Despite continual advances in clinical practice, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, musculoskeletal conditions including joint pain and inflammation are prevalent in Australia, affecting millions of people.

In 2017-18, an estimated 6.9 million Australians (28% of the population) had a musculoskeletal condition. Of these, 3.6 million had osteoarthritis, which is a common cause of joint pain and inflammation in older adults. Rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory arthritis affected around 686,000 Australians. Furthermore, a study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health estimated that the prevalence of joint pain and arthritis in Australians aged 45 and over is approximately 17%, with higher rates in women compared to men.

As a child, I suffered from a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and in some ways am a testament to the profound benefits of natural and functional medicine practices as they relate to the the management of joint health, pain and inflammation. In my case, a combination of strength training, dietary modifications (reducing meat, and eliminating refined carbohydrates and dairy) together with practitioner-recommended herbal and nutritional ingredients allowed me to stop taking NSAIDs and over time, live essentially pain and symptom-free for decades.

So - it’s fair to say that when the Ora team decided to develop a product to provide support for joint health, pain and inflammation, it needed to be truly exceptional.

But where to start?

The Making of Curcumin BioComplex

Looking specifically at natural compounds with low or no side effects, there’s a broad and growing portfolio of ingredients with great scientific and clinical evidence that may provide benefits to people suffering from joint pain and inflammation.

This ranges from commonly used (and generally helpful) omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, algal sources and things like nuts and seeds and the widely-used (and again generally helpful) Glucosamine and Chondroitin to newer ingredients like Palmitoylethanolamide or PEA, a naturally occurring fatty acid amide that is found in many foods, such as egg yolks and peanuts and cannabidiol, both of which have been shown as having strong anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving potential in human studies.

However, as a lifelong student of Ayurveda with a specific focus on herbal medicines, when we set out to develop what became Curcumin BioComplex, I set us a few objectives:

1. Aligned with Ora's core principles

Ground rule #1 is always the same. The product had to be in line with our core principles at Ora - plant-based, organic with the highest levels of quality, provenance, ingredient sustainability and evidence.

2. Traditional Ayurvedic ingredients with gold-standard clinical trials

I wanted to use natural herbal ingredients from the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia with both a profound tradition of use (think thousands of years) and multiple, contemporary gold-standard human clinical trials demonstrating each ingredient’s effectiveness in relieving joint pain and inflammation vs. both placebo and pharmaceutical control (typically paracetamol).

The studies needed to be exceptionally well designed and have both statistical and clinical significance and be published in Tier-1 medical journals (learn more about the clinical studies on Turmacin done in 2020 at the University of Tasmania Medical School here).

3. Low to no side effects

The product and its ingredients must to have a low to no side effect in healthy patients and in people suffering from diagnosed conditions like osteoarthritis.

4. Fast-acting

The product needed to be fast-acting, or relatively fast-acting. One of the primary pain points (pardon the pun) with natural medicines in inflammatory conditions is that there is a loading phase before clinical effect can be seen to statistical significance for most therapies like glucosamine and fish oil.

This means that someone who is suffering from a chronic inflammatory condition like OA or rheumatoid arthritis needs to take multiple therapies such as Ibuprofen or Paracetamol, alongside natural medicines to manage their pain until the natural medicine provides relief.

5. Easy to take

The product had to be easy-to-take, meaning dosing had to be simple and straightforward - 2 vegan capsules once or twice per day, depending on the severity of symptoms and pain.

The result?

The product Curcumin BioComplex - a potent, plant-based formulation of clinically-proven ingredients together with some really exciting ingredients to support collagen production and lowering inflammation. This is carefully formulated to reduce joint pain and inflammation, whether from a chronic disease like OA, from an injury, or simply to speed up your recovery from a workout (increasingly my situation after just about every workout as I’ve hit my forties).

How Does Curcumin BioComplex Reduce Joint Pain, Aches and Inflammation?

