Curcumin – a natural ‘wonder ingredient’ – is widely known to have many health benefits
New research at University of Warwick will test how curcumin kick-starts the brain’s cleansing of damaging plaques and cells
Preliminary studies have already showed positive results
The hope is that the studies will show that this naturally-occurring compounds found especially in turmeric can – when combined with intermittent fasting – prevent the build-up of damaging protein fragments that form between nerve cells in the brain and cause neurological problems.
It’s thought that these fragments may be produced as part of the brain’s self-defence process and that their presence is a symptom of the disease. In a healthy brain, these fragments are broken down and eliminated, but problems occur if they begin to accumulate and form the hard, insoluble amyloid plaques known to be one of the major symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Previous related research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2008 found that Biocurcumax, a patented extract available as a food supplement, helped prevent further build-up of these amyloid plaques and subsequently was approved by the FDA for investigational Therapy. 1
The importance of curcumin seems to hinge on its ability to kick-start the cleansing process that otherwise can take up to eighteen hours of fasting for the body to begin by itself. The studies to date have shown that when curcumin is highly ‘bio-available’ – present in the bloodstream in potent amounts for a long-enough period of time – it can help autophagy start much sooner. Biocurcumax is a food supplement designed to allow active curcumin to be retained in the body for more than eight hours.
Suphil Philipose, of BioTurm, the UK distributor of Biocurcumax says: “Research has already shown that highly bio-available curcumin, when combined with the essential oil of turmeric, can stop the progressive build-up of neurologically-damaging substances. This new research opens up a new world of hope to millions of people.”
Later research later conducted with the University of Rome in 2015 showed Biocurcumax was able to reverse the dysfunction that sometimes occurs in autophagy, the self-cleansing process. 2
New studies at the University of Warwick will now seek to show the actual extent to which curcumin and pomegranates can induce autophagy and remove the damaged cells. Should these prove successful, they will progress to a human clinical trial to demonstrate the efficacy of the solution.
Crucially curcumin is thought to also have a positive effect on apoptosis – the normal, controlled death of billions of cells in the adult body every day. Curcumin also restores and maintains a healthy mitochondria, the ‘battery unit’ of every cell.
Philipose adds: “Nature provides us with curcumin and pomegranates that can be used as hacks to induce and kick start the self-cleansing mechanism in the body. Adjunct to a fasting diet, we may have a pathway for preventing the disease.”
Find out more here https://www.bioturm.co.uk
ABOUT CURCUMIN AND TURMERIC
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric and this naturally occurring substance is well-known as an anti-inflammatory, alleviating arthritis, and also thought to have stroke, depression and cancer-preventing properties.
ABOUT BIOCURCUMAX
Biocurcumax enhances the bio-availability of Active unconjugated curcumin in the blood for more than eight hours. It is taken by millions of people in over fifty countries and has been the subject of over 50 successful medical studies across the globe. Biocurcumax is a patented food supplement approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and distributed by BioTurm UK Ltd. Biocurcumax contains 100% purified turmeric extract Curcugreen TM, a curcuminoid complex with the essential oil of turmeric root, a patented product of Arjuna Natural Ltd.
The British Journal of Nutrition noted that “in order for curcumin to elicit a greater nutraceutical benefit, it is critical that more of it is able to enter the bloodstream.” and that “unmodified curcumin is reported to be retained in the blood for 2-5 hours in humans.” It found that whilst “multiple over-the-counter brands are available” which “claim increased bio-availability compared with unformulated curcumin” but that “independent comparative analysis is essential.” It concluded that “two formulations BCM-95 (Biocurcumax) and Longvida currently have the strongest independent data available in human trials” and that “retention of a modified form of curcumin, BCM-95 (Biocurcumax) is reported as exceeding eight hours.” 3
ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S
Dementia is one of the main causes of disability later in life, ahead of cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke. According to Alzheimer’s Society there are currently 850,000 people in the UK with dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting 62% of those diagnosed, with 520,000 people with Alzheimer’s in the UK today. One person in six over the age of 80 has dementia, and 70% of people in care homes have dementia or severe memory problems. Over 40,000 people under 65 have dementia. Alzheimer’s Society claims there is currently “no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or any other type of dementia.” Despite this bleak outlook it states that “delaying the onset of dementia by five years would halve the number of deaths from the condition, saving 30,000 lives a year.” It also notes that “for every person living with dementia, the annual cost to the UK economy is over £30,000.” The number of people with dementia in the UK is due to rise to more than one million in by 2025, and more than two million by 2051. Some 225,000 will develop dementia this year, that’s one every three minutes. 4
SOURCES
1 Arjuna Receives U.S. Patent for Investigational Alzheimer’s Therapy [ALZHEIMER’S NEWS TODAY, 2014]
2 BCM-95 and (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin reverse autophagy dysfunction and deplete stored lipids in Sap C-deficient fibroblasts [HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS, 2015]
3 Examining the potential clinical value of curcumin in the prevention and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (BRITISH JOURNAL OF NUTRITION, 2016]
4 Facts for the media [ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY, 2019]
ALSO OF INTEREST
Protective Effects of Indian Spice Curcumin against Amyloid-β in Alzheimer’s disease [JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, 2018]
Promising drug candidate for Alzheimer’s found in turmeric compound [MEDICAL NEWS TODAY, 2014]
New research suggests drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis could reduce the risk of dementia [NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH]
