Granny hits the gym

Steeped in science and logical rigour most of us tend to ignore, or at times even deride traditional wisdom. This trend seems to be more pronounced in healing. But, even the most cynical amongst us will accede to Grandma’s remedy of warm turmeric milk for a sore throat. Turmeric, the mainstay of many Ayurvedic preparations and an ingredient of make-at-home remedies has been widely studied for its therapeutic value for ailments ranging from cancer to depression. That apart it is widely used as a spice in many an Asian dish, especially curries.

Turmeric is the root of a plant from the ginger family. Turmeric contains many plant substances but one particular group called curcuminoids has the greatest health promoting effects. There are three distinct curcuminoids of which curcumin is the most active and has the best health promoting effect. Curcumin’s claim to fame is because of its potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Conditions for which curcumin has proven to be effective are osteoarthritis, depression & anxiety, blood glucose and LDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol levels), certain cancers like colon cancer and a few other conditions.

Though turmeric by itself has its own place as a remedial measure for different ailments, we shall be focussing on curcumin for now. There are two main challenges with curcumin, one is its availability and the other absorption. Depending on which part of the plant curcumin is extracted from, it ranges anywhere from 2 mg, to at the most 40 mg, which isn’t much. It involves a complex extraction process to retrieve curcumin from the plant in amounts required to be effective. Also, curcumin is absorbed very poorly when taken orally and metabolized very fast leading to low retention in blood.

One way to deal with issue of absorption is to combine curcumin with piperine (a black pepper extract), and there are many products available in this combination. While there is a notable enhancement in the bioavailability with this combination, questions about long term effects of piperine remain. Another option to improve the bioavailability of curcumin is by combining it with lipids. BCM 95 is one such option (a very effective one) which is a patented combination of curcumin and essential oils. Volatile oils called turmerones are added to the curcumin to make BCM95 which raises the bioavailability by 7 times and has a blood retention of 8 hours.

Now let’s shift focus, albeit briefly, to whey protein. That commonly used protein source which is widely available and the preferred choice for muscle building. Post an exercise routine, muscles develop tears and are damaged. The amino acids in the whey consumed, help in muscle recovery during rest. This of course may be common knowledge. What people may not be very aware of is that during exercise, there is induced muscle inflammation. Characterised by pain, soreness and reduced muscle function, any proven anti-inflammatory agent at this time would go a long way in mitigating this effect of strength training.

This is where we, at NRoute, have conceptualised a unique first in class combination of premium whey protein powder (our range is large) with a potent, fast acting and long-lasting anti-inflammatory agent as BCM95. This combination also offers added benefits of enhanced pulmonary function and better gastro-intestinal health in case of whey induced gastric discomfort. The anti-inflammatory action of BCM95 helps mitigate the muscle fatigue and soreness brought on by intense working out.

This is a science meets tradition moment where the goodness of granny’s potions complements a marvel of modern-day research to make a winner. Unknowingly granny may have exercised a lot doing her daily chores but today, she is poised to hit the gym with this winner combo.