What is Curcumin?

Curcumin is a yellow pigment which is the primary bioactive substance in turmeric. When consuming turmeric, experts state that your body absorbs only a small amount of curcumin as it’s not that concentrated. And since research shows that curcumin can have a lot of positive effects on our health, these days it comes in the form of supplements.

Benefits of Using Curcumin Supplements

Because of the extremely processed food and products full of pesticides, the number of people who turn to organic food is on the rise. This goes hand in and with a lot of people also turning to the use of natural supplements Australia made.

Commonly Known Benefits

One of the main benefits of consuming curcumin supplements Australia experts claim is its ability slow down the aging process. Besides this, it is believed that this ingredient can also help minimize some of the symptoms of depression and also also prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease . How? Well, one key factor of this disease is the lowered levels in BDNG (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and it has been found that curcumin can increase the BDNF levels, a protein that is found in the brain and spinal cord, the role of which is to keep the nerve cells healthy.

It has also been said that curcumin can regulate the communication between the nerve cells which is crucial for learning and having better memory. Now, in order to make this compound more bioavailable, it is recommended to use black pepper and turmeric or curcumin supplements together. This is because black pepper contains a compound called ‘piperine’ which aids the absorption process.

Note: Bioavailability refers to the amount of a certain substance our bodies can absorb.

Less Known Benefits

It Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

When used the right way, this supplement can be the ideal anti-inflammatory treatment, even more effective than some common pharmacy products like ibuprofen and aspirin.

It Can Lessen the Symptoms of Arthritis

This chronic inflammatory disease commonly affects the joints, however, it can also spread to some other areas like the lungs, heart, blood vessels, eyes and skin. This disease causes a painful swelling on the joints that can result in bones eroding which can lead to body part deformities and physical disabilities. While these supplements cannot actually treat this disease, they can help with better symptoms management.

It May Prevent Cancer

Since inflammation is linked to tumour growth, it is believed that anti-inflammatory supplements can play a role in treating and preventing different cancer types like gastric, pancreatic, prostate, colorectal and breast cancer. Research in mice has shown that curcumin might help in slowing down the spread of tumour cells and can even prevent the formation of a tumour.

It Can Prevent and Treat Diabetes

Curcumin can also aid the prevention and treatment of diabetes and some associated disorders like nephropathy. This disease is also known as diabetic kidney disease and can affect people with type 1 and 2 diabetes. A study in obese mice with type 2 diabetes showed that curcumin supplements helped in lowering the blood insulin levels after 16 weeks of use.

It Can Improve the Skin’s Health

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, turmeric or curcumin, in general, can improve the skin. In fact, these supplements can be used for a variety of skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and photoaging. Except for this, topical curcumin treatments might be useful in treating skin disorders.

How to Take Curcumin Supplements?

Different conditions require different dosage.

1. For osteoarthritis, the recommended dosage is 500mg of turmeric extract twice a day for about 2 – 3 months.
2. For high cholesterol, you can use about 700mg of turmeric extract twice a day for about 3 months.
3. For itchy skin, you can take 500mg of turmeric extract three times per day for about 2 months.

These are some general guidelines for consuming curcumin for some conditions. However, professional consultation is always a good idea.

Are Supplements Regulated in Australia?

Nutritional supplements in Australia are regulated as medicines under the name Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. However, there is a list of some medicines and supplements which are not regulated.

What Supplements are Banned in Australia?

Supplements in Australia are tested by HASTA which stands for Human and Supplement Testing Australia. The HASTA testing criteria is reviewed each year with the release of the World Anti-Doping Agency – WADA and the banned ones are released in their prohibited list.