Research evaluated the exposure of aluminum in experimental models at different doses, comparing bioavailable curcumin and turmeric extract. After 45 days of intervention, researchers found that the cognitive impairment caused by aluminum was significantly reversed with the use of BCM-95 (a combination of turmeric extract and purified turmeric essential oil), and that spatial learning and memory were significantly improved in the BCM-95 group.
Chronic exposure to aluminum can create a neuroinflammatory response and rouse oxidative stress, raising risks for neural damage, according to a press release from Arjuna Natural. High concentrations of aluminum have been found to increase amyloid aggregation and deposition in neuronal tissues, a key feature of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Related: Studies Examine Effects of BCM-95 on OA, Oral Mucositis Patent Granted to Cognitive Performance Ingredient #NaturallyInformed: This is Your Brain on Food
“Aluminum is unfortunately a prevalent toxin and contact with it is unavoidable in everyday life,” said Benny Antony, Ph.D., Joint Managing Director for Arjuna and inventor of BCM-95, in the press release. “The challenge of maintaining brain health naturally via plant-derived supplements is that it has to be both practical and safe. We were encouraged by the immediate actionable results of this high bioavailability turmeric extract which is already widely commercially available as a leading bio-available extract.”“Curcumin is known for its ability to bind to metals such as aluminum and thus could offer neuroprotection from the metal’s potentially toxic effects,” explained lead researcher David Banji, Ph.D. “But poor absorption and low blood levels of free curcumin after oral intake pose a major limitation for delivering its full clinical benefits. Curcumin’s characteristic low solubility, rapid metabolism, and quick elimination hampers its absorption into the bloodstream nor readily penetrates the blood brain barrier. This is what spurred us to examine BCM-95 of Arjuna Natural where curcumin, the key turmeric extract is combined with the purified essential oil component of turmeric as a bioavailability enhancer.”
