How Much Curcumin Should You Use For Heart Health?

Valerie Rosenbaum asked:


The question of how much curcumin should you use for heart health, may be a little difficult to answer. The reason is this. The compound, which is the active substance in turmeric, has low bioavailability.

As it passes through the stomach it is degraded and changed, becoming inactive. Studies have shown that a person would need to consume 10,000mg of turmeric in order to increase blood serum levels of curcumin. In other words, it is a highly unstable substance, greatly affected by stomach acid and other digestive acids that cause it to link to other substances. The linkage prevents it from passing through the intestinal walls and entering the bloodstream.

Numerous studies have shown that there are many health benefits associated with curcumin, but it must be bio-available, in order to provide those benefits. When it comes to human hearts, the benefits are reducing the risk of clots, preventing heart failure and repairing damage that has already occurred. So, supplementation is worthwhile, if we can determine the right dosage. Here are a few questions that should help us do that.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health if you are eating the herb or curry sauce? There are no studies to support that this might be effective. There is some anecdotal evidence that eating curry twice a year or more improves cognitive function in the elderly. Getting 10,000 mgs a day would be difficult, if not impossible. The typical curry recipe calls for a half teaspoon of turmeric. One would need two teaspoons to come close to 10,000mg.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health if you are taking a single ingredient supplement? Single ingredient supplements of this nature are not beneficial. The high doses that would be required cause indigestion and increase the risk of gallbladder disease or worsen the symptoms, if it is already present. In animals, high doses have been shown to negatively affect the liver. It is safe, in reasonable amounts, but as with most plant compounds, it is possible to go overboard.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health, if you are taking a well-designed supplement? Enteric coatings protect turmeric from digestive acids. Studies have shown that piperine, an extract from black pepper, increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. In other words, 50mg combined with piperine and an enteric coating would increase blood serum levels by as much as 10,000mg of straight turmeric.

There is no risk of liver or gallbladder damage and no risk of indigestion with a 50mg supplement. The most advanced supplements include a variety of different plant extracts, all designed to work together efficiently to protect the cells of the body from the effects of time.

There are specialty supplements designed for those people that are over the age of 40. These supplements can provide a “spring cleaning”, so to speak, for the circulatory system. So, now we know how much curcumin should you use for heart health. If properly designed, 50mg per day is effective.



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Maintaining Heart Health With Cholesterol Drugs

Michelle Bery asked:


Today’s health-conscious culture is one that is pointedly focused on keeping certain bodily systems in line; we know that by paying close attention to such important levels as blood pressure, sugars, and cholesterol, we can put certain protective measures in place to keep our hearts and our bodies healthy. One of the ways in which we can accomplish this is with the help of cholesterol drugs.

Cholesterol is a natural substance produced by our liver and found in our body’s cells and bloodstream. Its purpose – in moderate levels – is to help build cell membranes, produce hormones, and metabolize fats. The health risks associated with cholesterol stem from its overproduction. For cholesterol to be filtered through the liver and delivered to the appropriate cells it relies on carriers called lipoproteins. High-density lipoproteins – or HDLs – are considered to be our “good” cholesterol – that which filters cholesterol away from our arteries and back to our liver. LDLs – low-density lipoproteins – are considered to be our “bad” cholesterol. When our levels of LDLs are elevated, the cholesterol forms a type of plaque that builds up on artery walls – constricting arteries and setting us up for possible heart disease and stroke.

The ways in which we manage cholesterol levels – keeping HDLs high and LDLs low – is through a healthy diet that limits foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats. Red meat, for instance, is high in both, and when eaten on a regular basis can significantly impact the cholesterol levels in our body. While foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats – such as fish and olive oils – raise HDLs and help our bodies eliminate bad cholesterol while strengthening our hearts.

But when diet isn’t enough to keep cholesterol levels in check, we often turn to cholesterol drugs to assist in the battle. Genetics can not be overlooked when it comes to cholesterol and sometimes it requires an extra measure or two to keep us at our healthiest.

It is estimated that over ten million people today take cholesterol drugs to help keep their levels in check. The type of cholesterol drugs ordinarily given to patients are known as statins – drugs that work to lower bad cholesterol. Among the most popularly used drugs today are Lipitor, Pravachol, Lescol, and Crestor.

Research has shown that these cholesterol drugs administered appropriately – and in conjunction with proper diet and exercise – can lower cholesterol almost as much as sixty percent. This means, that for people whose genetic make-up requires more than diet to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, cholesterol drugs can make all the difference in achieving and maintaining heart health well into the future.



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