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Curcumin, from turmeric, has benefits for many body tissue types. This means curcumin can help balance faulty chemistry that leads to disease.
Today we look at the how curcumin impacts upper (nasal) and lower (bronchial/lung) respiratory health. Possibly the most important impact of curcumin are its effects on the immune system, especially unwanted tissue inflammation.
We know immune system imbalance is one of the main drivers of lung problems, such as asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Research has shown adding curcumin can help balance cytokine activity, resulting in less inflammation in the tissue that lines our respiratory tract.
OPC, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, from grape seeds also balance cytokine activity. I started using OPC in my supplements more than 25 years ago and know it has profound health benefits from its potent antioxidant and immune support qualities. I currently use OPC in four of my supplements and have no doubt this contributes to their effectiveness.
Combining modern 100% water-soluble curcumin extracts with quality OPC can greatly help immune function, especially balancing cytokine function. This can result in better airway function and reduced sensitivity to allergens by helping immune mast cells to limit histamine secretion.
The problem with curcumin is it is not water soluble and has poor absorption. The latest extracts combine curcumin with food starches, producing 100% water solubility with greatly improved absorption without need for black pepper which can irritate the stomach. This means those with respiratory issues can get the benefits of curcumin, and OPC, without causing gastric upsets.
John Arts (Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions, contact John on 0800 423559 or email: john@abundant.co.nz. Join his newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz
