There are several very important questions to ask when evaluating the best supplement:
1. Does it reach efficacious concentrations in target tissues such as the brain? You may know that curcumin must get into the bloodstream in order to do anything. But getting into blood is not enough. It must reach a concentration high enough in order to penetrate target tissues, such as the brain. SLCP Optimized Curcumin stands alone in the field when it comes to reaching target curcumin concentrations in the blood and target tissues.*(5,13)
2. Is the supplement standardized for activity? It is well established that it is not how much curcumin you consume, it is about how much you absorb. An intricate standardization system, including micro-visualization of the SLCP™, along with an array of physical and chemical analyses using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Tandem Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging (NMR), Ultraviolet Spectrometry, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) and other instrumentation are used to standardize and ensure the activity, potency, and consistency of Optima C-PC®.
3. Was the product primarily developed by a prestigious university, or by a company in the dietary supplement industry? It may be no surprise that university researchers are most often motivated to find what truly works, while industry researchers are most often motivated by what they can sell at the highest margins with little real scientific investment. The Optimized Curcumin in Optima C-PC® is the result of more than ten years of trial and error, guided by not what is easy to make but by what works in the lab and in people.
4. What was the analytical methodology used to detect curcumin in biological samples such as blood? Analyzing curcumin in blood or biological specimens is not as easy as it sounds. There are often ‘false peaks’ that are assumed to be curcumin which appear when rigorous validation is not performed. Curcumin is a sticky compound and can have what they call ‘carryover effects’, which falsely inflate values. Curcumin and its glucuronide are also unstable in blood after it is taken from the body to be tested. Further, interindividual variability of curcumin metabolism is high, therefore several subjects (instead of just one or two subjects) should be tested in any study, and applicable statistics applied to the data. Therefore, only the most experienced scientists with the most up-to-date instrumentation can reliably measure curcumin in blood. In fact, LC/MS/MS is the preferred instrumentation of university scientists who determined the bioavailability of SLCP Optimized Curcumin compared to the inferior analytical instruments often used for unoptimized curcumin.(13)
5. In bioavailability studies, was curcumin counted as curcumin glucuronide? The body metabolizes curcumin into mainly its glucuronide form, which has very low brain permeability and biological activity compared to curcumin in its free form (free curcumin). Often, a curcumin value in blood or plasma includes glucuronidated curcumin, so it can appear to be a very high number. But this number does not represent how much curcumin is truly free and active in the bloodstream. Optima C-PC® bioavailability is determined by FREE CURCUMIN, not glucuronidated curcumin.
6. Is it made using a gentle process and all generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food additive ingredients? Optima C-PC® is not extracted with ethylene dichloride (EDC), which is often used to cheaply extract curcumin from turmeric root. Optima C-PC® contains no piperine, a glucuronidation inhibitor that enhances the bioavailability of both nutrients as well as potential toxins. Optima C-PC® also contains no unstable volatile oils from turmeric root, since these components have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy, and currently do not have accurate testing methodology available for their quantitative measurement. Further, Optima C-PC® is not processed in a way that may create new molecules or chemical bonds which are foreign to the food chain or our bodies. A strong safety profile is partially what makes Optima C-PC™ the premier choice of clinicians and universities worldwide. For more information on how Optima C-PC® is different, please check the FAQS.
Curcumin Research Summary Data in clinical and preclinical trials strongly supports Optimized Curcumin’s safety and potential for effectiveness for supporting general and specific health areas, including cognition.*
What research is behind it?
Human and in vivo data on Optimized Curcumin derived using SLCP Technology includes the following results:
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SLCP Curcumin ® penetrates the bloodstream and the brain, and is one of the first to reach target concentrations in the body.* • SLCP Curcumin® may significantly support cognition, memory, and general health.*
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SLCP Curcumin ® reaches plasma at least 65 times better than generic curcumin.* (5,13,17) Curcumin Research Detail Regular “Commodity” Curcumin is a ‘superstar’ in the lab, and exhibits a number of neuro-supportive activities. But repeated clinical studies have shown a lack of positive effects due to its poor bioavailability. In order to offer tangible health benefits, curcumin:
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First, must be accurately measured in blood using validated analytical methods. • Second, it has to reach target blood and tissue concentrations.
