The Golden Spice, Part 2: The Three Best Curcumin Supplements You Can Buy

Curcumin supplements are in the news. Curcumin is proving to be a powerhouse supplement with wide-ranging health benefits, but Prohealth makes it much better by using proprietary technologies and synergistic herbs to help improve inflammation, joint mobility, brain and cardiovascular health. It might even lower your LDL.

The best curcumin supplements

Curcumin is quickly becoming recognized as a potent supplement useful in supporting a broad range of health issues. Look at the fantastic press generated about the health benefits of curcumin supplements:

the reason curcumin supplementation is popular is because it works

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Those headlines make a lot of promises about curcumin’s capacity to improve your health in a myriad of ways. In Part 1, I presented various scientific studies that indicate curcumin consumption to be potentially helpful for inflammation, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, gastrointestinal distress, steroid (prednisone) replacement and cancer treatment.

In this article, I want to pare down that list, and tell you about three Prohealth curcumin supplements optimized to address four specific health conditions that typically worsen as we age:

  1. Chronic inflammation;
  2. Arthritis;
  3. Brain function (mood and cognition); and
  4. Cardiovascular health (including cholesterol).

Prohealth’s approach to address these chronic health issues with its curcumin supplements is smart and effective.  First, the company selected Longvida® to make the curcumin more absorbable and bioavailable.  Then Prohealth added natural, polyphenols-rich compounds known to be beneficial to each respective health issue.

Since all of its curcumin supplements are enhanced with an absorption-promoting technology called Longvida®, I want you to understand the potential benefits derived by this one modification alone, and then delve into the additional enhancements that Prohealth makes to each curcumin product to optimize it for the specific health benefit it’s designed to address.

For Optimized Curcumin Body and Joint, Prohealth added a special boswellia serrata extract called “WokVel®” to amplify curcumin and boswellia’s bioavailability in order to help reduce inflammation and joint discomfort.

For Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus®, Prohealth added a unique extract of Bacopa monnieri called “Bacognize® Extract” to enhance curcumin and bacopa’s bioavailability in order to help improve mood and cognition, and potentially reduce the ravages of Alzheimer’s.

For Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract, Prohealth added a pomegranate extract called “Pomella®” also to ensure these medicinal compounds get absorbed and work to improve cardiovascular health, including inhibiting LDL oxidation due to its abundant antioxidants.

Let’s dig further into each of these product formulations, beginning with what they all have in common — Longvida® Curcumin.

 

Longvida, the Prohealth Curcumin Powerhouse

The best curcumin supplements(source)

Curcumin contains the most medicinal properties among the curcuminoid compounds found in turmeric. Curcumin presents powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant, which may be the two primary reasons for its widely cited effectiveness to help heal such a wide range of maladies.

Longvida® is a breakthrough formula of the natural antioxidant curcumin, and puts curcumin’s natural health benefits on steroids, sorta speak, by dramatically improving its absorption and bioavailability.

Longvida® Optimized Curcumin was developed in collaboration with neuroscientists at UCLA and is optimized to deliver free curcumin into target tissues through the critical bioavailability requirements of permeability, solubility, and stability.  (1)

So What Makes Longvida® Unique?
  • Longvida® is 65 times more bioavailable than regular curcumin.
  • Longvida® offers therapeutic levels of free (not deactivated/metabolized) curcumin.
  • Curcumin from Longvida® passes the blood-brain barrier.
  • Longvida® contains no metabolic inhibitors, volatile oils, or crude, unpurified ingredients.

Longvida® has been clinically tested. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, researchers administered 400 mg Longvida® or placebo to 60 adults between the ages of 60 and 85, and then tested their short-term and long-term cognitive performance.

Researchers found that after just one hour of administration, Longvida® brought significant improvements in sustained attention and working memory when compared with placebo. After four weeks, researchers noted Longvida® to be associated with significant improvements to memory and mood. (2)

Given how dramatically Longvida®  improves curcumin, Prohealth selected it to be the mainstay ingredient for all three of their curcumin supplements.

