Dr Mercola references a recently published study of 40 adults between the ages of 50 and 90 with mild memory lapses shows promising potential for curcumin for brain health.
Participants in the study received either 90 mg of a curcumin supplement twice a day for 18 months, or a placebo.
At the end of the study – and every six months afterwards – participants completed a standardised cognitive assessment. Thirty of the study subjects also underwent PET scans to look for signs of brain changes associated with memory loss.
The results? Those who received curcumin saw significant improvements in memory and concentration – a 28 percent improvement over the 18-month treatment period – and brain scans confirmed the positive benefits of curcumin.
How Bioavailability Issues Can Present a Daunting Challenge
Whether added in the food you eat or even in a supplement you might take, curcumin presents absorption challenges to your body.
Here are some of the basic issues with its bioavailability. Curcumin:
- Tends to be unstable at intestinal pH levels
- Presents a poor pharmaco-kinetic profile for absorbing it orally
- Has a tendency toward rapid elimination from your body
The bottom line with curcumin: it’s simply not easy for your body to absorb. A great deal of curcumin taken orally simply passes through your system without being absorbed. And the curcumin that does manage to get absorbed in your intestine can be quickly metabolised by the liver.
Just like curcumin’s bioavailability is challenging when consuming it in foods you eat, such is the case with supplementation as well.
In a quality test conducted a few years ago, an independent lab evaluated some turmeric/curcumin supplements and reported that:
- 20% of turmeric supplements delivered less than 15% of promised curcuminoid compounds
- Consumers need to carefully scrutinise turmeric or curcumin supplements to make sure they’re getting a quality product
- Because curcumin presents absorption challenges, certain specially-formulated products may offer greater bioavailability
So the quality of curcumin supplements is a very serious issue when choosing a curcumin supplement.
Dr Mercola spent about five years researching this phenomenal spice. With all the astounding advances in supplementation technology being made today, he is convinced that the bioavailability issue can be addressed, with this product.