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Then, it must change biomarkers associated with these blood levels.
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Finally, it must improve behavioral or clinical endpoints associated with these biomarkers. (5,13,16,17,24,31) The development of SLCP Optimzed Curcumin ® began with the comparison of many compounds.
Once it was discovered curcumin was the ideal candidate, years of trial and error were spent to find a formula that reached target blood and tissue concentrations after oral dosing. One day, results came back on one formula which was much more effective than the dozens that came before it. Shortly after the discovery of SLCP Optimized Curcumin®, a breakthrough study from the University of California Los Angeles published in the Journal of Pharmaceutics and Experimental Therapeutics (JPET) in 2008 wrote about SLCP Curcumin®, it stated:
“A 5-mg curcumin dose [given once] in this lipid rich formulation resulted in 2.15uM (800ng/mL) brain curcumin levels after 3 h. After 2 weeks of formulation at 500 ppm curcumin…we observed 5.79uM (2,140ng/mL) brain curcumin, well above the 1 to 2 uM range of EC50 concentrations for the inhibition of iNOS, IL-1ß, PGE2, and isoprostanes. This suggests oral delivery can achieve our target tissue levels.”(5)
Prior to this, in published studies, curcumin had not reached a plasma level in the low ng/mL range in humans, even at doses as high as 12 grams.(22)
But more work was needed to see if this level was effective. Recently, in two separate, exclusive models that are key in understanding human cognition, memory and biochemistry was optimized in both models. This as yet unpublished observation is one of the first to ever be reported. Additional reports from ongoing trials and end users are very encouraging.
Optima C-PC® Quality Control is an intricate standardization system, including physical characterization of the SLCP™, along with an array of physical and chemical analyses using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Tandem Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging (NMR), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) and other instrumentation are used to standardize and ensure the activity, potency, and consistency of Optima C-PC™.
Optima C-PC® contains no animal products, is gluten-free, and is GMO-FREE (polymerase chain reaction(PCR) Negative).
Optima C-PC® is made using no 1,2 dichlorethane (ethylene dichloride, or EDC), and is a natural high-curcumin turmeric extract perfected in India. The curcumin found in Optima C-PC® is a 100% natural, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food additive, and has been used in traditional practices and food for thousands of years.
Optima C-PC® contains no piperine, a glucuronidation inhibitor that may enhance the bioavailability of both nutrients as well as potential toxins. Optima C-PC also contains no unstable volatile oils from turmeric root. Further, Optima C-PC® is not processed in a way that may create new molecules or chemical bonds which are foreign to the food chain or our bodies. Optima C-PC® is processed under Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), in such a way to ensure identity, purity, activity, and consistency of Optima C-PC’s benefits, from the manufacturer to your home.
Optima C-PC is shelf stable and has an expiration date of at least two years in dark, dry, room temperature conditions.
FAQ About Curcumin The Basics:
What is curcumin?
Curcumin is the phenomenal antioxidant compound that is responsible for the yellow color of Indian curries, and is found in our prepared foods such as pickles and mustard. Curcumin is the primary compound found in most standardized extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa) root.
What is Optima C-PC® Optimized Curcumin?
Optima C-PC® is a proprietary formula of SLCP Optimzed Curcumin and Essential PC Lipids (PC – Phosphatidylcholine). The formulation contains the natural antioxidant curcumin, that has been optimized for maximum targeting of curcumin into blood and tissues. It was developed over several years by an elite group of university neuroscientists. Nutrasal now licenses the SLCP Technolgy from Verdure Sciences. SLCP Technology and Optimized Curcumin took over ten years to develop and perfect, and is now being used in several ongoing clinical trials. Optima C-PC® is a mixture of ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) food ingredients and is based on natural ingredients found in the food chain.
