ayurvedic healing tradition for centuries as a folk remedy. The active ingredients in Curcuma longa are a group of plant substances called curcuminoids, a class of compounds that have demonstrated potent antioxidant properties in scientific studies.* Curcuminoids may benefit the joints, brain, heart and the circulatory system by helping to neutralize free-radicals.* Curcuminoids are responsible for turmeric’s distinctive yellow color. Although the term “curcumin” is used as a name for curcuminoids, “pure” curcumin is just one of the naturally occurring curcuminoids.

Curcumin C3 ComplexÒ supplies 95% total curcuminoids, including “pure” curcumin, bisdemethoxy curcumin and demethoxy curcumin. BioperineÒ is an extract of Black Pepper fruit that contains 95-98% piperine. BioperineÒ is added as a natural bioenhancer to promote absorption of the product.*

Turmeric- History and Traditional Usage

Native to Southeast Asia, Curcuma longa is a tall tropical shrub with large oblong leaves and pale yellow flowers. The genus “Curcuma” belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which includes ginger.¹ The plant possesses a large root structure with fleshy, bulbous underground parts called “rhizomes.” These rhizomes, known as turmeric root, are harvested at maturity, dried and cured for commercial use. Chemical analysis shows that dried turmeric contains essential and volatile oils, with a curcuminoid content of 2.5 to 5.0 %.²

In addition to its popularity as a spice, turmeric is used as a dye for cloth and as a coloring agent in foods and cosmetics, thanks to its rich yellow color. Turmeric also serves as a preservative, probably owing to the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of curcumin. Extracts of Curcuma longa have demonstrated in vitro antibacterial and anti-fungal effects.³

Turmeric is named in ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal texts as a traditional folk remedy. Historically, turmeric was used externally for wounds, and sprains, and internally for digestive health, joint support, enhancement of liver health, and immune wellness.⁴

Ingredients

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·         Protects cells and tissues by fighting free radicals*

·         Supports joint function*

The numerous beneficial effects attributed to turmeric stem in large measure from the antioxidant properties of curcumin. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, which are highly unstable molecules that can damage cellular structures through abnormal oxidative reactions. Curcumin is a potent “scavenger” of the superoxide radical, a free radical that initiates potentially harmful oxidative processes such as lipid peroxidation.⁵ Through this activity, curcumin has been shown to protect skin cells from the injurious effect of nitroblue tetrazolium, a toxin that generates superoxide radicals. Curcumin also increases survival of cells exposed in vitro to the enzyme hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase, which stimulates superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production. Curcumin is not toxic to cells, even at high concentrations. “Pure” curcumin (see first paragraph under “Ingredients” above) was shown to be less protective that a mixture of curcuminoids, indicating a possible synergism among the curcuminoids.⁶ Because free radicals are involved in aging and exert harmful effects on skin, these results suggest curcumin may help slow skin aging.

Curcumin demonstrates several other in vitro effects linked to free radical scavenging. Curcumin scavenges nitric oxide, a compound associated with the body’s inflammatory response.⁷ Pure curcumin and turmeric extracts protect red blood cells from lipid peroxidation induced by hydrogen peroxide.⁸ Curcumin has been shown to protect DNA from oxidative damage, inhibit binding of toxic metabolites to DNA, and reduce DNA mutations in the Ames’ test.⁹ Although additional studies suggest an anticarcinogenic effect of curcumin, through protection of DNA,¹⁰ one in vitro study found that curcumin induced DNA damage in human gastric mucosal cells.¹¹ It is speculated that curcumin may act as a pro-oxidant in the presence of transition metal ions such as copper and iron. (This is true for other antioxidants, including vitamin C.) Curcumin also demonstrates in vitro inhibition of COX-I and COX-II enzymes, which are involved in the inflammatory reaction.¹² Together these results strongly suggest that curcumin is a potent bioprotectant with a potentially wide range of therapeutic applications.

