Fort Worth-based Nuvothera announced April 9 the launch of its Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin supplement for consumers seeking to reduce their dependence on prescription medicines.
In the last few years, consumers have increasingly purchased turmeric supplements based on reported benefits including diminished joint pain, improved brain function, lower risk of heart disease and cancer, thwarting Alzheimer’s disease, and even anti-aging effects, the Fort Worth company said in a news release.
The company said there is ample science – although not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration – that often indicates life-changing benefits for people wanting help to support healthy joints and mobility.
Supplements too often fail to provide the desired effects due to design and manufacturing shortcomings, the news release said.
Nuvothera CEO Arthur Clapp has many years of experience developing botanically-based alternatives to pharmaceutical treatments.
The curcuminoids in turmeric have been used as a natural anti-inflammatory and healing agent for thousands of years. But to work well orally, turmeric or curcumin needs to be absorbed effectively by the digestive tract.
Clapp bought and tried more than four dozen turmeric supplement brands, and, while a few showed positive results at their recommended dosages, none delivered the benefits he had expected, the news release said.
The reason, he discovered, rested with poor bioavailability, an oft-cited issue with turmeric.
Curcumin is hydrophobic and resistant to absorption in the bloodstream when taken orally and nearly all curcumin found in natural turmeric powder – approximately 97 percent – passes ineffectively through the body.
Clapp said that the powder in a typical curcumin capsule floats when poured into a glass of water.
Nuvothera has developed a product it calls Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin that dissolves instantly in water on water.
“That’s the difference particle size makes,” he said. “Our turmeric curcumin supplement absorbs easily and is selectively taken up by our bodies without the need for black pepper or additional absorption enhancers.”
The company said that turmeric and curcumin supplements range from $10 to $60 per bottle, and brand effectiveness widely varies. Nuvothera Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin sells for $30 to $40 per bottle, but even the cheapest competitor will ultimately cost more due to the far higher quantities required to reach similar benefit levels, the company said.
Nuvothera now sells Super-Micronized Turmeric Curcumin from its own website, through Amazon, and other outlets.
Nuvothera Inc. is a biotech company formed by dermatology pharmaceutical executives to develop novel OTC products for chronic, difficult-to-treat diseases such as psoriasis, and other inflammatory diseases.
¬– FWBP Staff