Curcumin – The Real Holy Grail of the Supplement Industry
We often hear supplements be referred to as, “The Holy Grail” of the industry. We’ve seen many ingredients come in with a bang but can’t last the test of time. First isolated in 1815 and chemically mapped in 1910, Curcumin may be the supplement that needs to be in your regimen. [1] Derived from the plant turmeric, Curcumin has been touted for its potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. It’s up for debate if there is a better general health supplement. Once we compensate for it’s poor oral bioavailability, potential effects such as a reduction in inflammation [2,3], reduction in pain [4], lower cholesterol and triglycerides [5], anti-anxiety effects [6], optimized kidney function [7], reduced risk of prostate cancer [8] and neural-decline prevention [9] are seen clinically amongst other benefits. But outside of general health, how can Curcumin help you with your bodybuilding goals? Through a plethora of ways. One thing of note before we begin – a lot of research on the below is done on either mice or unhealthy populations. Also, research is vast, I mean VAST for turmeric and curcumin, so sorting through has proven to be quite timely.
Fat Loss
Curcumin may have the ability to stimulate fat loss and prevent fat tissue growth. An article that was published in the Journal of Nutrition shows rats that were given Curcumin alongside a high-fat diet had reduced fat gain in comparison to the just high fat diet. Also, fat metabolism appears to increase given the reduction in free fatty acids. [10]
What’s the underlying mechanism? Curcumin may attenuate lipolysis via its effects on AMPk [11] and as an inhibitor of fatty acid synthase. [12] AMPk activation is important for fat loss as it helps your body utilize glucose in a more effective manner. Inhibiting fatty acid synthase may have positive effects on fat loss.
Glucose Metabolism
Curcumin supplementation may have the ability to lower blood glucose and improve insulin resistance.
“These antiinflammatory effects of curcumin were associated with improved glycemic status in the treated animals as determined by blood glucose levels, HbA1c, and glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Curcumin was also associated with a small but significant decrease in body weight and fat content despite either a maintenance or increase in total daily kilocalories. This suggests that curcumin has beneficial effects on body composition. In fact, curcumin was noted to increase the lean tissue mass of ob/ob mice, an effect that may be due to curcumin’s ability to inhibit the activity of NF-κB, a molecule known to play a key role in the pathophysiology of muscle atrophy…” [13]
Testosterone
Testosterone
We’re all aware of testosterone’s effect on muscle building. Researchers found that rats given curcumin had higher levels of testosterone as compared to rats that were given gallic acid or gallic acid + curcumin. [14]
Best Form?
So you’ve probably heard that curcumin isn’t the best-absorbed compound. When paired with piperine or a phospholipid, absorption is increased. My favorite, and what I recommend, is Theracurmin. Below is a link as to why it’s my favorite. It may be cost prohibitive, but I’ve made this + ashwagandha (KSM-66) as staples.
http://truttmd.com/curcumin-update-theracurmin/
Sources:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288651/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21907450
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21194249
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3596124/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21796707
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25776839
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21742514
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20503397
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15590663
10. Curcumin Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes and Angiogenesis and Obesity in C57/BL Mice
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19093868
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21221723
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2453081/
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24565563