What is turmeric?

Curcuma longa originally comes from Southeast Asia and India, although today it is cultivated more or less in almost all tropical regions. The plant is used in traditional Indian medicine in a wide variety of dosage forms, but is also used in dried form as a powder in the kitchen. Curcuma forms rhizomes that grow underground, which provide the plant nutrient storage and allow overwintering. For both therapeutic and culinary purposes, only the rhizome of the plant is used.
Traditionally, curcuma is used for toothaches, menstrual cramps, stomach and liver problems, intestinal disorders, gastritis, inflammation and rheumatic diseases, for example. The curcuma rhizome contains a group of active ingredients that have been studied very intensively in recent decades. The yellow color of the rhizome is due to the active ingredient curcumin, which is also the most biologically active form of this group of substances. Curcumin is by far the most studied natural active substance of all – and not without reason!
Results from many studies show an extremely broad spectrum of positive effects on the human body, which can be attributed in particular to the biological activity of curcumin. For example, curcumin appears to have a protective effect on the nerves, liver and cardiovascular system, while studies have confirmed antidiabetic, antioxidant, immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, curcumin has the potential to increase the activity of detoxifying enzymes in the liver.
To date, more than 100 clinical studies have been conducted with Curcuma longa or curcumin, which not only show very promising results, but also confirm an extremely good safety profile.

Bioavailability

Active ingredients from medicinal plants have very low water solubility. Such substances can be absorbed extremely poorly by our body into the systemic bloodstream. Therefore, very high doses of extracts from medicinal plants are often used in clinical studies in order to achieve therapeutic effects. In addition, the extracts are usually in a form enriched with active ingredients, or directly isolated active ingredients are used in high doses. Simple dietary supplements normally have too low a concentration of active ingredients to achieve any significant physiological effect. Why is this so? It is not uncommon for the active ingredients contained in medicinal plants to be subject to numerous “absorption barriers”, as a result of which 95–99 percent of the active substances taken perorally cannot reach the systemic bloodstream. Highly fat-soluble active ingredients distribute very poorly on the absorptive surface of the small intestine, which greatly reduces the likelihood of their absorption. Another factor contributing to the low uptake of such compounds is the “first-pass effect” of the liver. Enzymes are secreted in the liver that recognize and break down such fat-soluble compounds. This is a protective function of our body to keep potentially dangerous substances from entering the systemic bloodstream. In addition, many active ingredients are very unstable in the acidic environment of the stomach and are already eliminated during stomach passage. The percentage of an active ingredient that can be absorbed into the systemic bloodstream in its unchanged, biologically active form is referred to as being “bioavailable”. The bioavailability of curcumin, for example, is only about 0.5 percent, which means that correspondingly high doses must be taken for a therapeutic effect.

For this reason, Jala-Life goes the “water-soluble route”! We enclose high-quality plant extracts in water-soluble transporters. In this form, the active ingredients contained in the extract can be quickly and efficiently absorbed by the body. We achieve this without the use of piperine, synthetic additives or other questionable absorption enhancers. Our water-soluble transporter system releases 95–99 percent of the ingested active ingredients into the systemic bloodstream of the body, where they can act unhindered. This system also enables the intake of even very small doses to be completely sufficient, which does not unnecessarily burden the body with constant degradation processes.

Jala-Life Premium Turmeric compared to conventional capsules, tablets or powders:

Why Zink?

Turmeric and zinc both have individual health benefits and can have a synergistic effect when combined. Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, as it can reduce the activity of proinflammatory factors. Zinc is an important trace mineral involved in numerous enzymatic reactions and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Both curcuma and zinc can positively influence the immune system and improve the immune response. In addition, both substances act as antioxidants and can neutralize cell-damaging free radicals.
Curcuma and zinc are therefore the perfect combination, as they can support each other in their effect!

Zinc contributes to

Get your turmeric with zinc today!