Turmacin™

Increasingly, the science and safety around turmeric is moving away from highly standardised curcumin extracts towards what are known as full-spectrum extracts, containing a wider array of phytochemicals and active constituents.

Turmacin™ is the first water-soluble extract of turmeric that contains Turmerosaccharides™, which has been shown in over 4 clinical studies to provide effective relief of pain and inflammation as well as improvements in joint function, flexibility and mobility that were both statistically and clinically significant.

The most recent and highly referenced clinical trial of Turmacin™ also included 95% curcuminoids, so we made sure to include them in our product as well at the clinically-evidenced dose.

AprèsFlex™

A patented, unique extract of Boswellia serrata, also known as Indian frankincense, that has been shown to reduce joint pain and inflammation. In a series of randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, participants taking AprèsFlex™ reported a significant reduction in joint pain and stiffness, as well as an improvement in joint flexibility and mobility in as little as 5 days!

Pomegranate Husk

Just like strawberries, pomegranate husk is a rich source of a compound called ellagitannins, which can be metabolised by the gut microbiota to produce a compound called urolithin-A. Urolithin-A has been shown to have potential health benefits, particularly in the area of muscle and joint health.

Several studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of urolithin-A. One study published in the Journal of Functional Foods found that urolithin A reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in human muscle cells, suggesting its potential as a natural remedy for muscle and joint pain.

Another study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that urolithin-A improved muscle strength and endurance in mice, suggesting its potential as a natural supplement for athletes and those with muscle-related conditions.

While pomegranate husk is a natural source of urolithin-A, it is not commonly consumed directly as a food. However, urolithin-A can be extracted from pomegranate husk and incorporated into supplements and functional foods, which of course is what we’ve done in Curcumin BioComplex.

The Takeaway For You

Curcumin BioComplex is a unique and exceptional product that meets my personal and Ora’s high (some might say exacting) standards of quality, evidence, and sustainability, and has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life for people suffering from joint pain and inflammation, whether it's from chronic inflammatory diseases like osteoarthritis or simply from joint or muscle pain following a heavy training day in the gym.

For best results, I suggest taking Curcumin BioComplex on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes prior to a meal. To truly ensure you get the best results, I recommend booking a consultation with a natural medicine practitioner or functional medicine practitioner or visiting your local health food store, and working with them to optimise all aspects of your health in conjunction with taking Curcumin BioComplex.

We’d love to hear how you it works for you.

Written by: Gabriel Perera, Owner and Founder of Ora

References:

Population Health Data:

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Musculoskeletal conditions. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions/contents/musculoskeletal-conditions

• Smith E, Hoy D, Cross M, et al. The global burden of other musculoskeletal disorders: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(8):1462-1469.

• Bhatia K, Dube K, Lee H, et al. The prevalence of self-reported joint pain and arthritis in elderly Australians: a cross-sectional study. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2017;41(3):321-325.

Turmacin™:

• Kumar D, et al. Efficacy of turmeric (Curcuma longa) and curcumin in the treatment of inflammation and osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2020;23(3):211-220. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2019.0058.

• Gopinath D, et al. Turmacin® ameliorates joint pain and inflammation in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. Biomed Res Int. 2020;2020:5901916. doi: 10.1155/2020/5901916.

• Biswas D, et al. Curcuminoids-loaded water-soluble polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced anti-inflammatory activity. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2021;197:111406. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111406.

AprèsFlex™:

• Kimmatkar N, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee--a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Phytomedicine. 2003;10(1):3-7. doi: 10.1078/094471103321648593.

Pomegranate husk:

• Singh A, et al. Pomegranate peel extract as an adjuvant to ibuprofen in osteoarthritis management. Nutrition. 2018;46:44-51. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2017.08.016.

• Krishnamoorthy S, et al. Pomegranate extract loaded nanoparticles and its therapeutic potential in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2021;49(1):243-251. doi: 10.1080/21691401.2021.1894352.