Curcuma longa (Turmeric)

Curcumin

 Curcumin is the orange pigment in turmeric (a primary ingredient in curry).  It is a potent antioxidant and NRF2 activator that offers numerous health benefits, including supporting healthy joints, liver, the GI and cardiovascular system, and it helps to maintain the body’s normal inIammatory response.

 

A thorough review of curcumin is forthcoming here. In the meantime, please review the section below regarding a recommended curcumin product, Meriva. At the bottom of this page there are links to many journal publications that explore the multiple potential benefits of curcumin.

 

See:

Supplements

Antioxidants

NRF2 Activators

Mitochondrial Dysfunction

 

Purchasing Supplements

When purchasing supplements reviewed on this web site and discussed with Dr. Ehlenberger, a discount on usual commercial pricing can be obtained by purchasing from Accurate Clinic’s online Supplement Store after acquiring the discount code from Accurate Clinic:

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or call Toll-Free:

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Meriva (curcumin)

Meriva 500mg #60 / #120

Suggested Use

Take 1-2 capsules two times daily or as recommended by your physician.

 

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Curcumin

Meriva is a nutriceutical supplement that offers multiple health benefits for many conditions. The education page regarding curcumin will be coming soon. In the meantime, please see below for information on Thorne brand Meriva and see further below for downloadable publications regarding curcumin.

 

Meriva Product Description

Meriva-500 is a unique, patented curcumin product. People throughout Asia have benefited from the healthful effects of curcumin for centuries. Curcumin is the orange pigment in turmeric (the primary ingredient in curry), and is a potent antioxidant that offers numerous health benefits, including supporting joint health and hepatic, GI, and cardiovascular function, by helping to maintain the body’s normal inIammatory response.*

 

Whether taken as a supplement or from food, curcumin is generally poorly absorbed into the bloodstream. In conjunction with Indena S.p.A., the worldwide experts in botanical extract technology, we have uncovered the key to curcumin absorption – phytosome technology. Meriva curcumin phytosome is a unique curcumin extract that is signiVcantly better absorbed than other curcumin extracts.*

 

Phytosomes are plant extracts bound to phosphatidylcholine (PC), an essential component of human cells. Our bodies can make PC, but we can also get it from food or supplements. When taken orally, PC is very well absorbed. The scientists at Indena found a way to attach a curcumin extract to PC for superior absorption, resulting in Meriva. When you take Meriva your body absorbs the PC and the attached curcumin, resulting in more curcumin reaching the cells that can beneVt from it.*

 

A 2007 single-dose pharmacokinetic animal study demonstrated Meriva’s superior bioavailability, compared to ordinary curcumin.* The results demonstrated a >20-fold increase in absorption of curcumin from Meriva versus a standard curcumin preparation.* In addition, a 2010 three-month clinical trial demonstrated 1,000 mg of Meriva-SR per day helped maintain healthy C-reactive protein levels and promoted healthy joint comfort and mobility.* Furthermore, a 2010 randomized, single-blind, crossover human study revealed total curcuminoid bioavailability, as evaluated by the plasma area under the curve (AUC), to be 29-fold higher for Meriva than for the conventional standardized curcumin extract.*

 

Several studies have illustrated curcumin’s hepatoprotective effects, leading researchers to suggest its use in protecting the liver from exogenous insults from environmental toxins.* Curcumin also has the capacity to increase both the Iow and solubility of bile.* Curcumin’s hepatoprotective effects are due in part to direct free-radical scavenging; but curcumin also enhances the body’s natural antioxidant system, which increases glutathione levels, thereby aiding in hepatic detoxification and inhibiting nitrosamine formation.*

 

Drug Interactions with Curcumin

While the clinical significance has not yet been established, curcumin has been shown to inhibit P-gp, a transporter that affects blood levels and central nervous system levels of certain drugs. As a result of this inhibition, it may be possible that curcumin can decrease blood levels but at the same time increase central nervous levels of fentanyl, morphine, methadone and possibly oxycodone. This could result in either increased or decreased therapeutic effect and/or side effects. When taking curcumin while also taking these medications, caution should be emphasized by monitoring for changes in responsiveness to the medications and it may be necessary to reduce the dose of these medications to avoid side effects.

