Now Foods

Curcumin

• Standardised turmeric extract
• High curcumin content
• Exhibits strong antioxidant effect
• Reduces inflammation
• Chemopreventive and anticancer properties
• Supports cardiovascular system
• Reduces neurodegradation
• Enhances functioning of digestive system
• Normalises functioning of immune system
• Cares for good condition of joints
• Supports liver functions
• Increased curcumin bioavailability
• Easily swallowable capsules

NOW Curcumin Softgels is a strongly concentrated agent containing a highly standardised Curcuma longa extract standardised to curcumin and its derivatives, closed in softgels that release active substances easily. The product exhibits powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties. By supporting the functioning of various systems and organs, it significantly enhances the efficacy of the organism, that way improving quality of life.

Curcuma longa extract – essence obtained from the roots of Curcuma longa, a plant of the Zingiberaceae family; a tropical blooming perennial plant, commonly cultivated in south-eastern Asia, especially India and China.

Traditional use of turmeric
Known for thousands of years in south-eastern Asia, turmeric still has a lot of applications these days. It constitutes an important ingredient of the cuisine of those regions. It enhances the taste and appearance of dishes, giving them a nice yellow, orange, or almost brown colour, depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the dish. Its value has also been appreciated in traditional Hindi and Chinese medicine, where it was used for reducing excessive appetite, alleviating inflammations and pain, as well as improving the functioning of the digestive system and the liver; topically, it can also serve as an aid in wound healing. Modern views on turmeric, however, focus on somewhat different aspects, namely: their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anticancer properties. Both now and in the past, turmeric has owed most of its unique properties to the substances it contains, called curcuminoids.

Curcuminoids – chemical compounds belonging to polyphenols, characterised by high chemical activity. They constitute a significant part of turmeric’s weight, that is about 3-5%. The most important curcuminoids are: curcumin, demetoxycurcumin, bisdemetoxycurcumin, and cyclocurcumin, among which the most important in terms of health is the first one – curcumin.

Curcumin – a phenolic compound belonging to curcuminoids, isolated for the first time in 1815 and described structurally by Polish researchers in 1910. Its higher amounts can be found in dried and powdered turmeric root, where its content is about 5-10%. Curcumin is a compound that dissolves well in fats, alcohols, and acetone, but much worse in water. The health-promoting effects visible after its use stem both from its structure, which enables its direct entry into the right reactions, and from its influence on many internal molecules, like receptors, growth factors, transcription factors, enzymes, or cytokines.

Properties of turmeric

Strengthens antioxidant barrier of the organism
Both because of its structure, which is able to react directly with aggressively reactive oxidant compounds, and its ability to increase the activity of various antioxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione s-transferase, catalase, and haem oxygenase, and to increase the amount of reduced glutathione, it enhances the efficacy of the organism’s antioxidant barrier. The direct antioxidant properties of curcumin are comparable with the power of vitamins C and E. It effectively sweeps many reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, such as: hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, or nitrogen dioxide. It efficiently inhibits the overproduction of nitric oxide and limits the processes of lipid peroxidation.

Reduces inflammation
Curcumin starts its anti-inflammatory activity by eliminating excess reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are responsible for the inflammatory avalanche in the organism. By reducing the amount of TNF-α and blocking NF-кB, it reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-q, IL-6, IL-8. The reduction of inflammation is also possible thanks to its ability to inhibit the excitability of 5-lipoxygenase – the enzyme responsible for producing leukotrienes, and cyclooxygenase COX-2 – the enzyme engaged in prostaglandin synthesis.

Anticancer effect
Curcumin prevents the formation of cancer at many stages of its development, beginning with limiting the negative transformations of normal cells, blocking the proliferation of pathological cells, to inhibiting their activity and inducing their death.

- By affecting the excitability of NF-кB and STAT3 pathways, which are relevant to the activity of COX-2, prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines, it reduces inflammations that boost the development of cancer.

- By inhibiting the secretion of metalloproteinases by pathological cells, especially of MMP-2 and MMP-9, which degrade collagen IV found, for example, in the tissues of the cardiovascular system, it inhibits metastasis, which results from the fact that the barriers that separate normal tissues from changed cells stay stable.

- By blocking the factor VEGF, it inhibits angiogenesis, which facilitates the survival and nourishes pathological cells.

- By inducing the post-apoptotic pathways of cancer cells through external and internal pro-apoptotic pathways, as well as by affecting the activity of proteins p53, Bcl-2 and Bax, it induces the death of those cells. Apart from that, it inhibits the activity of the anti-apoptotic mechanisms of cancer cells, so it leads to their destruction.