 

Prohealth Optimized Curcumin Body and Joint

I already covered why using Longvida® Curcumin distinguishes Prohealth’s curcumin supplements from most others, but what makes Prohealth’s Optimized Curcumin Body and Joint unique is a formulation that includes the most bioavailable form of boswellia serrata to enhance curcumin’s natural capacity to support a healthy inflammatory response and enhance joint health.

Boswellia serrata comes from the sap of the Boswellia tree and has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurveda medicine.  The supplement research site, Examine.com, examined of the research on boswellia and reports that its anti-inflammatory effects can that can significantly suppress pain and immobility associated with arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, taking as little as a week to occur. In their analysis:

“The reduction observed with Boswellia serrata for pain and other symptoms of osteoarthritis are more profound than other supplements including that of glucosamine.” (3)

Boswellia might also be a healthier, effective substitute for Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) that many aging athletes and suffers of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome turn to to relieve their chronic joint and muscle aches, and which, unfortunately, may compromise liver and kidney function. (4)

Thus is makes perfect sense to combine curcumin and boswellia, but Prohealth takes it one step further by matching its enhanced Longvida® Curcumin with an enhanced bioavailable form of boswellia called WokVel® Extract.

WokVel® Extract is a proprietary formula derived from Boswellia serrata. Here’s what you need to know about it:

  • Wokvel® Extract is a clinically researched botanical ingredient that supports joint health and flexibility.*
  • Derived from Boswellia serrata, Wokvel® Extract is an all-natural, science-backed ingredient for premium dietary supplements that promote joint health.
  • WokVel® processes Boswellia to make it bioavailable without altering the resin’s nutrient profile. 
  • Standardized to the natural-spectrum fingerprint of boswellic acids, Wokvel® is one of the only joint health ingredients shown to be bioavailable in human trials. (5)

The combination of  Longvida® Curcumin and Wokvel® Extract:

  • Promotes a healthy inflammation response*
  • Promotes joint health and flexibility*
  • Passes the blood-brain barrier*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Prohealth Optimized Body and Joint Offers Longvida® + WokVel® Extract in One Supplement
Best curcumin supplements

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In summary, curcumin and boswellia serrata appear to have biochemical synergies that enhance healthy  inflammation response and joint flexibility. Optimized Curcumin Body and Joint has been formulated with these two herbs into a single supplement using premium, potent, highly bioavailable extracts: Longvida® 400 mg and Bacognize® 600 mg.

If you consistently experience joint pain and/or chronic inflammation, think about supplementing with Prohealth’s Optimized Body and Joint, containing two unique compounds: Longvida® Curcumin and WokVel® Extract.  I take one capsule in the evening, thinking that perhaps after a day of running amok my joints might need to calm down.

 

Prohealth Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus

Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus® by ProHealth is a powerful blend of two clinically tested nutrients that supports brain health and improved cognitive function:

  • Longvida® Curcumin, and
  • Bacognize® Extract.

I’ll describe Bacognize® Extract’s effect on cognitive function in a moment. Although you already have an appreciation for Longvida® Curcumin, know that it also can help mitigate brain inflammation, which is thought to be a major cause of cognitive conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

As I addressed in Part 1, curcumin supports the brain by improving oxygen flow and removing plaque build-up in it, including preventing the build-up of the protein beta-amyloid, the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer patient. This process may slow or prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. (6)

UCLA researchers have isolated bisdemethoxycurcumin, the active ingredient of curcuminoids like curcumin, and found that it boosted immune cells called macrophages, which are necessary to clear the plaque in the blood samples from Alzheimer’s patients. (7)

Bacognize® Standardized Bacopa for Brain Health

Yes, it’s true that using Longvida® Curcumin by itself would provide excellent support to brain health, but Prohealth amplifies the potentiality of the curcumin extract by adding Bacognize® Extract to their Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus® formulation.

