Turmeric reigns supreme for good reason: This bright yellow herb has a rich history of use in supporting overall health and vitality.* It promotes healthy inflammatory function and provides antioxidant support, too.*
Turmeric is our #1 best-selling herb, and it has received a lot of attention in the media lately. When it comes to health and wellness, there is a lot of hype out there, but with Turmeric, there is also a wealth of research-including hundreds of clinical trials-to bolster what people are saying. Turmeric has been shown to support the body after a workout, promote healthy joint function and support a healthy response to occasional pain.* (Read 8 uses of Turmeric here.)
Because Turmeric also has antioxidant activity, it supports the liver, the primary organ in charge of the body's natural detoxification processes.* When the liver metabolizes hormones, waste materials and macronutrients properly, this promotes healthy aging from the inside out.*
Turmeric's versatility means that it is a great place to start your herb journey. Though it can support individual organs and bodily functions, most people know Turmeric for its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response.*
This function is the body's way of maintaining its natural state of equilibrium.* Inflammatory responses often happen behind the scenes, particularly in otherwise healthy individuals.* As with other natural bodily functions, such as breathing and digestion, these responses usually go unnoticed.
The body's natural defense is to initiate these inflammatory responses, which is intended to return an individual to a state of homeostasis. If that does not happen, the body's natural tendency is to continue to respond.
Within the body, there is a natural connection between the healthy inflammatory responses and the healthy responses to stress. When the body is trying to respond to stress, it diverts attention that otherwise could be used for the healthy inflammatory response.
You could compare these natural responses to using the telephone. Before call waiting and smartphones, a caller heard the annoying buzz of a busy signal when the line was in use. Nowadays, we might get directed to someone's voicemail. Either way, the message we want to share is delayed or simply not received. Within the body, when the attention is repeatedly drawn to promoting that healthy response to stress, the usual inflammatory response gets a busy signal.* This can eventually result in a backlog of missed calls. As in real life, some callers leave a message or call back, while others simply hang up. Catching up on those missed calls and deciphering messages takes time and energy, which can make you fall behind on other aspects of life.
To circle back to Turmeric, the Curcumins that give it that bright yellow color also are responsible for much of its activity. However, those active constituents are not easily absorbed into the bloodstream. Ground Turmeric root powder is a tasty addition to any savory dish, but when it comes to supporting the body, potent extracts are far better absorbed.
Gaia includes Black Pepper in formulations containing Turmeric because in studies the Piperine (Black Pepper's active component) has been found to increase the bioavailability of Curcumins by up to 2,000%(1). For the body, this synergy means the difference between making a phone call while roaming versus when your network signal is strong.
Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength was the first Gaia Herbs product created using this Curcumin Synergy, which not only includes Black Pepper to aid absorption but also uses two forms of Turmeric to fully express the whole plant profile. Turmeric's full spectrum of phytochemicals are represented, meaning the plant can offer support in a multitude of ways.* When only the Curcumins are present, Turmeric is only able to support an inflammatory response within the body.*
At first, it was simply called "Turmeric Supreme," but as we expanded the line, it became "Extra Strength." While other formulations support specific aspects of the body or our health, Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength provides foundational daily support. It contains more Curcumins per capsule than our other formulations, making it our strongest Turmeric product. Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength can be taken on its own or with one or more of the other formulations: Turmeric Supreme Allergy, Heart, Immune A.S.A.P., Joint, Pain and Pain P.M.