How is Optima C-PC® different from regular 'turmeric 95%'?
Optima C-PC® addresses the key problem of proper absorption: why 'generic' curcumin shows great things in the test tube and in animals, but only insignificant positive trends in clinical trials. Patent-pending SLCP™ Technology ensures a safe, natural composition that promotes absorption into the bloodstream and various organs. And because it is about how much curcumin is absorbed, not what is consumed, high amounts of curcumin are no longer needed, thus reducing the chance for gastrointestinal irritation. Additionally, Optima C-PC provides a synergistic blend a highly purified Phosphatidylcholine (PC Lipids) to provide essential cell membrane building, regenerative, and enhanced fluidity PC.
Who are you working with to research it?
SLCP Technology® is the property of Verdure Sciences (patent pending) and is licensed by Nutrasal, Inc. SLCP Technolgy was developed by UCLA. UCLA, along with several leading universities and medical centers around the globe are continuing to evaluate and study the beneficial effects Optimized Curcumin®."
Is it safe?
The curcumin found in Optima C-PC® is a 100% natural, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food additive, and has been used in traditional medicine and food for thousands of years. In clinical studies, curcumin showed a positive safety profile at doses of 8-12 grams (8,000-12,000 milligrams) per day.(7,22) SLCP Optimized Curcumin® is reported to have an excellent safety profile, and showed no acute high-dose toxicity at the highest dose tested, a dose equivalent to 1000 times the recommended dose.
Is Optima C-PC okay for people with dietary restrictions?
Optima C-PC® contains all ingredients found in our food chain, contains no animal products, and is gluten-free. Optima C-PC® may contain ingredients made from corn and soy. Optima C-PC is made using all natural turmeric extract and all natural highly purified PC Lipids.
What precautions should be taken when using Optima C-PC®?
Since each individual has different medical needs, we recommend that you speak with your healthcare practitioner about Optima C-PC®. Use during chemotherapy should only be performed under the direct supervision of a qualified medical professional. Curcumin may enhance the action of anti-platelet drugs, high doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or warfarin. Do not take if you have a biliary tract obstruction or are taking a steroidal anti-inflammatory such as prednisone.
How long is it stable for?
Optima C-PC® is shelf stable and has an expiration date of at least two years in dark, dry, room temperature conditions. Be sure to keep it out of direct light as curcumin may degrade over time from exposure to UV radiation.
Other Good Questions:
How is Optima C-PC® made?
Cutting-edge Solid-Lipid Curcumin Particle (SLCP™) technology (patent pending) is responsible for the beneficial effects of Optima C-PC®. Simply, SLCP Optimized Curcumin is processed in a way that stabilizes and coats it with the ideal absorption-promoting system that facilitates steady, extended transfer of curcumin across biological membranes, especially those entering the bloodstream and target tissues. Additionally, Optima C-PC utilized a synergistic blend phosphatidylcholine. All ingredients used in the production of Optima C-PC® are processed under Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), in such a way to ensure identity, purity, activity, and consistency of Optima C-PC’s benefits and Quality Control.
What is Optima C-PC® good for?
Curcumin has been studied for various health applications, including the promotion of longevity and cognitive health. As of January 2010, more than 3100 publications on curcumin were available through the NIH medical database and in ongoing human trials. Many have reported that Optimized Curcumin® may help promote joint health and flexibility, and help to modulate inflammatory responses already within the normal range. Curcumin is also a potent antioxidant and is used in skin products as an anti-microbial and healing agent. Universities and medical centers are looking at SLCP Optimized Curcumin® for a variety of areas where curcumin has shown beneficial effects.
How is it different from other ‘bioavailable’ turmeric extracts?
Optima C-PC® is unique because it is university-developed, researched in humans, and has shown great promise in several studies. Optima C-PC is made using expensive, top-quality ingredients including natural high-curcumin turmeric extract and highly purified and purified phosphatidylcholine.
Can I get the same benefits from eating curry or mixing curcumin with various oils or fats?
