Timeless Turmeric - An Ancient
Herb Meets New Technology
by Gene Cleveland
 The
powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic
properties of curcumin derived from turmeric are being studied world
wide. The volatile oils in the turmeric extract have been proven to
reduce both acute and chronic inflammation. Extracts of turmeric have
also been proven to have powerful antioxidant qualities, rivaling
those of vitamins C and E and have been proven to have a positive
effect on cholesterol. Perhaps the most exciting new development in
the research of turmeric and its benefits are the results of one of
the latest studies, which demonstrated how curcumin blocked the
development of laboratory strains of melanoma and other cancers.
In Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine, it is
known as “haldi” and is used extensively to treat ailments ranging
from small cuts to digestive and heart conditions. In wedding
ceremonies there, it is applied to the bride and groom to beautify
them as well as to repel bad spirits. In Indonesia, it is called “kunyit,”
and is an indispensable component of jamu, the system of medicine
there, given to women after childbirth. “Jiang huang” (literally
“yellow ginger”) has been used in Chinese medicine for inflammatory
conditions since the Tang Dynasty, while the daily consumption of
“ucchin” has become popular among the Japanese who wish to aid their
livers as the Western diet and customs become more common there.
Whatever its translation in your part of the world,
turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) produces nearly as many benefits as it has
names. That it is used as a food-coloring agent, a natural dye, and a
spice is well known, especially to the more adventurous among us who
have explored the foods and lands of foreign cultures. But studies
performed in Western labs have brought turmeric into the spotlight,
proving the perennial shrub to have an almost unheard of amount of
concurring health benefits.
The volatile oils in the turmeric extract have been
proven to reduce both acute and chronic inflammation. This
anti-inflammatory quality may well be its global claim to fame as it
results in being useful to those in many cultures suffering from major
health conditions, such as heart disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s
disease. In fact, in a study at the University of California, curcumin,
a major constituent of turmeric, was proven to reduce inflammation
related to Alzheimer’s disease in the neurological tissue of
laboratory rats. This may explain why so few of the people of India,
who consume the spice at almost every meal, suffer from this condition
late in life.
Extracts of turmeric have also been proven to have
powerful antioxidant qualities, rivaling those of vitamins C and E and
have been proven to have a positive effect on cholesterol by
inhibiting its uptake in the intestines and increasing its conversion
to bile acids in the liver. It has also been lauded for its
antimicrobial nature, proven in laboratory studies to inhibit the
growth of a variety of bacteria and other pathogens when applied both
internally and topically.
Perhaps the most exciting new development in the
research of turmeric and its benefits are the results of one of the
latest studies, conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston
which demonstrated how curcumin blocked the development of laboratory
strains of melanoma and other cancers. “The antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties of curcumin derived
from turmeric are undergoing intense research here and at other places
worldwide,” says Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor of cancer
medicine in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics and one of the
study’s authors. “The incidence of the top four cancers in the
U.S.—colon, breast, prostate, and lung—is ten times lower in India.”
With a list of credits like this, it becomes quickly
apparent that turmeric is the most versatile and hardest-working herb
around. As a result of the wealth of positive information regarding
it, several companies have begun to offer extracts of turmeric, many
times under the name of curcumin itself. In fact, a general search for
turmeric on the internet returns dozens of products, each claiming to
provide the purest extract of curcumin at the lowest price and,
ultimately, confusing consumers to the point of picking the first one
on the list or abandoning the whole venture of ingesting the
beneficial herb altogether.
 Turmericforce, produced by
New Chapter, stands apart from other turmeric extracts due to
both the high quality of its ingredients and the accuracy of its
composition, which closely mimics that of the original herb.
 Paul Schulick, CEO of New Chapter and author of the
best-selling book
Ginger: Common Spice & Wonder Drug, had been interested in the
benefits of consuming turmeric for decades. But his interest peaked
about five years ago, when he became aware of a study on its ability
to counter the toxicity of cigarette smoke.
As a result of his growing interest in turmeric,
Schulick and New Chapter introduced it to Luna Nueva, their biodynamic
farm located in the volcanic mountains of Costa Rica, where it is now
grown alongside the already existing ginger crops - a natural coupling
as the two have traditionally been used together in both the Chinese
and Japanese cultures.
“I’ve been unfaithful to ginger,” he jokes in a
recent interview. “But I became influenced by the potential that this
herb has for all the diseases of aging of our culture—diabetes, heart
disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatory arthritis...these are
all diseases of aging.”
But maintaining high standards of growing the herb
is only one step towards achieving the exceptional quality of
Turmericforce. More important is the ability to extract the beneficial
constituents of the herb, without destroying or altering them in the
process, maintaining their potency and delivering the full spectrum of
turmeric’s components. This is where Turmericforce leaves the others
behind.