 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

Reference Publications:

Curcumin –  Overview

  1. Anti-inflammatory Properties of Curcumin, a Major Constituent of Curcuma longa_ A Review of Preclinical and Clinical Research
  2. Therapeutic roles of curcumin – lessons learned from clinical trials. – 2013
  3. Turmeric – NCCIH 2012
  4. effects-of-curcumin-on-ion-channels-and-transporters-2014
  5. Curcumin – A Review of Its’ Effects on Human Health – 2017

 

Curcumin – Carpal Tunnel Syndrome CTS

  1. Oral Supplementation with Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Curcumin Phytosome, and B-Group Vitamins in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

 

Curcumin – Diabetes

  1. Curcumin and diabetes – a systematic review – 2013
  2. Meriva®, a lecithinized curcumin delivery system, in diabetic microangiopathy and retinopathy – 2012
  3. Potential role of curcumin phytosome (Meriva) in controlling the evolution of diabetic microangiopathy. – pilot study – 2010
  4. Curcumin Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Evidences in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats Support the Antidiabetic Activity to Be via Metabolite(s) – 2015
  5. Spice-Derived Bioactive Ingredients – Potential Agents or Food Adjuvant in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus – 2018

 

Curcumin – Drug Interactions

  1. Overview of P-glycoprotein inhibitors – a rational outlook – 2012
  2. Emerging Significance of Flavonoids as P-Glycoprotein Inhibitors in Cancer Chemotherapy – 2009
  3. Herbal modulation of P-glycoprotein. [Drug Metab Rev. 2004] – PubMed – NCBI
  4. modulation-of-p-glycoprotein-expression-and-function-by-curcumin-in-multidrug-resistant-human-kb-cells-pubmed-ncbi
  5. osthol-and-curcumin-as-inhibitors-of-human-pgp-and-multidrug-efflux-pumps-of-staphylococcus-aureus-reversing-the-resistance-against-frontline-antibacterial-drugs-2014

 

Curcumin – Gastrointestinal Disease

  1. Curcumin as a potential therapeutic candidate for Helicobacter pylori associated diseases – 2018
  2. Curcumin – A Potent Protectant against Esophageal and Gastric Disorders – 2019

 

Curcumin – Curcumin

  1. Curcumin Suppression of Cytokine Release and Cytokine Storm – A Potential Therapy for Patients with Ebola and Other Severe Viral Infections – 2015
  2. Curcumin alleviates macrophage activation and lung inflammation induced by influenza virus infection through inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway – 2017
  3. Anti-infective Properties of the Golden Spice Curcumin – 2019

 

 

Curcumin – Liver Disease

  1. Antioxidants in liver health – 2015
  2. Modulatory effects of curcumin, silybin-phytosome and alpha-R-lipoic acid against thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis in rats

 

Curcumin – Morphine Tolerance

  1. Curcumin attenuates opioid tolerance and dependence by inhibiting Ca2+:calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α activity. – PubMed – NCBI
  2. Orally Administered Nano-curcumin to Attenuate Morphine Tolerance – 2013

 

Curcumin – Liposomal and Nanoformulations

  1. Comparative Absorption of a Standardized Curcuminoid Mixture and Its Lecithin Formulation – 2011
  2. Comparison of systemic availability of curcumin with that of curcumin formulated with phosphatidylcholine – Springer
  3. Diverse effects of a low dose supplement of lipidated curcumin in healthy middle aged people. – 2012
  4. Nanotechnology-Applied Curcumin for Different Diseases Therapy – 2014
  5. Getting into the brain – liposome-based strategies for effective drug delivery across the blood–brain barrier – 2016
  6. Use of Lipid Nanocarriers to Improve Oral Delivery of Vitamins – 2019
  7. Randomized pharmacokinetic cross-over study comparing two curcumin preparations in plasma and rectal tissue of healthy human volunteers – 2017
  8. Phospholipid Complex Technique for Superior Bioavailability of Phytoconstituents – 2017
  9. Bioavailability and activity of phytosome complexes from botanical polyphenols – the silymarin, curcumin, green tea, and grape seed extracts. – 2009
  10. Liposomal Curcumin is Better than Curcumin to Alleviate Complications in Experimental Diabetic Mellitus 0 2019