Bacognize® Extract is is a standardized extract of bacopa monnieri that supplies a minimum 45% of the bacoside compounds most associated with its brain health benefits. Bacopa monnieri has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years and is renowned for its ability to support mental focus and improve memory. Also called “water hyssop” or “Brahmi”, this herb may have multiple cognitive benefits; some researchers have referred to it as a “memory vitalizer.” (8)

The “bacosides”in Bacognize® Extract are natural phytonutrients that help boost neurotransmitters activity and thereby improve brain function. In addition to supplying antioxidant activity that may help protect brain cells, bacosides are believed to enhance acetylcholine, serotonin and GABA — brain neurotransmitters associated with sharp memory, mental clarity and bright mood.

Bacosides have also been found in some animal research to boost cerebral blood flow, which may offer special benefits to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers whose foggy thinking has been partly attributed to poor blood flow to the brain.

The Bacognize® Extract in Prohealth’s Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus is designed to mirror the spectrum of bacosides naturally found in Bacopa, staying true to the nutritional “fingerprint” that has made this herb an Ayurvedic brain health legend. (9)

Bacognize® Extract has been shown in randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials to support memory, focus, and mood:*

  • It supports healthy memory function and concentration*
  • It promotes a healthy inflammation response and joint health*
  • It passes the blood-brain barrier*  (10)
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Turning again to the supplement research site, Examine.com, we find that supplementing with bacopa monnieri may improve cognition by reducing anxiety, and is also reliable for improving memory formation. Bacopa interacts with the dopamine and serotonergic systems, but its main mechanism concerns promoting neuron communication. It does this by enhancing the rate at which the nervous system can communicate by increasing the growth of nerve endings, also called dendrites.  (11)

Here’s Examine.com’s summary of the research about bacopa monnieri affect on certain aspects of cognitive capacity:

  • Memory — Consensus of eight studies indicate that it “appears to reliably and effectively improve memory in both healthy persons and during cognitive decline.”
  • Attention — One study noted improvements in attention in persons with attention deficit (ADD).
  • Anxiety — Two studies indicate that bacopa monnieri can prevent rises in anxiety, although not necessarily reduce it.
  • Forgetting — A small reduction of acute forgetting has been noted, which may contribute better to long term memory (ie. grasping concepts better). (11)

Bacosides have also been found in some animal research to boost cerebral blood flow, which may offer special benefits to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers whose foggy thinking has been partly attributed to poor blood flow to the brain.  Some early human research showed positive results, too:

In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, subjects were given either 300 mg bacopa monniera or placebo daily for a span of 12 weeks. Subjects were tested for their cognitive performance before supplementation, at the five-week mark, and at the study’s conclusion at week twelve. Researchers reported the Bacopa group seemed to have significant improvements in speed of information processing, learning rate, memory and mood (calmness). (12)

ProHealth Optimized Curcumin Brain & Focus® Offers Longvida® + Bacognize® in One Supplement
The best curcumin supplements

(Click image for more info.)

In summary, with familiar roots in Ayurvedic traditions —  and like curcumin and boswellia serrata —  curcumin and bacopa monnieri may have complementary biochemistry that work together to enhance cognitive function. ProHealth’s Optimized Curcumin Brain & Focus has formulated these two herbs into a single supplement using premium, potent, highly bioavailable extracts: Longvida® 400 mg and Bacognize® 600 mg.

Anyone who is concerned about their memory, mood and/or mental sharpness should consider supplementing with these enhanced, legendary brain health botanical extracts paired together in Optimized Curcumin Brain & Focus.  I take one capsule in the morning when I need all the added brainpower I can muster.

 

Prohealth Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate

Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract by ProHealth is a superior blend of Longvida® Curcumin and a pomegranate extract called Pomella®.

Pomegranates are polyphenols-rich, red-skinned fruits that contain a large amount of small, edible seed-like casings called “arils”, an excellent source of Punicalagins and Punicic acid.