- By reducing the synthesis of cyclin D1 and stimulating the formation of inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases of the Kip family, including: p21 and p27, it reduces the pace of DNA replication and stimulates the activity of p53, that way helping to stop the development of the cells that were negatively changed in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We can also observe its effect on development inhibition in phases G2/M and G0/G1 of the cell cycle. It is believed that the greatest effect on reducing the survival and development of pathological cells stems from its ability to block the activity of the transcription factor NF-кB, whose high activity is essential for their existence.

Improves cardiovascular system functions
Thanks to its antioxidant properties and the ability to inhibit the activity of the transcription factor NF-кB and the peroxidation of lipids moving along blood vessels, it protects heart structures and reduces the progress of blood vessel degradation. It also enhances the condition of the circulatory system through its anti-aggregant effect that stems from its ability to inhibit cyclooxygenase.

Protects the nervous system from degeneration
Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, affecting both the nervous system and peripheral tissues, help to inhibit the formation of the markers of nervous system aging, for example the products of glycoxidation, or the proteins, lipids and nucleic acids that were changed in the process of oxidation. By helping to produce chaperonins, it inhibits the formation of improperly folded proteins and their aggregation, that way exerting an additional neuroprotective effect. We can also observe reduced deposition of intracellular fibrous proteins and decreased formation of extracellular beta-amyloid deposits. Thanks to that, it helps to enhance cognitive functions and maintain a good condition of the nervous system for longer.

Helps to stay in a good mood
By protecting dopaminergic neurons from degradation caused by, for example, excessive oxidative stress, it grants the possibility of maintaining a good mood and a positive attitude to life.

Enhances the condition and functioning of the digestive system
By stimulating the secretion of gastric mucin, it helps to maintain a good condition of that element of the digestive system. It supports the functioning of the liver and has a cholagogic and cholepoietic effect, so it enhances the processes of digestion and improves the overall functioning of the system. Its properties can also reduce the feeling of a heavy stomach, eructation and flatulence.

Helps to keep joints healthy
By inhibiting the expression of the factor NF-кB and by reducing the number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as: IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, it alleviates chronic inflammations in joints. It also inhibits the activity of metalloproteases, especially MMP-13, that way reducing the breakdown of joint structures.

Cares for healthy liver
By increasing the efficacy of the antioxidant barrier in the liver, which protects its structures from destruction and eliminates the toxicity of harmful substances, especially by increasing the amount of reduced glutathione, as well as by affecting cholepoietic processes, it guarantees the right functioning of the organ.

Supports the functioning of insulin and carbohydrate management
Its ability to inhibit the activity of NF-кB and reduce excessive NO and TNF-α levels helps to improve oxidative balance in the organism, which has a direct effect on the functioning of insulin and carbohydrate management. It helps to enhance blood sugar concentration, the efficacy of insulin management, and helps to keep normal pancreas efficiency.

Improves the functioning of the immune system
By blocking the proliferation of lymphocytes B, T, NK, and dendrocytes, and by reducing the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines that goes with it, it exerts an immunosuppressant effect relevant in the times of excessively aggressive activity of the immune system, which means that it normalises the functioning of the system.

Antimicrobial and antifungal effect
Thanks to its ability to inhibit the development of yeast-like fungi and of the bacteria Bacillus and Clostridium, it exhibits antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

Inhibits the development of Protozoa
It fights the Protozoa by inhibiting the development of Trypanosoma, Pasmodium, and Leishmania.

Helps to get an erection
It stimulates erections by inducing haem oxygenase.

Relevant of curcumin bioavailability
Because of its hydrophobic properties, curcumin is relatively difficult to absorb in the case of oral administration. Its bioavailability is improved significantly when combined with phospholipids. That is why it is so important to deliver curcumin in a dissolved form in plant oils rich in those compounds, such as sunflower oil.

NOW Curcumin Softgels is an extraordinarily concentrated agent based on a Curcuma longa root extract standardised to a high content of curcumin and its derivatives. The active substances in the product exhibit numerous health-promoting properties, including: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, anticancer, microbicidal, larvicidal, and antifungal effects. It enhances the functioning of many organs and systems, for example the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and digestive systems as well as joints, by increasing the efficacy of the antioxidant barrier, reducing inflammations, caring for the normal development of cells, and optimising the activity of numerous factors, receptors, and enzymes. It supports the normal functioning of insulin and carbohydrate management, as well as takes care of a good condition of mental health. Its powerful anticancer properties are worth particular attention. Because of the versatility of its activity, it significantly helps to maintain the right efficacy of the organism, ensuring a better quality of life. Closed in softgels, the product is very easy to take. Dissolving the extract in plant oil rich in phospholipids guarantees a better use of active substances present in the Curcuma longa root by the organism.