During the years of development of Optimized Curcumin®, many formulas were tested using these ingredients and mixing them with various oils, fats and other ingredients. Test formulas using high amounts of purified curcumin with lipids often showed a small bioavailability advantage, but none of the test formulas were able to provide blood levels high enough to reach the target concentration. The average serving of curry contains about 6 milligrams of curcumin, which may help promote health, however it is likely that such a small amount of curcumin may not make a significant impact on their health. Optima C-PC® is no substitute for -- but is part of -- a sensible, healthy lifestyle that includes exercise and a balanced diet filled with fruits and vegetables (and of course…SPICES!)
Who are you working with to research it?
Nutrasal works with Verdure Sciences and Licenses SLCP Technology (patent pending) to produce Optima C-PC. The SLCP Technology is based on innovations developed by the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), a prestigious research institution, and several universities and medical centers around the globe are focusing on the effects of SLCP Optimized Curcumin®.
What's in Optima C-PC?
How much curcumin/curcuminoids does Optima C-PC® contain? Remember, it’s not about how much curcumin you consume, it’s about HOW MUCH CURCUMIN YOU ABSORB! Optima C-PC® actually contains significantly less curcumin than 95% curcuminoid extracts, and this is because leading research has demonstrated that a large quantity of curcumin is simply unnecessary. The SLCP Technology delivers up to 65X more active curcuminoids and free curcumin into the blood and tissues.
Does it contain black pepper or piperine?
NO. Optima C-PC® does not contain piperine or any other compounds known to significantly interfere with the body’s natural detoxification systems.
Does Optima C-PC contain any essential oils from the turmeric root? NO. Optima C-PC® does not contain essential oils from turmeric, since these components have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy, and currently do not have accurate testing methodology available for their quantitative measurement.
Are heavy metals a concern?
Optima C-PC® is made with the most stringent Quality Control parameters, and its quality is ensured with traceability and paper trails from the source. In fact, Optima C-PC® meets or exceeds California Proposition 65 for heavy metal content, which is among the highest standards for heavy metals.
Does Optima C-PC® contain ethylene dichloride?
1,2 dicholorethane, (Ethylene dichloride, or EDC) is a harmful solvent used to inexpensively extract curcumin from turmeric root. The curcumin in Optima C-PC® is not extracted using EDC unlike many standardized turmeric extracts found on the market, and conforms to USP/ICH standards for residual solvents.
Does Optima C-PC® contain nimesulide or other adulterants?
Optima C-PC® does NOT contain intentional adulterants such as nimesulide. Each batch of Optima C-PC® is rigorously tested for impurities. Strict control, traceability and paper trails are enforced throughout the procurement and manufacturing processes.
What other questions should I ask when looking for a turmeric supplement?
1. Does it reach efficacious concentrations in target tissues such as the brain? You may know that curcumin must get into the bloodstream in order to do anything. But getting into blood is not enough. It must reach a concentration high enough in order to penetrate target tissues, such as the brain. SLCP Optimized Curcumin is the hands down leader in the field for reaching target curcumin concentrations in the blood and target tissues.
2. Is the supplement standardized for its bioactivity? It is well established that it is not how much curcumin you consume, it is about how much you absorb. An intricate standardization system, including micro-visualization of the SLCP™, along with an array of physical and chemical analyses using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Tandem Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging (NMR), Ultraviolet Spectrometry, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS) and other instrumentation are used to standardize and ensure the activity, potency, and consistency of Optima C-PC®.
3. Was the product primarily developed by a prestigious university, or by a company in the dietary supplement industry? It may be no surprise that university researchers are most often motivated to find what truly works, while industry researchers are most often motivated by what they can sell at the highest margins with little real scientific investment. SLCP Optimized Curcumin® is the result of years of trial and error, guided by not what is easy to make but by what works in the lab and in people.
