Innovative Technologies Give the Ancient Health Benefits of Curcumin a Modern Boost*

In India, it is said that if a bride and groom are painted with a special spice shortly before their wedding, it will give them an auspicious start in life together. Over the years, this old tradition developed into a festive wedding ritual.

Entire extended families gather to take part in the much-loved and sometimes hilarious “haldi” ceremony, where bride and groom are covered in a paste made with the spice. Tradition says it signifies purity, fertility, good luck and good health.

“Haldi” – the name of the ceremony – is also another name for this popular spice. In the ancient language of India, “haldi” means “draws attention to its bright color.” And this spice lives up to that name with its intense yellow hue. It also lives up to its reputation for good health.

After thousands of years of use in traditional health practice, popular turmeric now has hundreds of scientific studies demonstrating its powerful health-promoting qualities.

From supporting healthy gallbladder function to promoting healthy joints, and from promoting good digestive health to protecting your cells from free radicals, turmeric has been found to provide a wide range of benefits for your body.

Its bright yellow color comes from a substance called curcumin. This potent polyphenol plays a main role in the health benefits found in turmeric.

Let’s take a closer look at curcumin and how you can benefit from this powerful and widely-loved spice.

Hailed as ‘The Spice of Life’

Human beings have been pursuing knowledge about the secrets of health and longevity since the dawn of recorded history. Among the oldest of the time-tested bodies of knowledge is Ayurveda, India’s recognized authoritative source of health wisdom.

The word “Ayurveda” comes from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. “Ayur” means “life” and “veda” means “knowledge.” So Ayurveda literally means “the knowledge of life.”

Herbs and spices play a prominent role in Ayurveda, in which they are used to support good health, strengthen the immune system and ease life’s physical discomforts. One of the most important of these spices is turmeric.

Turmeric is often called “The Spice of Life.” It was so highly valued in ancient India that it had at least 53 different Sanskrit names. Some of its names include “prosperity,” “gives delight to the heart,” and “enhancer of body complexion.”

Even though there is some debate about the exact timing of turmeric's first use as a health-promoting spice, we know for sure that it has been used for thousands of years. And we know quite a bit about the many ways people have used it…

• Thousands of years ago, people in India and China used turmeric to flavor food and to promote health. It is mentioned in the Vedas of India, and some stories suggest its traditional use may date back more than 10,000 years in that country.
• The ancient Polynesians carried turmeric with them on their incredible voyage across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. Today, Hawaiians still use this spice, which they call Olena.
• In addition to valuing its health-promoting properties, many ancient cultures used turmeric as a dye and even wore it as dried beads to ward off evil spirits.

Meanwhile, in 1280 AD China, Marco Polo recorded information on turmeric in his diary: "There is also a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well the smell and the color, and yet it is not really saffron."

Turmeric has been used as a substitute for saffron (an old world spice) in Europe for over 700 years. Western scientists were fascinated with the spice, first isolating the curcumin molecule in 1815. They went on to determine its crystalline form in 1870 and identified its overall structure by the early 1900s.

How Curcumin Benefits Your Body and Brain*

Curcumin is the bioactive compound in turmeric that supplies much of its health supporting power. Hundreds of studies have shown a variety of ways that curcumin supports overall vitality:*

• Can assist gallbladder function.*
• May help aid in minimizing oxidative stress.*
• Supports postmenopausal health in women (along with exercise).*
• Supports prostate health in men.*
• Supports healthy cellular function.*
• Promotes comfortable, flexible movement and healthy joints.*
• Helps maintain digestive health.*
• Promotes healthy vision and skin health.*

Plus, this potent spice is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, which means curcumin’s potential as a neuroprotective nutrient and supporter of overall brain health should not be overlooked.*

One clinical trial involving 40 adults between the ages of 50 and 90 experiencing mild, age-related memory lapses showed promising potential for the use of 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 standardized cognitive assessment. Thirty of the study subjects also underwent PET scans to look for signs of brain changes.

The study showed exciting results. Those who received curcumin saw significant improvements in cognitive function – a 28% improvement over the 18-month treatment period – and the brain scans further confirmed the positive benefits of curcumin.*

Bioavailability of Curcumin Presents Challenges for Absorptions

Whether you use turmeric in your food or take curcumin as a supplement, your body faces a few challenges with absorbing all the beneficial compounds.

Here are some of the basic issues with the bioavailability of this renowned spice. Curcumin…

• Tends to be unstable at intestinal pH levels.
• Presents a poor pharmacokinetic profile for oral absorption.
• Has a tendency toward rapid elimination from your body.

The bottom line with curcumin is that it’s simply not easy for your body to absorb. A great deal of curcumin taken orally passes straight through your system, and the curcumin that you do absorb can be quickly metabolized by the liver before your body gets to use it.

This is true whether you are getting curcumin in food or in a supplement.

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 scrutinize turmeric or curcumin supplements to make sure they’re getting a quality product.
• Because curcumin presents absorption challenges, it may be wise to look for a specially formulated product that offers greater bioavailability.

Curcumin offers significant benefits for your health. But because its natural bioavailability is low, the quality of curcumin supplements is a serious issue. It’s important to select a supplement that is specifically designed with maximizing absorption in mind.

With all the astounding advances in supplementation technology being made today, scientists have discovered innovative and effective ways to address the bioavailability challenge.

Your Selection Checklist for a High-Quality Curcumin Supplement

Here’s a comprehensive checklist with the most important criteria for selecting a high-quality curcumin supplement. These features help you maximize the benefit your body gets from your supplement.

