Longevity Articles

Curcumin and Longevity: HydroCurc® Marries the Ancient Wisdom of Turmeric With Advanced Technology to Increase Bioavailability

Hydrocurc® Marries the Ancient Wisdom of Turmeric With Advanced Technology to Amplify the Health-Supporting Properties of Curcumin

Updated on 1/6/23 by Cambria Glosz, MS, RD

Although you may know it best as the spice that adds a bright yellow hue and warming flavor to curries and Indian cuisine, turmeric—and its primary active component, curcumin—has been used therapeutically for millennia. In recent years, researchers have discovered that curcumin can be isolated from turmeric and taken in supplemental form to get more of the longevity-boosting and anti-inflammatory benefits than consuming turmeric itself. However, most curcumin supplements come with a whole host of problems related to how well—or rather, how poorly—our bodies absorb the compound. 

With these issues in mind, researchers developed a novel way to make sure we can absorb and utilize all the good things that curcumin has to offer. With over a dozen awards to its name, this product called HydroCurc® delivers the most bioavailable curcumin supplement to date. Let’s take a closer look at this innovative supplement and how it can be used to support your health at any age.

The Longevity-Boosting Abilities of Curcumin

The majority of curcumin’s benefits stem from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has even been found to have comparable discomfort-relieving effects to ibuprofen—without the side effects commonly associated with that class of drugs. 

Curcumin may support by longevity by reducing inflammation and scavenging for free radicals and reactive oxygen species—harmful compounds that damage cells and DNA by creating oxidative stress. Curcumin also inhibits several pro-inflammatory compounds called cytokines. High amounts of these cytokines are implicated in many inflammatory and age-related conditions. 

With curcumin’s inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress comes additional support for several age-related disorders, including those related to the joints, heart, and brain. Research has also found that curcumin is linked to longer lifespans in the roundworm, fruit fly, and mouse.

However, curcumin’s health-supporting benefits are not easy to come by, as the compound is not very bioavailable on its own, meaning our bodies cannot absorb and utilize it fully. In addition to its low bioavailability, curcumin has extremely low water solubility. Rather than being hydrophilic (water-loving), curcumin is lipophilic (fat-loving) and hydrophobic. As our digestive tracts are full of water, this can make curcumin absorption difficult. 

Solving Hydrophobia With HydroCurc® 

A solution to curcumin’s hydrophobia problem is found with HydroCurc®’s patented delivery system called LipiSperse®. Also known as a Cold Water Dispersible (CWD) powder, LipiSperse® improves curcumin’s bioavailability by utilizing repulsive forces between the curcumin particles. These forces hinder the aggregation of curcumin that prevents it from being dispersed properly. To imagine this, think of how oil will sit on top of water rather than mixing with it, but the addition of vinegar or another emulsifier allows them to combine. With LipiSperse®, the fat-loving curcumin can experience facilitated intestinal absorption without needing additional compounds to increase its bioavailability.

Left: Limited dispersion and bioavailability with regular curcumin.   Right: Enhanced water solubility with LipiSperse®.

Left: Limited dispersion and bioavailability with regular curcumin. 
Right: Enhanced water solubility with LipiSperse®. 

This purported boost in bioavailability was validated in a recent trial. In a group of 18 healthy young adults, a single dose of HydroCurc® led to significant increases in blood plasma concentrations of curcuminoids — the family of active components in turmeric that includes curcumin. The LipiSperse®-enhanced curcumin increased plasma curcuminoid levels to 807 ng/mL, compared to 318 ng/mL when the participants consumed raw curcumin. 

Boosting Curcumin’s Benefits, From Muscles to Memory

After confirming HydroCurc®’s effectiveness in raising curcumin’s bioavailability, the researchers went on to study how this product impacted two areas of health that are significantly affected by inflammation: muscle recovery and brain health. 

In the first study, 28 healthy young adult males consumed a beverage containing HydroCurc® before and after completing a lower limb strength training exercise. Compared to those who drank a placebo drink, the HydroCurc® group experienced significantly lower pain scores after the exercise and had lower inflammatory markers, suggesting that this form of curcumin benefits muscle damage due to exercise-induced inflammation. This may translate to supporting muscles that experience damage from other causes, including the age-related loss of muscle mass. 

Lastly, the Hydrocurc® team assessed how this enhanced curcumin supplement plays a role in preserving cognition by looking at a compound called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). BDNF is a neurotrophin—a family of proteins that act as growth factors for neurons by promoting their survival, growth, and development. With age, BDNF levels tend to decline, leading to losses of memory, learning, and focus abilities. 

In this 6-week trial, 155 healthy adults were randomized to take 500 mg of Hydrocurc® with either a low (18 mg) or high (65 mg) dose of iron, a placebo, or iron without curcumin. They found that BDNF levels increased by 26% in the curcumin plus low-dose iron group, which was significantly more than any other group. As maintaining BDNF levels is essential for healthy cognition, these results suggest that Hydrocurc® may be a powerful tool to support brain health with age.

Hydrocurc® may be a powerful tool to support brain health with age

Harnessing Health With Hydrocurc® 

With the patented LipiSperse® delivery system — and its impressive study results so far — Hydrocurc® provides the highest amount of bioavailable curcuminoids from a single dose to date. Marrying the ancient Ayurvedic wisdom of turmeric with the advanced technology of LipiSperse®, this product ensures peak utilization of curcumin. This improved bioavailability will allow for curcumin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to shine through, supporting optimal health and longevity at any age. 


Hydrocurc® is a trademark of Pharmako Biotechnologies Pty Ltd.

References:

Briskey D, Sax A, Mallard AR, Rao A. Increased bioavailability of curcumin using a novel dispersion technology system (LipiSperse®). Eur J Nutr. 2019;58(5):2087-2097. doi:10.1007/s00394-018-1766-2

He Y, Yue Y, Zheng X, Zhang K, Chen S, Du Z. Curcumin, inflammation, and chronic diseases: how are they linked?. Molecules. 2015;20(5):9183-9213. Published 2015 May 20. doi:10.3390/molecules20059183

Mallard AR, Briskey D, Richards BExSSc A, Rao A. Curcumin Improves Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Postexercise Lactate Accumulation [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 24]. J Diet Suppl. 2020;1-12. doi:10.1080/19390211.2020.1796885

Tiekou Lorinczova H, Fitzsimons O, Mursaleen L, Renshaw D, Begum G, Zariwala MG. Co-Administration of Iron and a Bioavailable Curcumin Supplement Increases Serum BDNF Levels in Healthy Adults. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(8):645. Published 2020 Jul 22. doi:10.3390/antiox9080645



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