By Dr Conor Kerley, PhD, nutrition researcher, and someone who lives with an autoimmune condition himself.
Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues. There are more than 80 recognised autoimmune conditions, affecting almost any organ. I myself live with a chronic autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis. Here is what the human research shows on two compounds that have been studied directly in autoimmune disease: nanocurcumin and alpha lipoic acid.
Quick answer
- Turmeric has been used medicinally for thousands of years, but its active components, the curcuminoids, are very poorly absorbed. Nanocurcumin delivers far more activity through superior absorption.
- Nanocurcumin has been studied directly in different autoimmune diseases and shown improved symptoms, less activity of inflammation genes, better immune and inflammation regulation, lower inflammation and higher anti-inflammatory molecules.
- Alpha lipoic acid is another fascinating compound for autoimmune disease, with direct human research in Graves' disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes and vitiligo.
- Neither replaces prescribed treatment. Talk to your consultant before adding anything.
Autoimmune diseases
Common autoimmune diseases include:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
- Graves' disease
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid disease)
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD): Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- Lupus (SLE)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Psoriasis
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Sjögren's syndrome
- Type 1 diabetes (T1DM)
- Vitiligo
Nanocurcumin and autoimmune diseases
Turmeric has been used medicinally for thousands of years. But modern science shows that turmeric and the active components, curcuminoids, are very poorly absorbed.
Nanocurcumin delivers more activity through superior absorption compared to standard curcumin:
- 100x greater bioavailability
- 2,233% higher peak blood levels
- 7x longer-lasting action
Nanocurcumin has been directly studied in different autoimmune diseases and shown benefits including:
- Improved symptoms
- Reduced activity of inflammation genes
- Better immune and inflammation regulation
- Reduced levels of inflammation
- Increased levels of anti-inflammatory molecules
- Lower levels of inflammatory microRNAs (microRNAs control how genes are switched on or off)
- Improved gut immune regulation
- Less depression
The condition-by-condition detail, study by study, is in Autoimmune disease & Nanocurcumin: what real human research shows.
Alpha lipoic acid and autoimmune diseases
Another fascinating compound regarding autoimmune diseases is alpha lipoic acid. A 2019 research review highlighted the immunomodulatory effect of alpha lipoic acid in autoimmune disease and concluded that "alpha lipoic acid may have beneficial effects in autoimmune diseases" [1].
In fact, there is direct scientific research in humans that alpha lipoic acid is beneficial in several autoimmune diseases:
- Graves' disease
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's and colitis
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Psoriasis
- Type 1 diabetes (T1DM)
- Vitiligo
Where nanocurcumin fits in
If you'd like to try nanocurcumin, Gold Standard Curcumin combines a research-based dose of nanocurcumin with key vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D3, for:
- Normal inflammation response function
- Normal immune function
Only one capsule daily for simple, effective joint health and overall inflammation support. If you have an autoimmune disease, nanocurcumin may be a worthwhile option to help manage inflammation, immune regulation and ultimately symptoms. For alpha lipoic acid, see Lipoic Acid Phix. Bring this article, and its references, to your next appointment.
Curious? Check out the science on nanocurcumin. Questions? Join our Gold Standard Curcumin WhatsApp group.
Related reading: Autoimmune disease & Nanocurcumin · Inflammation and nanocurcumin · The curcumin overview
References
- Liu W, et al. The immunomodulatory effect of alpha-lipoic acid in autoimmune diseases. Biomed Res Int. 2019;2019:8086257. PMID 31016198.
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