The best curcumin supplements

Scientists at Verdure Sciences® created the Pomella® extract such that it captures the same nutrient profile as exists in the pomegranate fruit and juice, a key discovery since these antioxidants depend on an intrinsic ratio of nutrients to survive digestion and maximize absorption to deliver the powerful antioxidant effects observed by researchers.

The best pomegranate extract will contain a ratio of punicalagins, or “polyphenol bombs” (so called due to their antioxidant density), and other naturally-occurring nutrients. Currently, Pomella® extract is the only pomegranate extract that contains the exact nutrient profile needed to deliver the health benefits linked to pomegranates.

Let’s examine Pomella® bioavailability, antioxidant potency, its effect on LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), cardiovascular health and diabetes.

Pomella® Extract’s Absorption and Bioavailability Is Incomparable

The nutrient profile combined with its bioavailability is what makes Pomella® unique.

Although punicalagins are rich in potent antioxidants, containing about three times more than red wine and green tea, only about 6% enter the bloodstream after oral ingestion.  This poor absorption presented an opportunity to Verdure Sciences®, the company that has patented Pomella® through an extraction method that captures the full antioxidant profile naturally found in pomegranates. (13, 14)

By now, this bioavailable-enhancing quality of Prohealth’s curcumin supplements is familiar. It’s the poor bioavailablity of curcumin that lead Prohealth to use Longvida® Curcumin in all its curcumin products, and why the company chose Pomella® for their Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract.

Pomella® was evaluated in a pharmacokinetic study — The Pomella® Absorption Study — that proved the extract enhanced this polynutrients capacity to reach the bloodstream where it can still be detected in the body 48 hours after consumption and reach targeted tissues. Additionally, metabolites of punicalagins have been found to accumulate in the body’s organs, where they act to provide tangible health benefits. (15, 16)

Pomella® Is More Rich in Antioxidants than Grape Seeds and Green Tea

Pomella® Extract antioxidants in the body (as measured in the blood) exceed grape seed and green tea extracts, as shown in the graph below:

Pomella® Extract is a powerful antioxidant (source)

Pomella® Extract has undergone extensive antioxidant testing at multiple independent labs. In a study published in 2006, it significantly increased human plasma Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) by an average of 32% after consumption.  This means that Pomella® Extract is a powerful antioxidant BOTH in the test tube and in the body, where it matters.  (17)

Pomella® May Improve Cardiovascular Health, Including Inhibiting LDL Oxidation

While the connection between dietary polyphenols, antioxidant activity and cardiovascular benefits has been widely researched, the antioxidant profile of pomegranate polyphenols may offer unusual cardiovascular benefits.

As a scavenger of free radicals in the bloodstream, punicalagins and natural spectrum pomegranate polyphenols help regulate the degree of oxidation of proteins, macrophages, lipoproteins, and vascular endothelial cells. Punicalagins and pomegranate polyphenols also assist in the regulation of several enzymes that control vessel dilation (via nitric oxide) and promote overall endothelial health. (Endothelial cells form the linings of the blood vessels.) The end result maximizes healthy blood flow and circulation, crucial keys in maintaining optimal cardiovascular health. (18)

A research team from India in 2016 looked at how Pomella® Extract might help those suffering from heart disease. They divided 100 heart attack patients into two groups. Fifty took 300 mg of the extract twice daily for a month, while the remaining patients took an equal placebo. At the end of the month, those who took the extract had lower levels of heart disease indicators homocysteine, Hs-CRP, and OX-LDL, while simultaneously increasing HDL (good) cholesterol substantially. (19)

The same Indian team also observed 40 of the patients with diabetes in conjunction to heart health ailments. Blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels for the patients who took the Pomella® Extract fell significantly over the course of the study.  (19)

Pomella® Extract has been shown to inhibit LDL oxidation (see bar chart below). When LDL cholesterol particles in your body react with free radicals, the oxidized LDL itself then becomes more reactive with the surrounding tissues, which can produce tissue damage.

