Servings per Container 60 and 120 vegetarian capsules per bottle 500 mg. each
Ingredients: 250 mg. of BCM-95 Biocurcumin extract 250 mg. of certified organic whole herb turmeric.
At Tattvas Herbs we are committed to providing you with that absolute best in nutritional products. From our Supercritical formulas to our certified organic products we are convinced that what we offer is the latest in technology combined with the wisdom of Mother Nature. In that context we are and pleased to present what we believe is a breakthrough in the turmeric curcumin extraction process, which has proved so valuable in the treatment of a variety of disorders from Alzheimer's, joint problems, inflammation, cancers of kinds, etc. How is it possible to improve on the current 95% Turmeric extract that is currently available? The real issue simply stated is that the standard 95% extract is difficult to absorb in the blood stream and does not maintain sufficient blood levels for any length of time. The usual fix is to add black pepper extract to the formula. This does help to a certain extant. But relative to our new BCM95 product the curcumin is absorbed into the bloodstream up to seven times faster and last up to eight hours. How is this possible? Traditional 95% extract focuses strictly on one part of the Turmeric rhizome. This The Bio active substance of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) contains Curcumin, Desmethoxy Curcumin and Desmethoxy Curcumin collectively known as “Curcuminoids”. Curcumin is the most important molecule which research has shown its tremendous health benefit. Even though Curcumin is most important molecule, the bio availability of the regular Turmeric 95% extracts sold in the market is not very good in terms of uptake or in sustainability in the blood stream. There are other essential components present in Turmeric Rhizome which have been neglected during the traditional method of manufacturing of Turmeric 95% Extract. BCM95 preserves these component in its unique proprietary blend of Curcuminoids & Sesquiterpenoids of turmeric. BCM-95® represents the natural spectrum of turmeric rhizome. It is 100% natural and has been proven to provide optimal bio availability for synergistic effect. This new method of manufacture offers tremendous value in terms of bio availability. NO longer are high dose of turmeric extract required. One dose of 250 mg of BCM95 is equal to 1,750 mg of traditional 95% extract.
Curcumin has long been known to have poor bio-availability, requiring high doses to achieve desired blood levels. BCM95 has been shown in clinical studies to deliver up to seven times more pharmacologically bio-active curcumin to the blood compared with commercial curcumin products. This revolutionary development will radically change the extent to which people may obtain additional health benefits from this amazing herb.
Advantages of BCM-95®
Turmeric BCM-95 |
Turmeric 95% Extract |
Several times more bioavailable, confirmed via human
clinical studies |
Limited bioavailability |
Retains longer in the blood, confirmed via human clinical
studies (up to 8-10 hours)
|
Retention limited(up to 4-5 hours)
|
100% natural with synergistic effect
|
N/A |
|
Low ORAC value (2,000 – 4,000) |
Dosage Comparison
Turmeric Plus BCM-95 |
Turmeric 95% Extract |
250 mg. |
1750 mg. |
BCM-95® is a powerful antioxidant, several times more potent than tocopherol and scavenges both oxygen and nitrogen-based free radicals. BCM-95® is a complete anti-inflammatory compound. The mechanism for inflammation is based on the arachidonic acid cascade. Arachidonic acid can form 2 types of pro-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins E2 and leucotrienes B4. Two enzymes called respectively cyclo-oxygenase (COX) and lipo-oxygenase (LOX) promote this reaction resulting in inflammation, pain and joint destruction. BCM-95® provides total protection by blocking both COX and LOX pathways..
A wealth of data shows that curcumin and its related chemicals (collectively known as curcuminoids) help to prevent and fight a wide range of diseases—from cancer to cardiovascular disease—through a variety of mechanisms. 1,5,7-19 These include powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive (cancer-preventive), and antineoplastic (cancer-fighting) properties.
Perhaps one of curcumin's most important activities in the human body is its ability to inhibit activation of the transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), 4-6 a potent inducer of chronic inflammation. NF-kB is a protein that acts as a sort of switch, turning on inflammation by activating genes involved in the production of inflammatory compounds. As NF-kB activation has been implicated in all the stages of carcinogenesis, this transcription factor is a potential target in cancer chemoprevention and is the subject of intensive research.
