In the 1990s, a group of top neuroscientists at the UCLA School of Medicine, led by Dr Sally Frautschy PhD and Dr Greg Cole PhD, began their quest to find a safe, effective, and affordable way to support cognitive functions.

After ten years, nearly 200 curcumin-based formulas, and endless trial and error, curcumin’s bioavailability issue has been solved, with the Optimized Curcuma’s patented Solid Lipid Curcumin Particle Technology (SLCP™).

The secret of Optim Curcuma lies in the Longvida Solid-Lipid Curcumin Particle (SLCP™) patented process, which consists of encapsulating the curcumin to enhance its dissolution at a precise point in the gut and thus deliver it into both plasma and red blood cells as free curcumin, the biologically active form of curcumin (DiSilvestro 2012).

Gota et al. (2010) investigated the pharmacokinetics of Longvida® preparation in adult human subjects. They performed a crossover, double-blind analysis, where six healthy men were given Longvida® SLCP curcumin preparation and 95% curcuminoids formula (containing > 60% curcumin) in capsule form in a single oral dose of 650 mg (containing 130-195 mg of curcumin from Longvida® preparation and >390 mg of curcumin from 95% curcuminoids extract).

Blood samples were collected before dosing and from 1 to 12 hours after administration, and HPLC analysed plasma samples (as free form curcumin). Figure 1 reports the mean free plasma curcumin concentration profile for the Longvida preparation.

In healthy subjects, the mean peak concentration of curcumin achieved from dosing 650 mg of Longvida® preparation was 22.43 ng/mL. In contrast, plasma curcumin from dosing an equal quantity of unformulated 95% curcuminoids extract was not detected (<1 ng/ml).

Figure 1 - Mean Free Plasma Curcumin Concentration-Time Profile of healthy human subjects (N=6) (Gota et al, 2010).

The table below shows the maximum concentrations (Cmax) of curcumin in plasma after administration of 650mg of Longvida® complex - minimum 130mg curcumin - or 650mg of a standard 95% curcuminoid extract, i.e. 390mg curcumin (Gota et al 2010).

These results demonstrate that the Longvida® complex formulation is at least 65 times more bioavailable than a standard curcumin extract.

Table 1: Curcumin Cmax of Longvida versus standard 95% Curcuminoid Extract (Gota et al. 2010)

A recent clinical trial led by a group of researchers from the Ohio State University – USA (DiSilvestro 2012) analysed various biological markers among healthy middle-aged people (40 to 60 years old) taking either a placebo (N=19) or 400 mg of Longvida® preparation (N=19) for 30 days.

They reported that Longvida® SLCP curcumin preparation significantly reduced circulating amyloid-beta peptides, reduced vascular adhesion molecules in the blood (sICAM-1); reduced blood lipids (plasma triglycerides); reduced enzymes for physiological and emotional stress (salivary amylase); and significantly increased the antioxidant status by 24% and the endogenous antioxidant defence (catalase) by 72%; the vasodilator activity (plasma nitric oxide) by 37% and decreased liver enzymes levels (ALT: Alamine Amino Transferase) by 11%.

A study from the University of  North Texas published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta Clinica suggests that the formulation Longvida of Optim Curcuma reduces inflammation and improves muscle recovery after a leg press exercise, compared to a placebo group. (McFarlin 2016)

Twenty-eight young participants (average 20 years old) were randomly assigned to consume either 400 mg of Longvida SLCP curcumin – the formulation of OptimCurcuma – or a placebo (rice flour) for two days before four days after the Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Blood samples were collected before exercise and on days 1,2,3, and 4. The muscle damage biomarker (Creatine Kinase) and the inflammatory biomarkers (cytokines: TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10) were measured.

Among participants in the curcumin group, researchers observed significantly smaller increases in Creatine Kinase (–48%), TNF-α (–25%), and IL-8 (–21%) following exercise compared to the placebo group. No significant decrease was found for IL-6, IL-10, or quadriceps muscle soreness.

The findings demonstrated that a daily intake of 1 capsule of the formulation of Optim Curcuma – reduced biological inflammation during recovery after the Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD), which may translate to faster recovery.

A group of researchers from the University of Swinburne in Melbourne, Australia, recently published the results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (Cox et al. 2014).

During four weeks, 60 participants from 60 to 85 years old took either:

- either 400 mg/day of either the patented LongVida SLCP curcumin complex of OptimCurcuma (80 mg curcumin)

-or 400mg of placebo.

Results: Compared with placebo, the authors reported that the curcumin supplementation significantly improved both acute and chronic cognitive functions, mainly working memory tasks, general fatigue, and calmness.