Something happened when I hit my 40’s. I would often find myself going to bed with aches, and waking up with new ones. I’d try to think of what I had done to cause the pain, and was dumbfounded. Normal daily activity could set me off into discomfort – a long day at the mall, a quick kayak ride, gardening in my front yard or simply goofing off with my daughter (I don’t remember cartwheels hurting so much?).  These are activities I used to be able to shake off with a good night’s rest.

As we age, gradual loss of water, collagen and blood flow throughout the body take a toll. The ligaments and tendons that hold our joints together also become stiff. At the same time, osteoarthritis can cause the cartilage in a joint to wear away. Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans Both processes can lead to aching, soreness, and pain.  Many are now choosing to take supplements that have been shown to help reduce inflammation and joint discomfort. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard the buzz about Curcumin, derived from the popular spice Turmeric.  Curcumin supplement formulas are HOT right now, and finally getting the attention they deserve.

Curcumin – What’s the Deal?

No whole-body health regimen would be complete without curcumin. This remarkable turmeric extract benefits nearly every organ system.Curcumin extract helps inhibit inflammation that can lead to joint discomfort, supports a strong immune system, promotes heart health, and offers potent antioxidant protection.

Can I Get Enough Curcumin From Food Every Day?

As curcumin is not an essential nutrient, there is no recommended daily value. However, given its anti-inflammatory properties, it’s clearly a great thing to add to your daily routine.  I do love making and eating curries (like this curried potato and garbanzos on wilted greens), but the thought of having curry EVERY SINGLE DAY just doesn’t excite me.

Because curcumin is not well absorbed, a supplement formulated to improve bioavailability works best. The LifeExtension Bio-Curcumin is a great option because it offers ultra-absorbable curcumin for whole-body health support.

Life Extension® has created Super Bio-Curcumin® using an ultra-potent extract called BCM-95® Bio-Curcumin® — which is actually seven times more absorbable than conventional extracts. Plus, BCM-95® Bio-Curcumin® also remains in the bloodstream almost twice as long as standard curcumin extracts.

A study showed that just one 400 mg capsule of Super Bio-Curcumin® with BCM-95® per day provides curcumin blood concentrations equivalent to up to 2,772 mg of typical 95% curcumin extracts.⁸ 

The LifeExtension Bio-Curcumin serving is one capsule a day, so it’s easy to take with my breakfast in the morning!

Joint Support

Another great supplement (also just one capsule a day) is the LifeExtension Artho-Immune Joint Support.  If you have done a repetitive activity over the years, like typing (wrists), bending over (back, hips), bending at the knees, these joints may become stiffer than others. As we age, there’s an increase in certain cytokines (immune-modulating agents) that contribute to bone health conditions. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) is one such agent. These pro-inflammatory agents have been implicated to affect aging joints.^1,2

Life Extension’s Arthro-Immune Joint Support combines two clinically validated plant extracts into one powerful formula to help ease inflammation.

Andrographis paniculata has received acclaim for its beneficial effect on inflammation.³ A Chilean study involved 60 adults who took either 150 mg andrographis extract daily or a placebo. Those taking the extract showed dramatic improvement of several outcomes, including less joint discomfort. For joints that remained tender, the intensity was lessened.⁴ Arthro-Immune Joint Support contains PARACTIN® Andrographis extract, which has demonstrated its efficacy in easing inflammation in human clinical, in vivo and in vitro studies.

This supplement also includes Curcumin, so it has the extra beneficial effect on inflammation.⁵ Arthro-Immune Joint Support also contains BCM-95® Bio-Curcumin®, which is considered the gold standard curcumin, with bioavailability far superior to that of most curcumin extracts.⁶

Why LifeExtension?

LifeExtension has been in business for over 35 years! They focus on specific areas in the production of their products.

• Raw Materials: Unlike other supplement companies, the ingredients that go into our supplements are not chosen based on cost. Instead, they are chosen based on purity (to ensure contaminants such as microbes and heavy metals comply with regulatory and GMPs requirements), potency, and usage in successful scientific research.
• Validation of the Efficacy of Ingredients by Scientific Research: We use ingredients and dosages that accurately replicate the most successful results obtained in scientific studies for maximum efficacy.
• To learn more about their strict standards, click here.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIFEEXTENSION’S AWESOME PRODUCTS

References:

Curcumin

1. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008 Jul-Aug; 70(4): 445–449.

Artho-Immune

1. Int Immunopharmacol. 2009 Mar;9(3):313-8.
2. Clin Rheumatol. 2009 Aug;28(8):931-463.
3. Chandran B, Chakkiath VK, Thomas SPO. A multicentre, randomized, controlled human clinical study to assess the efficacy and safety of Biocurcumax (BCM-95®) compared to diclofenac sodium. Submitted for publication. 2009.
4. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008 Jul-Aug;70(4):445-9.