More Advice

From the same medical professional:

"I could write about curcumin for days, having reviewed the science for the last 20+ years.

Curcuminoids are a group of compounds, collectively called curcumin, that are found in turmeric root, which is a relative of ginger root. It has a very long history of use as a food spice and as medicine for MANY conditions and has been the top botanical researched in the last 2 decades. The volume of research is MASSIVE.

Curcumin impacts many molecular pathways and there are several reasons that I include curcumin in my list of supplements.

As an aside, supplements have very little value if you do not eat a very healthy diet, so if you don't, don't waste your money.

Why do I take curcumin?

The most important reason is that it attenuates pain, through multiple mechanisms, including modulation of inflammatory pathways LOX and COX, as well as cytokines.

It is good for your brain (pathways too numerous to list).

There is some data on wound healing. And several other reasons.

I take the supplement Life Extension BioCurcumin 400 mg twice daily, but even one a day would have value.
It is sourced from Dolcas-Biotech, which I feel is the best product on the market.

And I eat a lot of turmeric as a spice. Better absorbed if you consume with black pepper and fats.
Meriva is another brand that has enhanced absorption.

I don't care for the ones with Bioperine to enhance absorption because it can interact with meds thru CYP 450 enzymes.

I also take n-3 fats, most commonly obtained from fish oil, about 1 g of EPA + DHA, which are the active n-3 fats (formerly known as omega-3 fats). You can also get these from marine algae, if you are a vegetarian or vegan. Many reasons to take it, but an important reason is that it works synergistically with the curcumin to reduce pain.

And I take magnesium, which improves sleep and works with n-3 fats and curcumin to reduce pain. Dosage about 400-600 mg at bedtime. Avoid magnesium oxide, as it is poorly absorbed and tends to cause diarrhea. Magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are pretty easy to find. Vitacost is a good source.

If you do take these you should stop them about 2 weeks before surgery or some procedures, as there is a bit of a blood-thinning effect, although not dangerous."

Oh yeah, I think this rings a bell. I think dr Oz mentioned turmeric during one of his shows,
and possibly curcumin, too.

I didn't knew the specifics, though so this is very enlightening.

You are great, Cheryl ! Many thanks!

Risa

I keep forgetting to try this. I give it to my dog who has a lot of tumors. It seems to keep them from growing and helps his arthritis from hip displasia. I'm not sure I can take this since all other anti-inflammatories (even herbal) cause me intestinal issues. But, I keep trying!
Hugs,
Cindy