Make sure the curcumin formula:

• Utilizes advanced technology to enhance bioavailability – Absorption is a considerable obstacle, but it can be effectively addressed by innovative technology. This is probably the most important item to check for.
• Delivers three curcuminoids found in turmeric – Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid (active ingredient) in turmeric. But there are also two more demethylated curcuminoids – demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin.
• Is sourced from raw turmeric material and contains at least 95% curcuminoids – Raw turmeric provides a synergistic balance of the three curcuminoids, unlike petroleum-based synthetic curcumin. Look for the industry standard of 95% curcuminoids to ensure potency.
• Avoids unnecessary fillers, additives and risky excipients – Questionable, unnecessary ingredients in a supplement formula decrease its effectiveness.
• Minimizes serving size/frequency – This is often linked to the use of advanced technology for bioavailability. Everyone wants to take the fewest number of capsules necessary.
• Comes from a reputable manufacturer experienced in high-quality manufacturing and delivery of supplements – High-quality manufacturing practices must be a top priority in order to make the most of excellent ingredients and bioavailability techniques.
• Yields a final product at a reasonable price – The use of innovative technology is important in improving bioavailability, but this shouldn’t lead to a supplement price that’s off the chart.

If you take the time to carefully read the supplement label and scrutinize the ingredients as well as the manufacturer’s quality assurance practices, you can find a high-quality curcumin supplement with the enhanced bioavailability features you’re looking for.

Our research team has developed a fantastic curcumin formula that exceeds all of these stringent selection criteria. Read on to learn about this phenomenal supplement and the technology behind it.

First, we’ll start with gaining a better understanding of what’s behind some of the key selection criteria…

Always Avoid Excipients Like These

One of the important selection criteria for a curcumin supplement is to minimize the use of excipients or fillers within the formula. An excipient is a substance added to a supplement as a processing or stabilizing agent. But ironically, some of these agents may actually cause ill-health effects.

Here are a few examples of excipients and fillers to watch out for in supplements. It might be best to avoid a supplement if it contains:

• Magnesium stearate – Made from stearic acid, this “flow agent” can inhibit absorption of nutrients in your digestive tract.
• Polysorbate 80 – Also known as Tween 80™, this additive can trigger allergic reactions.
• Isopropyl myristate – This excipient could trigger side effects in people already facing certain health challenges.
• Dibasic calcium phosphate (DCP) – This common turmeric supplement additive may inhibit absorption of essential minerals within your system.

There are other risky additives you may come across as well, so always read the label and do your research if you see an ingredient you aren’t familiar with. A truly outstanding curcumin supplement will not contain unnecessary excipients and fillers.

Carefully reading the supplement label always pays off. Manufacturers are generally required to declare any processing agents they use in making the formula. If you see any of the agents identified above on a curcumin supplement label, it’s best to move on to another option.

Innovative ‘Sustained Release’ Technology Helps You Get the Most From Your Curcumin Supplement

Curcumin has a relatively short half-life, which means it breaks down quickly so that in order to receive the maximum benefit in its natural state you would have to consume it every four to six hours.

Fortunately, scientists have developed a “sustained release” technology that can eliminate the major hassle of having to take this supplement so frequently. Sustained release technology:

• Provides controlled release of nutrients over time.
• Enhances the bioavailability of nutrients.
• Offers a convenient reduction in intake frequency.
• Helps reduce potential adverse reactions.
• Tends to make it easier to use regularly (in combination with reduction in intake frequency).

The sustained release technology in our innovative curcumin supplement, Curcumin Advanced , is designed to separately release micro-particles of curcumin in your digestive tract.*

Here’s more on how the innovative technology behind Curcumin Advanced delivers the best curcumin supplement available…

How ‘Micro-Particle’ Technology Increases Bioavailability*

The sustained release technology employed in the Curcumin Advanced formula enables high bioavailability of the active compounds in turmeric. But that’s only part of the story.

Here’s a quick breakdown how this incredible technology, called “MicroActive^®,” enhances bioavailability:

• Creates a self-emulsifying system which forms micro-particles of curcumin, making it water-soluble and highly bioavailable*
• Helps enhance protection of the active nutrients for transport to your body’s absorption sites*
• Provides time-release functionality to aid in effective nutrient delivery and lowers intake requirements for both regular and maintenance uses*
• Reduces variation in bioavailability to help enhance total efficacy potential*
• Delivers detectable amounts of additional curcuminoids – bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin – with reduced intake requirements. This enhances the benefits of the supplements as research shows that bisdemethoxycurcumin is only activated when the levels of the other two curcuminoids (curcumin and demethoxycurcumin) are high.

The MicroActive^® formula helps reduce the natural variation in uptake between individuals. Some people are good absorbers, but others, because of high levels of adipose tissue or medical conditions, are normally poor absorbers.

MicroActive^® helps increase absorption where absorption is low. The end result is that this innovative technology helps make Curcumin Advanced the best curcumin supplement available.*

A Curcumin Supplement that Surpasses Others on the Market

When looking for a curcumin supplement that delivers maximum health benefit without hidden harmful additives, it’s helpful to compare each option against the selection criteria. The more categories with a “yes” answer, the better the supplement.

Below is a quick summary of how Curcumin Advanced stacks up to these considerations.

There are many options available when searching for a turmeric/curcumin supplement. Don’t make the mistake of selecting the cheapest formula without scrutinizing what’s in it (and what’s not).

Maximize the benefits your body gets from curcumin with a supplement that offers cutting-edge technology, and order Curcumin Advanced today.*