Enhanced Bioavailability
Despite its impressive array of benefits, the effectiveness of oral supplementation with curcumin has been limited by poor absorption into the bloodstream through the digestive tract. In the past, a few formulators worked around this problem by adding a derivative of black pepper, piperine, which enhanced the absorption of ingredients such as curcumin. Scientists have long sought a more bioavailable form of curcumin to provide even greater pharmaceutical potencies to maximize curcumin's efficacy.
Tattva's Herbs has reviewed various curcumin products that showed different degrees of enhanced absorption. One published clinical study caught our attention. In it, a novel manufacturing technology was able to dramatically increase blood plasma curcumin to levels not previously seen through supple mentation. While only 50-60% of pure curcumin administered to animals is typically absorbed, this new technology increased the absorption of curcumin to a remarkable 96%. 21 This impressive rise in bioavailability was achieved without the addition of piperine.
. Known as BCM-95®, this “next generation” formulation is far more readily absorbed than other currently or previously available curcumin products. In fact, both studies delivered close to seven times more curcumin than was previously available from a standard supplement.
Independent studies of this new formulation was designed to document the “pharmacokinetics,” or absorption, circulation, and metabolism of curcumin and curcuminoids in human subjects. The study compared BCM-95® with two other curcumin products: a plant-bound curcumin formulation with piperine and a purified 95% curcumin standalone extract (which is what most supplement companies sell today). Eleven volunteers were recruited. They were divided into three groups. Subjects received BCM-95®, plant-bound curcumin extract with piperine, or ordinary curcumin extract. Blood was drawn at baseline and again six times over the following eight hours. After a two-week washout period, subjects were switched (crossed over) to an alternate formulation; BCM-95® subjects were given ordinary “control” curcumin, while subjects originally given either of the two “control” curcumin formulations were given BCM-95®.
New Formulation Increases Blood Levels More, Sooner, Longer
Subjects' plasma samples were subsequently assayed to determine curcumin concentrations. The results clearly showed that BCM-95® was rapidly absorbed from the digestive system, allowing more of turmeric's powerful disease-fighting chemicals to circulate throughout the bloodstream, while delivering the full punch of curcumin's properties as never before. In fact, curcumin reached a peak within one hour in the bloodstreams of subjects who took BCM-95®. After a brief dip at about two hours' post-dose, curcumin reached a second, still higher peak again at 4.5 hours, and then gradually declined. By eight hours' post-dose, curcumin was still detectable in subjects' blood. 22
In contrast, ordinary standalone curcumin took two hours to reach peak concentration, and then rapidly declined. By 4.5 hours' post-dose, when BCM-95® curcumin was just hitting its stride, curcumin from this control formulation had virtually disappeared from subjects' bloodstreams. Even at its peak, this control curcumin formulation reached only about half the concentration of curcumin from BCM-95®. Likewise, the BCM-95® showed superior absorption compared with the plant-bound curcumin with piperine formula. Thus, BCM-95® not only delivers more curcumin to the bloodstream, sooner, but it sticks around nearly twice as long, too. This is an extremely important advantage, which should result in greatly enhanced benefits.
How did the inventors of this patent-pending curcumin achieve this breakthrough? Rather than focusing on further purification of curcumin and curcuminoids derived from turmeric (usually marketed as “95% curcumin/curcuminoids”), the formulators went back to the “roots,” so to speak, reincorporating many of the components of raw turmeric root—which are normally removed during the extraction process—and greatly enhancing the bioavailability of active constituents in the process. In essence, this revolutionary reformulation relies on the inherent synergy of the turmeric rhizome's natural components to dramatically enhance bioavailability.
As a result, BCM-95® is six-to seven times more bioavailable than ordinary 95% extract. Just one 400 mg dose of this new bioavailability-enhanced turmeric extract is equivalent to taking 2,772 mg of standard “95%” curcumin extract or 2,548 mg of plant-bound curcumin extract with piperine. In the Life Extension human trial, BCM-95® delivered 6.93 times more curcumin to the bloodstream than the ordinary standalone curcumin product and 6.37 times more curcumin to the bloodstream than the plant-bound curcumin extract with piperine.
Tattva's Herbs Turmeric Plus BCM - 95 provides 250 mg of BCM-95 extract combined with 250 mg of certified organic whole herb turmeric.
On-going clinical studies on BCM-95®
A well conducted Human, Single Dose, Crossover study showed than BCM-95 is several times more bioavailable and retains longer in the blood than regular turmeric 95% extract.