Supercritical Extraction—Quality Over Quantity
When sorting through the many so-called turmeric and
curcumin extract products on the market, it is not uncommon to find
more than a few which proudly boast “95 percent curcumin.” This is not
necessarily a false claim. But what you’re not being told is that, in
order to extract such a high level of curcumin, many companies use
unhealthy chemical solvents. Although this process is less expensive
and results in a higher yield, the quality of that yield is damaged by
heat, oxygen and solvent stress. In addition to this dumbing down of
the extract, an amount of 95 percent curcumin does not accurately
represent the original ratio of the constituents in turmeric, thereby
producing an extract which can be biologically unstable. Finally, the
chemical solvents used—such as acetone, a common ingredient in nail
polish remover and hexane, a component commonly used in dry cleaning
fluid—leave behind residues. Basically, the consumer of such products
would be taking an anti-carcinogenic herb extract laced with
carcinogens. How’s that for driving with the brakes on?
Extracting the fat soluble (or lipophilic)
components of any plant is not an easy process for the simple fact
that fat will not allow itself to be dissolved by water. Most
producers of turmeric extract take the easy way out in the use of
chemical solvents to dissolve the once-potent oils.
But New Chapter, refusing to sacrifice this quality
and potency, employs a patent-pending “dual extraction” process to
produce
Turmericforce.
The first and most important part of this process is
“supercritical” extraction, a technique which safely extracts the
lipophilic constituents, which are the most delicate, volatile and
arguably the most beneficial. While the chemical solvent method
damages these substances, supercritical extraction is able to
circumvent their resistance to liquid extraction by compressing carbon
dioxide gas to the point where it has the density of a liquid but
still remains gaseous. In this state, it is able to penetrate the herb
and extract the delicate constituents while leaving their character
and potency intact.
In the second step, the residue containing the
remaining water-soluble (hydrophilic) constituents is extracted with
water and alcohol. When this is complete, Turmericforce is
reconstituted to closely match the ratio present in the original
plant. In this way, the final product delivers not only the barely
altered potency of turmeric, but maintains its intelligence and
character, qualities which are a top priority for New Chapter.
Tumerones Increase the Bioavailability of
Curcumin
One ingredient you’ll see on the Turmericforce
label, and most likely not on those of other turmeric extracts, is “45
percent tumerones.” According to Flavex, New Chapter’s supercritical
extraction partners located in Germany, more than 50 percent of the
oil extracted via supercritical extraction is composed of tumerones,
one of the most beneficial of turmeric’s lipophlic substances.
This claim is missing on the very products which
boast high levels of curcumin. This is because, in their attempt to
isolate a single curcuminoid, using an unhealthy solvent in the
process, tumerones, as well as other beneficial oils, are destroyed.
This results in any level of curcumin becoming less effective than it
could be, as tumerones, curcumin and the other constituents all must
be present, in the correct ratios and potency, to express the full
spectrum of the herb and deliver its medicinal power.
“We believe very strongly that the sole focus on
curcumin is a huge mistake because there’s a lot of biological
activity in the tumerones, which are in the lipophilic section,” says
Schulick. “There is evidence dating back as much as 40 years ago which
suggests that the oils of turmeric combined with the water-soluble
constituents of turmeric make the curcuminoids far more bioavailable.”
With so many benefits rendered by turmeric, and
especially in a culture where its regular consumption is low, it
behooves even those already in good health to experience its long-term
benefits. In doing so, choose a product like Turmericforce, which,
rather than providing nothing but an empty high yield, delivers the
true colors of the herb in the most potent form available today.
For more product information on Turmericforce, click here.
References
Apisariyakul, A., et al. “Antifungal activity of turmeric oil
extracted from Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae).” J Ethnopharmacol,
1995;49:163-169.
Lim, G.P., et al. “The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage
and amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer transgenic mouse.” J Neurosci,
20011;21(21):8370-7.
MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Potent spice works to block growth of
melanoma in lab test.” http://www.mdanderson.org/departments/newsroom/display.cfm?id=f3ec0200-90b3-4112-ac139bd8699d6101&method=displayfull&pn=00c8a30f-c468-11d4-80fb00508b603a14.
Accessed Aug 3, 2005.
Mukhopadhyay, A., et al. “Anti-inflammatory and irritant activities of
curcumin analogues in rats.” Agents Actions, 1982;12:508-515.
Ramprasad, C. & Sirsi, M. “Curcuma longa and bile secretion.
Quantitative changes in the bile constituents induced by sodium
curcuminate.” J Sci Indust Res, 1957;16C:108-110.
Toda, S., et al. “Natural antioxidants. “Antioxidative compounds
isolated from rhizome of Curcuma longa L.” Chem Pharmacol Bull,
1985;33:1725-1728.
Note: Statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA.
This information is for informational and educational purposes only.
It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or
examination or replace the advice of your health care professional and
should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of
treatment. |