4. What was the analytical methodology used to detect curcumin in biological samples such as blood? Analyzing curcumin in blood or biological specimens is not as easy as it sounds. There are often ‘false peaks’ that are assumed to be curcumin which appear when rigorous validation is not performed. Curcumin is a sticky compound and can have what they call ‘carryover effects’, which falsely inflate values. Curcumin and its glucuronide are also unstable in blood after it is taken from the body to be tested. Further, interindividual variability of curcumin metabolism is high, therefore several subjects (instead of just one or two subjects) should be tested in any study, and applicable statistics applied to the data. Therefore, only the most experienced scientists with the most up-to-date instrumentation can reliably measure curcumin in blood. In fact, LC/MS/MS is the preferred instrumentation of university scientists who determined the bioavailability of SLCP Optimized Curcumin™, compared to the inferior analytical instruments often used for unoptimized curcumin.
5. In bioavailability studies, was curcumin counted as curcumin glucuronide? The body metabolizes curcumin into a different compound (mainly curcumin glucuronide), which has very low brain permeability and biological activity compared to curcumin in its free form (free curcumin). Often, a curcumin value in blood or plasma includes glucuronidated curcumin, so it can appear to be a very high number. But this number does not represent how much curcumin is truly free and active in the bloodstream. SLCP Optimized Curcumin’s bioavailability is determined by measuring free curcumin, not glucuronidated curcumin.
6. Is it made using a gentle process and all generally recognized as safe (GRAS) food additive ingredients? SLCP Optimized Curcumin™® contains no ethylene dichloride (EDC) which is often used to cheaply extract curcumin from turmeric root. Optima C-PC® contains no piperine, a glucuronidation inhibitor that enhances the bioavailability of both nutrients as well as potential toxins. Optima C-PC® also contains no unstable volatile oils from turmeric root, since these components have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy, and currently do not have accurate testing methodology available for their quantitative measurement. Further, Optima C-PC™ is not processed in a way that may create new molecules or chemical bonds which are foreign to the food chain or our bodies. A strong safety profile is partially what makes Optima C-PC® the premier choice of clinicians and universities worldwide. Clinical Trial References:(6,7,9-11,12,15,18-21,25,26,28,30)
7. How Is Optima C-PC Different? Optima C-PC® addresses the key problem of proper absorption: why 'generic' curcumin shows great things in the test tube and in animals, but only insignificant positive trends in clinical trials. Patent-pending SLCP™ Technology ensures a safe, natural composition that promotes absorption into the bloodstream and various organs. And because it is about how much curcumin is absorbed, not what is consumed, high amounts of curcumin are no longer needed, thus reducing the chance for gastrointestinal irritation. Additionally, Optima C-PC uses a synergistic blend of highly purified PC Lipids. This further reduces the risks of any GI irritation by providing protective surfactant properties and membrane building PC.
8. What is Optima C-PC? Optima C-PC® is a proprietary formula containing the natural antioxidant curcumin and phosphatidylcholine. The formulation utilizes Solid Lipid Curcumin Particles (SLCP) optimized for maximum targeting of curcumin into blood and tissues. SLCP Technology was developed over several years by an elite group of university neuroscientists and Verdure Sciences. SLCP® took years to develop and perfect, and is now being used in several ongoing clinical trials. Optima C-PC® is a mixture of ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) food ingredients and is based on natural ingredients found in the food chain.
9.What is Curcumin? Curcumin is the phenomenal antioxidant compound that is responsible for the yellow color of Indian curries, and is found in our prepared foods such as pickles and mustard. Curcumin is the primary compound found in most standardized extracts from turmeric (Curcuma longa) root.
List of References
1.Aggarwal BB, Bhatt ID, Ichikawa H, Ahn KS, Sethi G, Sandur SK, et al. Turmeric: the genus Curcuma. Taylor and Francis Group; 2006. p. 297–368.
2.Aggarwal S, Ichikawa H, Takada Y, Sandur SK, Shishodia S, Aggarwal BB. Mol Pharmacol 2006;69:195–206.
3.Baum L. et al. Letter in Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology Volume 28, Number 1, February 2008 pp110-112.