Pomella extract can inhibit LDL oxidation(source)

People with high levels of LDL oxidation are 3 to 5 times more likely to develop metabolic syndrome over the next five years and face a fourfold risk of developing coronary heart disease. (20)

Researchers from the Srikot Research Institute tested Pomella® and found a significant improvement in mean levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, serum homosystein, hs-CRP and OX-LDL after add-on treatment with Pomella® compared to placebo. (21)

ProHealth Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract Offers Longvida® +Pomella® in One Supplement
The best curcumin supplements

(Click image for more info.)

In summary, Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract:

  • Captures the full antioxidant profile as found naturally in pomegranates*
  • Supports joint health, flexibility and a healthy inflammatory response*
  • Offers incredible potential to protect brain cells responsible for memory*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

ProHealth’s Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract contains Longvida® 200 mg and Pomella® 300 mg.

Anyone concerned about cardiovascular health, high LDL or high blood sugar should consider supplementing with the only supplement on the market pairing Longvida® and Pomella® in one capsule. I take one capsule in the afternoon.

 

Your Takeaway

Since I have not submitted myself to a double-blind study wherein I cease taking all other supplements, I can not affirm that these three cumin-enhanced products have improved the mobility of my joints, reduced any chronic inflammation, improved my memory or cardiovascular health, etc.

What I can tell you is that I don’t suffer from any of the health issues that Prohealth’s curcumin supplements address, and that they’re relatively cheap insurance given the potential benefits.

Again, here are the three curcumin supplements offered by Prohealth that are enhanced for bioavailability:

  1. Optimized Curcumin Body and Joint, good for chronic inflammation and joint mobility;
  2. Optimized Curcumin Brain and Focus®, good for memory, focus and all around brain health; and
  3. Optimized Curcumin with Pomegranate Extract, good for cardiovascular health and reducing LDL.

I suggest you decide what health issue you’d like to improve and then take a slow read of what I’ve presented here or in Part 1. Check out the footnotes and read the studies. Then try a bottle of the curcumin formula that’s best for you.  In a month or two, you just might be a happy camper.

 

 

Best curcumin supplements

Best curcumin supplements

The best curcumin supplements

(Click images for more info.)

 

Last Updated on February 7, 2024 by Joe Garma

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Joe Garma
 

I help people live with more vitality and strength. I'm a big believer in sustainability, and am a bit nutty about optimizing my diet, supplements, hormones and exercise. To get exclusive Updates, tips and be on your way to a stronger, more youthful body, join my weekly Newsletter. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 4 comments
Michael - April 30, 2017

As you know I travel a great deal but still bring my own powder and consume with black pepper and olive oil. I intend to add Pomegranate to my regimen when I get back to the States. Assuming I add such a supplement would my Tumeric consumption be as good as your supplement above?

Reply
    Joe Garma - April 30, 2017

    Mike, you’d be hard press to consume enough turmeric to get enough of the curcumin in it as exists in any of the three Prohealth curcumin supplements I covered, and even with black pepper and olive oil the bioavailability would be much less. I also use tumeric in the morning when I add it to my smoothie. As suggested by the research, I add it to hot water first to activate the curcuminods, add black pepper and the cia seeds provide the fat; nonetheless, I also consume one of each of the three curcumin supplements above.

    Reply
Zack - September 27, 2017

I’m always amazed what brain supplements with natural substances can achieve! The boost to the mood interests me particularly – manipulation of the GABA receptors through natural means is such a clever little biohack.

Reply
    Joe Garma - September 27, 2017

    Zack, a friend of mine w/ some chronic health issues has been slowly substituting a powerful, addictive GABA-producing drug w/ supplements thought to do the same, such as L-Theanine and PharmaGaba from Thorne Research. Seems to be doing the trick.

    Reply

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