Curcumin – Neuropathy

  1. Safety and efficacy of an add-on therapy with curcumin phytosome and piperine and:or lipoic acid in subjects with a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy treated with dexibuprofen

 

Curcumin – Obesity

  1. Curcumin and obesity. – PubMed – NCBI
  2. Curcumin and obesity: evidence and mechanisms. – PubMed – NCBI
  3. Curcumin and resveratrol inhibit nuclear factor-kappaB-mediated cytokine expression in adipocytes – 2008
  4. Inflammation-mediated obesity and insulin resistance as targets for nutraceuticals. – PubMed – NCBI
  5. Targeting Inflammation-Induced Obesity and Metabolic Diseases by Curcumin and Other Nutraceuticals – 2010

 

Curcumin – Opioid Induced Hyperalgesia (OIH) & Tolerance

  1. Curcumin blocks chronic morphine analgesic tolerance and brain-derived neurotrophic factor upregulation. – PubMed – NCBI

 

Curcumin – Ophthalmology

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

  1. Oral administration of a curcumin-phospholipid delivery system for the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy – a 12-month follow-up study
  2. Pilot study of oral administration of a curcumin- phospholipid formulation for treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy -2012

Curcumin – Osteoarthritis

  1. Biological actions of curcumin on articular chondrocytes – 2009
  2. Efficacy and Safety of Meriva®, a Curcumin-phosphatidylcholine Complex, during Extended Administration in Osteoarthritis Patients
  3. Product-evaluation registry of Meriva®, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, for the complementary management of osteoarthritis – 2010
  4. Efficacy and Safety of Curcuma domestica Extracts in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis – 2009
  5. Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis – A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials – 2016

 

Curcumin – Oxidative Stress

  1. Spinal glial activation and oxidative stress are alleviated by treatment with curcumin or coenzyme Q in sickle mice

Curcumin – Pain

  1. Comparative evaluation of the pain-relieving properties of a lecithinized formulation of curcumin (Meriva®), nimesulide, and acetaminophen – 2013 no highlights
  2. Reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness by a novel curcumin delivery system (Meriva®) – 2014

 

Curcumin – Piperine (Black Pepper)

  1. Piperine, a Natural Bioenhancer, Nullifies the Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Curcumin in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats – 2014

 

Curcumin – Prostate Disease

  1. Inhibitory effect of curcumin on testosterone induced benign prostatic hyperplasia rat model – 2015
  2. Meriva®, a lecithinized curcumin delivery system, in the control of benign prostatic… – Abstract – Europe PubMed Central

 

Emphasis on Education

 

Accurate Clinic promotes patient education as the foundation of it’s medical care. In Dr. Ehlenberger’s integrative approach to patient care, including conventional and complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments, he may encourage or provide advice about the use of supplements. However, the specifics of choice of supplement, dosing and duration of treatment should be individualized through discussion with Dr. Ehlenberger. The following information and reference articles are presented to provide the reader with some of the latest research to facilitate evidence-based, informed decisions regarding the use of conventional as well as CAM treatments.

 

For medical-legal reasons, access to these links is limited to patients enrolled in an Accurate Clinic medical program.

 

Should you wish more information regarding any of the subjects listed – or not listed –  here, please contact Dr. Ehlenberger. He has literally thousands of published articles to share on hundreds of topics associated with pain management, weight loss, nutrition, addiction recovery and emergency medicine. It would take years for you to read them, as it did him.

 

For more information, please contact Accurate Clinic.

 

Supplements recommended by Dr. Ehlenberger may be purchased commercially online or at Accurate Clinic.

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