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Please understand, although it is tempting to buy supplements from an inexpensive source, their motivation for the manufacturing of these supplements is profit. High quality raw materials from the USA (or other countries with high testing standards), studied substances and third-party testing are all costly, but very important in choosing a supplement that will help support your health versus one that will be ineffective, or worse, contain toxic, hazardous substances or incorrect and dangerous dosage suggestions on the label. In addition, some seemingly harmless ingredients such as corn or soybean oil in supplements can defeat the purpose of taking supplements as they can actually contribute to more inflammation in the body. (Look for our upcoming blog posts onOMEGA 3sandOMEGA 6sto better understand this)

Perhaps you’ve heard of “free radicals,” know they’re bad, but have no idea what they really are. If that’s the case, read on!  Another thing called “oxidative stress,” a by-product of an overload of free radicals (which speeds up the aging process), is something you need to understand as well in order to make sense of it all.

What’s a Free Radical?

To put it simply: “Free Radicals are harmful molecules [tiny particles] that damage the body.” These molecules are made by the body when the body encounters various toxins. Free radicals are associated with speeding up the aging process, and degenerative diseases.

If I were asked what supplement I’d take if I were stranded on a desert island, it would definitely be curcumin.

What is Curcumin and How Is It Used?

Curcumin is an extract of an ancient medicinal and cooking herb, turmeric, that has been used throughout the middle east and Asia for more than 7000 years. Curcumin is a root, and is a member of the ginger family. It has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. What makes it unique is that it has a multi-ring structure called a polyphenolic ring; this ring structure allows it to absorb multiple free radicals, thus making it a powerful antioxidant. Since it scavenges free radicals and reactive oxygen species, curcumin shows a great deal of therapeutic promise in many areas.