Article Summary:
- Research suggests a variety of curcumin uses for joint health, immune support, GI environment, cardiovascular health, and liver support.*
- The chemically unstable structure of curcumin results in rapid metabolism, poor absorption, and rapid elimination from the system, thereby impacting its effectiveness in addressing various health conditions.
- Tetrahydrocurcumin—a bioactive derivative of curcumin—displays similar physiological and pharmacological properties to curcumin, but with far superior bioavailability.
Curcumin, the primary component of turmeric, is a polyphenol—a naturally-occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties.* This yellow-pigmented substance modulates cell signaling pathways and has been extensively studied to understand its benefits for various health conditions.* Clinical trials over the last 20 years have produced substantial evidence that curcumin has significant health benefits and revealed ways to enhance these benefits with a more bioactive derivative: tetrahydrocurcumin.
Curcumin Uses
Free radicals cause oxidative degradation of lipids and oxidative damage to DNA and proteins, which can lead to various pathological complications. Studies suggest that curcumin scavenges free radicals and modulates the activity of enzymes, such as glutathione peroxidase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), to neutralize free radicals.* Furthermore, curcumin down-regulates cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase (LOX), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), three important enzymes involved in the inflammatory response.*
The antioxidant properties of curcumin and its ability to promote the body’s natural inflammatory response have positive implications for a number of health conditions.*
Curcumin for Joint Health*
As a potent antioxidant, curcumin promotes a healthy inflammatory response to non-chronic musculoskeletal and joint discomfort.* Randomized controlled clinical trials show that curcumin can have significant benefits in addressing joint health.* Based on a small number of studies, the efficacy of curcumin is similar to that of conventional medical therapies used to address non-chronic joint pain.*
Curcumin for Immune Support*
As a potent immunomodulatory agent, curcumin regulates the activation of lymphocytes, neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells—all key components of the immune response. Studies have found that curcumin down-regulates the expression of various proinflammatory cytokines—a class of proteins responsible for controlling the activity of other cells in the immune system, thus helping to maintain the body’s normal inflammatory response.*
Curcumin for a Healthy Gastrointestinal (GI) Environment*
High concentrations of curcumin are detected in the GI tract immediately after oral administration. There has been ongoing research based on the hypothesis that curcumin exerts direct regulatory effects on the GI tract and has beneficial effects on the gut microbiota.* Although additional clinical trials are needed to investigate the relationship between diet and microbiota, curcumin and its metabolites have been shown to beneficially influence the gut microbiota.* Other studies have also confirmed the impact of oral curcumin administration in supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria strains, such as butyrate-producing bacteria, Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.*
Curcumin for Cardiovascular Health*
There is significant research investigating the role of curcumin in supporting heart health.* The cardio-protective attributes of curcumin are closely associated with its role as an antioxidant and in modulating multiple signaling pathways involved in apoptosis or cell death, proliferation, and inflammation.* Studies also indicate the potential ability of curcumin to help maintain normal serum cholesterol levels.*
Curcumin for Liver Support*
Metabolic imbalances can lead to fatty acid accumulation in hepatocytes (liver cells). Studies suggest that curcumin exerts a hypolipidemic effect, thus limiting the concentration of lipids and fatty acid accumulation in hepatocytes.* Furthermore, the potent antioxidant activity of curcumin affects multiple processes and pathways, including the NF-κβ signaling pathway, underscoring its role as a hepatoprotective agent.*
Enhancing the Efficacy of Curcumin
Despite being easily identified inside the GI tract, clinical studies indicate that curcumin has poor bioavailability, with very low or even undetectable concentrations of curcumin detected outside the gut, in blood and extraintestinal tissue. The unstable chemical structure of curcumin results in its poor absorption, rapid metabolism, and rapid systemic elimination. As a result, ingesting unformulated curcumin by itself, even in higher doses, may not lead to the desired health benefits.
Various approaches have been taken to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin, including using adjuvants such as piperine (a black pepper extract), formulating curcumin-phospholipid complexes, curcumin nanoparticles, liposomal curcumin, phospholipid complexes, and others. Tetrahydrocurcumin, one of the bioactive metabolites of curcumin, exhibits similar physiological and pharmacological properties to curcumin but displays a superior bioavailability. The enhanced bioavailability of tetrahydrocurcumin makes it easily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, making it an efficacious active ingredient of nutritional supplements.*
TetraCumin®, developed by Tesseract Medical Research, contains bioactive tetrahydrocurcumin, making it an effective nutritional supplement for musculoskeletal support, immune support, cardiovascular support, liver support, and maintaining a healthy GI environment.* Its advanced formulation is coupled with the revolutionary CyLoc® – DexKey® delivery system that protects the integrity of the active nutrient molecules as they pass through the GI tract. The targeted delivery of the nano-sized active ingredient molecules at the desired release point within the intestinal tract results in unprecedented absorption and yields rapid physiological responses with lower amounts of active ingredients (micro-dosing).
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in the proprietary science of proven nutrients and unrivaled smart delivery, making them the most effective for supporting cardiovascular health, hepatic health, gastrointestinal health, immune health, and musculoskeletal health.*
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