The positive health effects of turmeric have been touted by age-old healers as well as modern science. Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent free radical damage and calm the inflammatory process at the root of many chronic diseases.
However, the use of turmeric in treating chronic illness on a grander scale has been limited due to its relative low bioavailability, or “the proportion of a drug or other substance that enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.”
Because of this limitation, research has primarily focused on ways to enhance absorption.
Past studies have shown that combining turmeric with other compounds, one such example being piperine (found in black pepper), can increase bioavailability, and there are supplements* now available formulated to allow maximum absorption.
Adding to this research, a new study authored by Dr. Ajay Goel, director of gastrointestinal research and translation genomics and oncology at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, and published in Nature: Scientific Reports, confirmed that combining curcumin with essential turmeric oils (ETO-curcumin) significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory efficacy in DSS-induced colitis animal models (dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) is frequently used to induce colitis in experimental animals).
Clinical applications
Possible clinical applications of curcumin currently include neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. There is also evidence that curcumin can kill certain types of cancer cells, as well as reduce the development of several forms of cancer in lab animals.
Dr. Goel’s research highlights the anti-inflammatory potential of turmeric and suggests it may also have a place in the treatment of large intestinal diseases like ulcerative colitis.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that can cause a lifetime of painful symptoms. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people in the United States are living with IBD. Conventional treatment typically involves medications such as antibiotics, immunomodulators, or corticosteroids, amongst other types. However, a growing population of patients are exploring natural healing options instead of – or in conjunction with – medications. Our experience with IBD has shown that with the right lifestyle changes and dietary modifications, including supplementation and nutritional support, many people will see an improvement of symptoms.
“The takeaway for patients who want to experience the health benefits of curcumin through a commercially available supplement is to look for products that include additional compounds of turmeric – specifically, essential turmeric oils,” says Dr. Goel.
Remember, supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so before purchasing or taking any commercial supplements, speak to your physician who can recommend trusted sources, and more importantly, rule out any possible interactions with other medications.
It’s easy to take those indispensable women in our lives – the mothers, grandmothers, and daughters – for granted, because they so selflessly give their all. But while it’s hard to imagine Mom as anything less than a superhero, the reality is that pain, stress, and depression may not be strangers to her, with many chronic illnesses affecting a greater percentage of women than men1.
So, this Mother’s Day, consider an extra-special gift for Mom – one that will nurture her, both in body and mind.
5 Out-of-the-Box Gift Ideas for Mom on Mother’s Day:
1. Gift a Local Yoga Class
While we want to see our moms take it easy as they age, maintaining an activity level that’s appropriate for their age and state of health will ensure that they thrive as the years progress.
Starting a yoga practice – even in middle age – can provide many health benefits. Yoga uses breathing and stretching techniques that can reduce pain sensitivity, reduce anxiety, help in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, improve sleep, and promote overall well-being.
When looking for a yoga practice for mom, make sure to find a well-trained instructor who can provide the necessary guidance for a beginner yogi or for someone with a particular medical condition.
2. Schedule a Massage.
Deep-tissue massage, lymphatic drainage massage, oncology massage, Swedish massage, and Reiki are just some of the therapeutic massages to provide mom with symptomatic relief from her inevitable aches and pains.
3. Plant an Herb Garden.
Give your mom a dose of healing herbs with varieties such as cilantro, sage, and rosemary, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They can look particularly beautiful in a raised bed or pot, and adding these into your everyday dishes is a great way to improve the nutrition and flavor of food.
4. Introduce Mom to Meditation.
We really can’t say it enough. Meditation, over the long term, is one of the most inexpensive and effective methods to improve health. A regular practice can pave the way to better stress management, pain management, and even emotional clarity by reducing inflammation in the brain – the root cause of many chronic illnesses.
With its rising popularity, meditation classes are available in almost every community. If you think a public setting isn’t her style, look for an instructor who offers private meditation consultations.
5. Express gratitude
Sometimes, the simplest acts can have the most impact. A gratitude journal* encourages mom to spend time each day contemplating things that she’s grateful for. Studies show how this simple practice can help reduce stress, improve sleep, increase happiness, and even boost the immune system. It might just become a favorite part of her daily routine.
Wishing mothers everywhere a wonderful Mother’s Day!