Animal studies- In vivo protective effects

Through its free radical scavenging properties, curcumin has shown bioprotective effects in animals. In one study, rats were treated with isoproterenol, a chemical that cause cardiac hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart) due to abnormal collagen metabolism. Co-treatment with curcumin reversed the degradation of collagen and cardiac hypertrophy induced by isoproterenol.¹³ Curcumin protects mice from detrimental effects of radiation, by stabilizing the glyoxalase system, a biological system that regulates cell division.¹⁴ Curcumin protects livers of rats from the damaging effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), a potent hepatoxin that injures the liver via its free radical metabolite, CCl₃.^15,16  Curcumin protected rats from alcohol-induced brain damage, in a study in which oral administration of curcumin reversed lipid peroxidation, reduced levels of free-radical metabolites and increased levels of glutathione, a major physiologic antioxidant.¹⁷  Curcuma long extracts have shown anti-inflammatory effects in rats.¹⁸

Additional studies have shown that curcumin administered to rats following the administration of pro-oxidant chemicals reduced serum levels of ALT, a prominent liver enzyme indicator of inflammation, as well as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), which are major indicators of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress.¹⁹ These results suggest that curcumin can enhance the detoxifying ability of the liver.

Several in vitro investigations point to the ability of curcuminoids to regulate immune mediators involved in promoting normal joint function and promoting a balanced immune response in joint tissue. In vivo results from animal studies support this potential action of curcumin. In a rat model of impaired joint function, oral administration of curcumin was shown to decrease elevated levels of a glycoprotein involved in the joint immune response, thereby alleviating swelling in joint tissue. Another study conducted in rats showed that curcumin administration that was initiated before the onset of joint swelling in these animals had a continued preventive effect and served to enhance joint comfort and mobility.²⁰

Human Trials

Curcumin exhibits free-radical scavenging ability when administered to humans. In an open trial (uncontrolled), 18 healthy individuals ranging in age from 27 to 67 years consumed a Curcuma longa extract, at a dose supplying 20 mg curcuminoids, for 45 days. Before and after blood tests showed a statistically significant decrease in lipid peroxides.²¹ Preliminary trials have tested the joint-supportive actions of curcumin, with results that verify the traditional use of turmeric for maintaining joint function. In a short-term double-blind, cross-over, comparative study, 18 people received curcumin (1200 mg daily) or phenylbutazone for two week periods. Both curcumin and phenylbutazone produced measurable improvements in joint flexibility and walking time. The subjects reported results only with phenylbutazone, which may be explained by the short duration of the trial.²² In a small placebo-controlled trial comparing curcumin to phenylbutazone, 45 patients with post-operative inflammation received curcumin, phenylbutazone or placebo. The anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin and phenylbutazone were comparable and superior to placebo.²³ Curcumin has not been found to produce an analgesic (pain relieving) effect.

·         Supports healthy brain aging and has potent neuroprotective activity*

A more recent line of research has investigated the ability and potential of curcuminoids to support healthy brain aging and maintain cognitive function. A large number of in vitro and animal studies confirm the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, many of which derive from the free radical scavenging abilities of this compound. Studies in animals administered CNS infusions of compounds with known brain toxicity have shown that subsequent administration of curcumin led to significant reductions in brain oxidative damage and a significant neuroprotective effect when compared to control animals.²⁴ Curcumin is able to clearly produce these antioxidant effects in brain tissue due to its ability to readily cross the blood-brain barrier.

Further studies suggest that curcumin is one of the few compounds that are actually likely to support youthful brain aging. Tetrahydrocurcumin, a major metabolite of curcumin, has shown the ability to increase life span in middle-aged mice. Additional animal research has shown that chronic administration of curcumin resulted in decreased lipid peroxidation and decreased accumulation of the brain-aging marker known as lipofuscin. Curcumin has also been shown to increase the activity of numerous enzymes that support antioxidant defenses.²⁵ These findings support the ability of curcumin and its metabolites to promote healthy brain aging and protect the brain and other tissues from age-related oxidative damage.

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