Has improved bioavailability been shown in humans and how does it work? 

Curcuminoids

• yellow pigments, major component of Turmeric rhizome
• curcumin (majority constituent), demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin - 'curcumin' is often used as shorthand for (total) curcuminoids
• extensively studied, including clinical trials
• main actions: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer
• mechanism of action is diverse and involves the regulation of many molecular targets including NF-kB and Nrf2
• known however to have low bioavailability

 More Bioavailable Curcumin: Phospholipid Complex

• bioavailability of curcumin/curcuminoids increased substantially by combining with the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (= lecithin)
• verified in healthy volunteers: the increase in the average absorption of curcuminoids from a proprietary phosphatidylcholine complex was between 27.2 and 31.5 times higher than from curcuminoids alone, depending on the dose taken
• taking the phosphatidylcholine complex containing 209 mg of curcuminoids provided similar absorption to that achieved from taking 5.7 g of curcuminoids alone

Safety

Due to increased bioavailability, caution is advised in pregnancy, women wishing to conceive, patients taking drugs with a narrow therapeutic window and/or antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. Monitor anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic drugs. Caution in gallstones, contraindicated in obstruction of the biliary tract. Should not be taken at least 48 hours either side of each chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment.

Phospholipid Complex: Clinical Results

• proprietary complex containing curcuminoids (20%; 75% curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and 10% bisdemethoxycurcumin), phosphatidylcholine (40%) and microcrystalline cellulose (40%)
• clinical studies -doses: 1-1.2 g/day of the complex containing curcuminoids (about 200-240 mg/day). Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity: osteoarthritis, diabetic microangiopathy, recurrent uveitis, retinopathy, advanced cancer with cachexia

Potential Uses: Curcumin Trials

• clinical trials using curcumin, especially at high doses, may provide applications for curcuminoid phosphatidylcholine complex
• anti-inflammatory activity and/or symptom improvement in inflammatory conditions and type 2 diabetes (0.09-4 g/day)
• antioxidant activity in patients and healthy volunteers (0.5-4 g/day), although mixed results in cancer patients (up to 4 g/day)
• some benefit in cancer patients (0.5-8 g/day), including the difficult to treat advanced pancreatic cancer, and premalignant lesions
• beneficial for radiation dermatitis, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, ulcerative colitis (short term effect), irritable bowel syndrome, reflux, oral lichen planus (dose dependent), gastrointestinal symptoms in HIV, orbital pseudotumour (1.5-6 g/day)
• low toxicity (up to 8 g/day), but some minor gastrointestinal adverse effects reported
• combined with quercetin for dialysis-dependent kidney transplant recipients and familial adenomatous polyposis patients

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What are your experiences using an improved delivery of curcuminoids?