1. Bioavailability Study sponsored by Department of Biotechnology (Government of India) in comparing BCM-95® with various Turmeric extracts + Bio-enhancers. Results shows the BCM-95® is superior (Study is completed and currently getting compiled for peer review)
2. In-Vitro study in progress to examine intestinal cell (Caco-2) uptake of curcumin from micelles generated during the digestion of Curcugel (Softgel consisting of 250mg of BCM-95®) at Ohio State University sponsored by Tishcon Corporation NY. (Study is expected to be completed by July)
3. Efficacy and Safety of BCM-95® in Oral Pre-malignant Lesions/Cervical Cancer (A Multi Centre, Phase II, Double Blind, Placebo controlled, Chemoprevention study, Sponsored by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India). A 12 month clinical study currently in progress evaluating 1122 patients with Oral Pre-malignant Lesions/Cervical Cancer. After initial biopsy, patients are divided and given BCM-95® (3.6 gm/day) or a placebo. After 6 months, Lesions will be measured for primary assessment of both clinical and pathological response. Patients with partial clinical response will continue with BCM-95®.- Primary objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of oral BCM-95® therapy by clinical response and Histological response.
- Secondary objective of the study is to investigate In-Vitro modulation of Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) and biomarkers, and to identify pharmacokinetics of Oral administration of BCM-95®. (Study Started in Jan 2007 and is expected to be completed by Jan 2008. Interim results will be available around October 2007)
4. Bioavailability study comparing BCM-95® against Turmeric 95% Extract and Turmeric extract + Phosphatidylcholine (as a bioenhancer).
Results show BCM-95® is superior. (Study is currently under peer review for publication)
5. To study the effect of BCM-95® in formulation for Type II Diabetes (Study is expected to be commenced early part of fall 2007)
6. In-vitro study on dosage related Anti-Cancer Mechanism of curcumin standard and BCM-95® in (Sponsored by Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology, Trivandrum - Dept of Biotechnology, Government of India) - Expression of VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor) - NF-KB (Nuclear factor Kappa - B) - Inhibition of BCL 2 Expression - AP-1 Inhibition
7. Efficacy, safety and tolerability of in subjects with prostate cancer - a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel, multicentric
study using BCM-95® sponsored by Department of Biotechnology Government of India.-
BIOAVAILABILITY ISSUE OF CURCUMIN
The down side of the curcumin story is its poor systemic availability due to poor absorption from the intestines and rapid metabolism of the compound in the body. This has largely curtailed its progress from the lab to the clinic, and no clinical trials have progressed beyond the phase I stage. All these have led to the general impression that curcumin's benefits are largely unrealizable in the human body.
Early experiments indicated that curcumin undergoes transformation during absorption from the intestine. When administered orally to rats in a dose of 1 g/kg, curcumin was excreted in the feces to about 75%, while negligible amounts of curcumin appeared in the urine 1 . Measurements of blood plasma levels and billary excretion showed that curcumin was poorly absorbed from the gut. No apparent toxic effects were seen after doses of up to 5 g/kg. When intravenously injected or when added to the perfusate of the isolated liver, curcumin was actively transported into bile, against concentration gradients of several hundred times. The major part of the absorbed drug was, however, metabolized. In suspensions of isolated hepatocytes or liver microsomes 90% of the added curcumin was metabolized within 30 min. The authors concluded that in view of the poor absorption, rapid metabolism and excretion of curcumin, it is unlikely that substantial concentrations of curcumin occur in the body after ingestion. This study, which appeared as early as 1978, appears to summarize our current understanding of the metabolic fate of curcumin in vivo.
Attempts to improve bioavailability:
A number of curcumin analogues have been tested, but in most cases they were found to be less effective than curcumin itself. One exception has been dimethoxycurcumin. This derivative was found to be more bioavailable. Nearly 100% of curcumin, but < 30% of dimethoxycurcumin was degraded in HT116 cells treated for 48 h, and incubation with liver microsomes confirmed the limited metabolism of dimethoxycurcumin. The absence of free phenolic groups in dimethoxycurcumin probably prevents its conversion to glucuronide and sulfate.