4.Began G, Sudharshan E, Appu Rao AG. Lipids 1998;33:1223–8.
5.Begum AN, Jones MR, Lim GP, Morihara T, Kim P, Heath DD, Rock CL, Pruitt MA, Yang F, Hudspeth B, Hu S, Faull KF, Teter B, Cole GM, Frautschy SA. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2008 Jul;326(1):196-208.
6.Bundy R, Walker AF, Middleton RW, Booth J. J Altern Complement Med 2004;10:1015–8.
7.Cheng AL, Hsu CH, Lin JK, et al. Antican Res. 2001;21:2895-2900.
8.Cho JW, Lee KS, Kim CW. Int J Mol Med 2007;19:469–74.
9.Conteas CN, Panossian AM, Tran TT, Singh HM. Dig Dis Sci. 2008 Dec 3.
10.Cruz-Correa M, Shoskes DA, Sanchez P, Zhao R, Hylind LM, Wexner SD, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006;4:1035–8
11.Deodhar SD, Sethi R, Srimal RC. Indian J Med Res 1980;71:632–4.
12.Dhillon N, Aggarwal BB, Newman RA, Wolff RA, Kunnumakkara AB, Abbruzzese JL, Ng CS, Badmaev V, Kurzrock R. Clin Can Res. 2008 Jul 15;14(14):4491-9.
13.Frautschy, SA. 38th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience , Washington DC, November 15, 2008.
14.Ganguli M, Chandra V, Kamboh MI, Johnston JM, Dodge HH, Thelma BK, Juyal RC, Pandav R, Belle SH, DeKosky ST. Arch Neurol. 2000 Jun;57(6):824-30.
15.Garcea G, Berry DP, Jones DJ, Singh R, Dennison AR, Farmer PB, et al. Can Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14:120–5.
16.Goel A, Kunnumakkara AB, Aggarwal BB. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 15;75(4):787-809. Epub 2007 Aug 19.
17.Gota VS, Maru GB, Soni TG, Gandhi TR, Kochar N, Agarwal MG. J Ag Food Chem Submitted 2009.
18.Hanai H, Iida T, Takeuchi K, Watanabe F, Maruyama Y, Andoh A, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006;4:1502–6
19.Holt PR, Katz S, Kirshoff R. Dig Dis Sci 2005;50:2191–3.
20.Lal B, Kapoor AK, Agrawal PK, Asthana OP, Srimal RC. Phytother Res. 2000;14:443-447.
21.Lal B, Kapoor AK, Asthana OP, Agrawal PK, Prasad R, Kumar P, et al. Phytother Res 1999;13:318–22.
22.Lao CD, Ruffin MT, Normolle D, Heath DD, Murray SI, Bailey JM, et al. BMC Complement Altern Med 2006;6:10.
23.Ng TP, Chiam PC, Lee T, Chua HC, Lim L, Kua EH. Am J Epidemiol 2006;164:898–906.
24.Ono et al. J Neurosci Res. 2004 Mar 15;75(6):742-50.
25.Satoskar RR, Shah SJ, Shenoy SG. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1986;24:651–4.
26.Sharma RA, McLelland HR, Hill KA, Ireson CR, Euden SA, Manson MM, et al. Clin Can Res 2001;7:1894–900.
27.Shishodia S, Singh T, Chaturvedi MM. Adv Exp Med Biol 2007;595:127–48.
28.Shoskes D, Lapierre C, Cruz-Correa M, Muruve N, Rosario R, Fromkin B, et al. Transplantation 2005;80:1556–9
29.Skrzypczak-Jankun E, Zhou K, McCabe NP, Selman SH, Jankun J. Int J Mol Med 2003;12:17–24.
30.Soni KB, Kuttan R. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 1992;36:273–5.
31.Yang F, Lim GP, Begum AN, Ubeda OJ, Simmons MR, Ambegaokar SS, et al. J Biol Chem 2005;280:5892–901.
32.Frautschy, SA et al. 39th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience , Chicago, IL October 2009.
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