Meriva (anti-inflammatory supplement)

Inflammation in the body has long been associated with cancer and the development of cancer. When Dr. David Servan-Schreiber was diagnosed with brain cancer, he did extensive research on foods that are healing and wrote a book titled Anticancer: A New Way of Life. In the book he gives guidelines for a healthy, cancer-preventive diet, including foods that reduce inflammation. Turmeric, he says, is “the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory identified today. In the laboratory it enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy and reduces tumour growth.” He goes on to say that in order to be utilized most effectively by the human body, turmeric should be taken with black pepper and, even better, dissolved in oil.

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric root (also found, in smaller amounts, in ginger root). However, curcumin by itself, or taken as straight turmeric, isn’t absorbed very well by the body. Researchers developed a special formula, which was patented as Meriva, to address this absorption issue. Meriva dramatically improves the absorption of curcumin into the human system, and its effectiveness is substantiated by many studies.

A 2007 study showed there were higher levels of curcumin in the liver and blood when Meriva supplements were taken than when ordinary turmeric was taken. Inflammation and joint pain were also reduced. Another study showed that Meriva boosted curcumin’s absorption into the system by 2 to 29 times beyond ordinary turmeric.

Meriva is available from numerous quality companies, both online and in health food and vitamin stores.

For Further Exploration:

The Spicy Painkiller: Making Curcumin More Easily Absorbed by the Body

Anticancer: A New Way of Life (book)

How Meriva Works [under “Product Information”]