Biocurcumin BCM95®
Curcumin is the primary bioactive compound in turmeric. Extensive research has been conducted to uncover the wide-ranging health benefits of curcumin, with thousands of publications on cancer alone. However, curcumin’s bioavailability is extremely low, severely limiting its health benefits in humans. Scientists then designed BCM95, a patented curcumin-piperine formulation, with 7-fold higher bioavailability (taken orally) than curcumin alone in humans. Piperine is a compound found in black pepper, which enhances the bio-absorption of curcumin.
With BCM95, curcumin’s anticancer effects become far more effective. The literature shows that curcumin has multiple anticancer mechanisms, of which the two main ones are (i) catalysing the apoptotic pathway to cause cell death and (ii) stopping the NF-κB pro-inflammatory pathway to reduce cancer growth. Curcumin also has targeted effects against specific cancers, such as blocking the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer and inhibiting androgen receptors in prostate cancer cells.
Numerous randomised clinical trials on curcumin or BCM95 have been done on cancer patients, with no significant safety issues so far. Compared to placebo, two separate trials showed that oral curcumin decreased the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the main biomarker of prostate cancer growth. In another placebo-controlled trial, prostate cancer patients who took oral BCM95 experienced fewer urinary side effects from radiotherapy. (Radiotherapy uses ionising radiation to kill cancer cells, which can also damage healthy cells and cause unpleasant side effects.) Four separate trials have shown that oral or topical (cream) curcumin reduced the severity of radiotherapy-induced dermatitis (i.e., skin irritation) in breast cancer patients.
Moreover, curcumin is widely appreciated for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Multiple meta-analyses of clinical trials have reported the effectiveness of curcumin or BCM95 in improving clinical outcomes for patients with inflammatory conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, liver diseases, ulcerative colitis, heart diseases, osteoarthritis and metabolic syndrome. Even in healthy individuals, meta-analyses have shown that curcumin significantly improves biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic health (e.g., lipid profile and cardiovascular risk markers). Meta-analyses are considered the highest level of clinical evidence because they systematically synthesise data from multiple studies to derive a consensus result.
Interestingly, curcumin also influences brain chemistry by modulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which are involved in mood regulation. Emerging clinical trials have reported that curcumin reduces symptom severity in patients with major depressive and anxiety disorders. With its diverse therapeutic applications in oncology, inflammation and mental health, curcumin continues to be a remarkable plant compound for overall health and vitality.
