Contaminated curcumin: You would not swallow petroleum, would you?
The magic yellow root
The term curcumin refers to the yellow pigment from the turmeric root. It is also known as curcuma longa. Even if only half of all claims about turmeric would be correct, the results are impressive. However it may be: The main producer of turmeric – India – thrives under the concomitant attention.
Curcumin, turmeric, curcuma
In the supplements world these terms are often used interchangeably. Technically, the term turmeric refers to the yellow powder used in the kitchen to color and season dishes. Curcuma is the scientific name of the root and curcumin is the name of the family of polyphenols found in this yellow root. Polyphenols are bioactive plant substances that affect the human body in various ways. With curcumin, the effects have been so eye-catching and so numerous that they no longer can be denied by scientists.
Multiple active compounds
Curcumin covers a whole range of active substances: the curcuminoids. In most dietary supplements you will find three main forms: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. But still only a minority of the curcuminoids have been given scientific attention. It is estimated that there are more than a hundred individual compounds.
Only about 2-6% of the turmeric root consists of curcuminoids. A well-probed hypothesis is that the synergy between these numerous curcumin molecules provides a better biological effect than the use of isolated curcumin forms. It is therefore advisable to always use a 100% natural curcumin product containing a wide range of curcuminoids. Not all supplement variants are natural. You will readily find artificial (petroleum-based) curcumin products on the market. These are cheaper, but at the same time much less effective and possibly unsafe. 'It is therefore advisable to always use a 100% natural curcumin product containing a wide range of curcuminoids.'Curcuminoids: the issue of absorption
Turmeric’s biggest challenge is without doubt its absorption, which is notoriously poor. Choosing a good product therefore - in addition to the natural origin - mainly comes down to absorption profiles. The body absorbs curcuma so poorly that hardly any curcumin reaches the bloodstream. This problem lies in the structure of the molecules. They cannot pass the intestinal wall intact; and the liver breaks them down to metabolites that are not, or hardly, effective. This problem does not seem to exist in India, research suggests. In spite of poor uptake, the Indian population still reaches high blood concentrations. Some considerations here. First, the daily consumption of curcumin is the world’s highest. Second, the admixture of a fatty substance appears to create liposomes. These liposomes - which encapsulate the curcumin - are capable of guiding the curcuminoids through the intestinal wall. Once in the bloodstream, curcumin is stable and appears to be easily absorbed in a large number of tissues, even in the otherwise difficult to reach brain.Most studied botanical
