Middle-Aged? The Health Supplement You Need

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The Effects of Lipidated Curcumin

There are a few health supplements that nearly everyone should take, especially as they reach their middle years. Here's one of them.

Western medicine has its problems. One of them is spending more time treating the symptoms rather than figuring out how to prevent the disease. For the middle-aged person, there are plenty of drugs available to treat whatever health issues pop up, but wouldn't it be wiser to prevent those issues in the first place? Here's one supplement that has researchers excited.

The Effects of Low-Dose, Lipidated Curcumin

A group of researchers found a study on the effects a daily dose of 500 mg. of curcumin (Buy at Amazon) had on healthy people. The subjects experienced reduced cholesterol and triglycerides, along with more antioxidants in their blood. However, these researchers wanted to dig deeper.

They rounded up 19 people with an average age of 48 and gave them 80 mg. of lipidated curcumin (a more bioavailable form) daily. After one month, they noted the following changes:

"...lowering of plasma triglyceride values, lowering of salivary amylase levels, raising of salivary radical scavenging capacities, raising of plasma catalase activities, lowering of plasma beta amyloid protein concentrations, lowering of plasma sICAM readings, increased plasma myeloperoxidase without increased c-reactive protein levels, increased plasma nitric oxide, and decreased plasma alanine amino transferase activities."

In English...

  • Improved blood sugar levels
  • Improvements in blood vessel function (blood flow), which help overall cardiovascular health
  • Triglyceride levels dropped
  • Inflammatory markers were lowered
  • Digestive enzymes of carbohydrates in saliva went up
  • Free radical scavenging abilities increased
  • The type of protein responsible for plaques in the brain went down
  • The amount of blood-pressure-lowering nitrous oxide went up, which can boost stamina and increase blood flow to muscles.

Put all that together, and it looks like curcumin could act as a preventative for many of the ailments that begin to plague us in middle age. Oh, and as a bonus, the scientists also noted a drop in the levels of an enzyme that makes hair turn gray. So, there's that.

What Kind to Use

Each new study on curcumin strengthens the idea that nearly everyone should be taking it, whether for increasing athletic ability, warding off depression, or boosting sexual health (erection quality).

Just be sure to use micellar curcumin (Buy at Amazon) which contains the lipidized form that produces 95 times more free curcumin in the bloodstream than plain curcumin.

MC-on-Amazon

Reference

  1. DiSilvestro RA et al. "Diverse effects of a low dose supplement of lipidated curcumin in healthy middle-aged people." Nutr J. 2012 Sep 26;11:79. PubMed: 23013352.
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A good article. If searching for information about Curcumin and children’s health, any good resources any one knows of? I was curious about the impact Curcumin would have on symptoms my son has because of his autism

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Good question. I asked Chat GPT 4.0. Here’s what it said:

Curcumin has been studied for its potential therapeutic effects on a wide range of conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While research is still in the early stages, there are some studies that have explored curcumin’s potential benefits for individuals with autism.

Key Points from Research on Curcumin and Autism:

  1. Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties:
  • Curcumin is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which have been considered beneficial in managing neuroinflammation—a condition often linked with autism. Some studies suggest that reducing inflammation in the brain could help alleviate some symptoms of autism.
  1. Behavioral Improvements in Animal Models:
  • Some preclinical studies using animal models of autism have shown that curcumin supplementation might lead to improvements in social behavior and reductions in repetitive behaviors. These studies also suggest that curcumin could help modulate neurotransmitter levels and reduce oxidative stress in the brain, which may contribute to its potential benefits.
  1. Human Studies:
  • Human studies on curcumin’s effects on autism are limited but growing. A few small-scale studies and clinical trials have explored curcumin as part of a broader treatment strategy for autism, often in combination with other supplements or therapies. These studies have reported some positive outcomes, such as improvements in social interaction and communication, but more research is needed to establish curcumin’s efficacy and safety for this purpose.
  1. Challenges and Considerations:
  • One of the challenges with curcumin is its low bioavailability, meaning that it is not easily absorbed by the body. Various formulations (such as curcumin with piperine, liposomal curcumin, or curcumin nanoparticles) have been developed to enhance its absorption and efficacy.
  • Researchers are still determining the optimal dosage and treatment duration for curcumin in the context of autism, and long-term studies are required to fully understand its potential benefits and risks.

Example of a Study:

  • A 2021 review published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry summarized the potential of curcumin in managing autism symptoms, highlighting its role in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of autism. The review called for more rigorous clinical trials to better understand the impact of curcumin on autism spectrum disorder.

Conclusion:

While curcumin shows promise as a potential therapeutic agent for autism due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, more research is necessary to establish its effectiveness and safety. If considering curcumin supplementation for autism, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider to ensure it is appropriate and safe as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.

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Now, the only issue I’m seeing with these studies is that they used quite a lot of plain curcumin or curcumin with added piperine, BUT not micellar curcumin (95X great bioavailability). So it might be hard to convert the math. I’m no doctor, but if my kid had autism I’d feel comfortable giving him 1 capsule per day of micellar curcumin, then move that up to 2 capsules.

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I’m assuming supplement companies can’t advise people to give things to children, but is there any reason why children shouldn’t take the things Biotest sells? Let’s say, not toddlers, but is there really any reason why a 15 year old couldn’t take the same, say, fish oil or vitamin D that an 18 year old could?

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It depends on the supplement of course. But generally speaking as a dad and not as a company, stuff like fish oil, Superfood-type products, and even protein powders are great for older kids. Might get trickier with vitamins and minerals as they may need less. I just googled magnesium and sure enough they sell a kid’s gummy with 100mg.

Teens can usually supplement like adults (minus T boosters and a few other things). If I had a teen boy in contact sports, I’d make him take creatine. There’s some evidence that it helps with concussion injuries.

And I just read a study today that 70% of kids ages 6 to 11 are vitamin D deficient.

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Whoa, cool. I’ve got some teen brothers in football. They don’t take anything. Maybe they should start.

One of their teammate’s mom said her son takes fish oil to help with concussions. Is that a thing or is she getting her info wrong?

EDIT: I thought Biotest sold a creatine. I just looked, and am I wrong?

That’s probably related to just spending less time outside as much as diet, right?

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We only have some animal studies so far, but they look positive. Has something to do with reduced inflammation. Also, an omega-3 deficiency makes it harder for the brain to heal after concussions. Obviously, fish oil can’t be preventative (brain bashing against inside of skull) but it may help prevent some of the associated damage.

We did for a while, stopped, then brought it back when we were one of the few companies who could source it due to a world-wide shortage. No longer selling it now.

Mostly not going outside, I’m guessing, but vitamin D can be tough to source from foods, at least if a person is already working from a deficiency.

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I understand if you can’t/don’t want to recommend another brand, but is there a creatine you’d recommend? Or at least things to look for?

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The team has you covered

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Cool, thanks man!

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