Piperine, an inhibitor of glucuronosyltransferase, administered along with curcumin has been found to significantly enhance the plasma curcumin concentration in animals and in humans. However, piperine is toxic at least to experimental animals. Curcumin formulated with lecithin was found to increase its bioavailability in rats about 5-fold. In contrast, curcumin concentrations in the gastrointestinal mucosa after ingestion of the formulation were somewhat lower than those observed after administration of unformulated curcumin. Fluorometric data on the association of curcumin with phosphatidylcholine indicate that one molecule of curcumin could bind six molecules of phosphatidycholine. Thus, the formulated products would have low curcumin content, and large amounts of lecithin would have to be consumed in relation to the required curcumin dose.
Enhancing the bioavailability of curcumin by using compounds naturally present in turmeric itself has been successfully adopted by Dolcas Biotech LLC in joint venture with Arjuna Natural Extract Ltd . This product has been trade-named as BCM-95®. In healthy human volunteers, the blood levels of curcumin after ingestion of this composition were increased about 7-8-fold. This composition assumes synergism between curcumin and the volatile compounds of turmeric, to enhance bioavailability and bio-efficacy of curcumin. Supporting this assumption, Curcuminoids along with volatile components of turmeric was found to be more effective in inhibiting LPS-induced PGE2 production in HL-60 cells.
Please read : Turmeric and Alzheimers
New Turmeric Study
Properties of Turmeric
- Antioxidant Activity
- Anti-Inflammatory Activity
- Anti Cancer Activity
- Antimicrobial properties
- Anti HIV properties
Turmeric possesses powerful antioxidant properties and has been prescribed for years in the treatment of various diseases. Curcuminoids which are found within Turmeric (the botanical name for Turmeric is Curcuma longa) is so powerful that new research suggest that it may benefit both cancer and aids patients. In Ayurveda, turmeric has been used internally as a stomachic, tonic and blood purifier, and topically in the prevention and treatment of skin diseases This tropical root delivers a smorgasbord of powerful health benefits. New research shows that turmeric-and its main bioactive compound, curcumin-has the power to block inflammation, stop cancer, kill infectious microbes, and improve heart health. It has been prescribed in liver diseases, and particularly for jaundice, and urinary tract diseases.
Cancer-Fighting Capabilities Documented:
Numerous studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals detail curcumin's ability to protect against cancer. The National Institute of Cancer is currently spending significant dollars in studying the positive affects that Turmeric may have both in the prevention of cancer and in the recovery from cancer. New studies indicate that it may be effective in helping the recovery from chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In addition to its capacity to intervene in the initiation and growth of cancer cells and tumors-and to prevent their subsequent spread throughout the body by metastasis-curcumin also has been shown to increase cancer cells' sensitivity to certain drugs commonly used to combat cancer, rendering chemotherapy more effective in some cases. Much research has focused on curcumin's anti-inflammatory properties, and some new research suggests that curcumin may protect the heart and circulatory system, and prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Still other studies have examined curcumin's potential ability to counteract the effects of fungal toxins in the food supply, and to protect the eyes from cataracts and uveitis, an inflammation of a portion of the eye that may result in glaucoma .Boiled with milk and sugar, turmeric has been a traditional remedy for colds. Turmeric and alum powder in the proportion of 1 to 20 is applied into the ear in chronic otorrhea. Turmeric has been described as useful in skin diseases, e.g. juice of the fresh rhizome is used in parasitic skin infections, and turmeric powder rubbed down with oil has been applied to rough skin. In combination with lime and salt pepper, turmeric has also been applied to bruises, sprains, wounds, infected wounds and inflammations. In pemphigus (an allergic and inflammatory skin condition) and shingles, after a thick coat of mustard oil is applied, turmeric powder is sprinkled to alleviate pain, inflammation and to promote healing. In small-pox and chicken pox a coat of turmeric is applied to facilitate the process of scabbing. Mixed with borax as a paste, turmeric is applied to reduce tissue swelling due to inflammation. A decoction of turmeric is prepared (1 ounce of turmeric to 20 ounces of water) as cooling eyewash and is applied as a lotion to relieve burning in purulent ophtalmia known in India as "country sore eye".
The list of Turmeric's potent properties is long. Please read the accompanying articles for additional information.
The Benefits of Tumeric
Specific Articles:
History and traditional uses
Tumeric -Contemporary applications in medicine
LE Magazine February 2004 -Curcumin Update
Turmeric fights breast cancer in mice
Ongoing clinical studies invloving turmeric and cancer