* This article contains an affiliate link to Amazon.com. Purchases made via this link will generate an affiliate commission to benefit the Foundation for Total Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for neuroinflammatory diseases. //brainonfire.org
1 Abdelaziz, Faten Ben. International Journal of Public Health, suppl. Supplement 52 (Feb 2007): S1-S2.
At the Kaplan Center we pride ourselves on the hands on, high-touch, close relationships that we cultivate with our patients. There is nothing like the comfort that patients feel when they are in the company of a health care provider who, at that moment, is only there for them.
But office visits are not always possible. Work, travel, having young children at home, and countless other situations, can prevent a patient from getting the care they need. Other situations, such as reviewing data with your doctor, checking in on a treatment protocol, or refilling prescriptions, simply do not require an in-person visit. Telemedicine, or “e-visits” with a doctor, is an easy and convenient alternative when physically being in the same room with your doctor is not possible or necessary.
Several Kaplan providers* are now using an online service called SecureVideo to schedule appointments with their existing patients that we call cloudvisits. Providers and patients connect with each other electronically, and have clear, face-to-face conversations. A visit can be scheduled so that our patients, who cannot take time off work or cannot leave their home, can maintain access to their provider which otherwise would not have been possible.
Our patients who have participated in cloudvisits have been impressed and thrilled with its simplicity and convenience. We still have our in-office visits, but the cloudvisits have been a wonderful additional service which has saved both time and money.
In the right circumstance, telemedicine can be an efficient, effective, and frictionless option for our patients, and can be done practically anywhere and anytime. Communication using SecureVideo is encrypted and HIPAA compliant.
Telemedicine is reimbursable by some insurance companies. If you have out-of-network benefits please check with your insurance company to see if telemedicine is reimbursable under your plan. The CPT codes (codes used to bill office procedures) are 99215 or 99214, depending on the length of your appointment.
*Participating providers:
Dr. Gary Kaplan
Dr. Lisa Lilienfield
Jodi Brayton, LCSW, MSW
Telemedicine appointments are only available for current patients of the Kaplan Center – and – who have previously been seen at our practice. Please ask your provider if a cloudvisit is appropriate for you.
Essential Turmeric Oils: A Hopeful Treatment For Ulcerative Colitis
/in Inflammation, Treatments/by Kaplan CenterThe positive health effects of turmeric have been touted by age-old healers as well as modern science. Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent free radical damage and calm the inflammatory process at the root of many chronic diseases.
However, the use of turmeric in treating chronic illness on a grander scale has been limited due to its relative low bioavailability, or “the proportion of a drug or other substance that enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect.”
Because of this limitation, research has primarily focused on ways to enhance absorption.
Past studies have shown that combining turmeric with other compounds, one such example being piperine (found in black pepper), can increase bioavailability, and there are supplements* now available formulated to allow maximum absorption.
Adding to this research, a new study authored by Dr. Ajay Goel, director of gastrointestinal research and translation genomics and oncology at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, and published in Nature: Scientific Reports, confirmed that combining curcumin with essential turmeric oils (ETO-curcumin) significantly enhanced anti-inflammatory efficacy in DSS-induced colitis animal models (dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) is frequently used to induce colitis in experimental animals).
Clinical applications
Possible clinical applications of curcumin currently include neurodegenerative diseases, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. There is also evidence that curcumin can kill certain types of cancer cells, as well as reduce the development of several forms of cancer in lab animals.
Dr. Goel’s research highlights the anti-inflammatory potential of turmeric and suggests it may also have a place in the treatment of large intestinal diseases like ulcerative colitis.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are autoimmune, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that can cause a lifetime of painful symptoms. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people in the United States are living with IBD. Conventional treatment typically involves medications such as antibiotics, immunomodulators, or corticosteroids, amongst other types. However, a growing population of patients are exploring natural healing options instead of – or in conjunction with – medications. Our experience with IBD has shown that with the right lifestyle changes and dietary modifications, including supplementation and nutritional support, many people will see an improvement of symptoms.
“The takeaway for patients who want to experience the health benefits of curcumin through a commercially available supplement is to look for products that include additional compounds of turmeric – specifically, essential turmeric oils,” says Dr. Goel.
Remember, supplements are not regulated by the FDA, so before purchasing or taking any commercial supplements, speak to your physician who can recommend trusted sources, and more importantly, rule out any possible interactions with other medications.
**Theracurmin® HP is available for purchase from the Kaplan Medical Center Store.
We are here for you, and we want to help.
Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2
Mindful Gift Ideas for the Wonder Woman in Your Life
/in Wellness/by Kaplan CenterIt’s easy to take those indispensable women in our lives – the mothers, grandmothers, and daughters – for granted, because they so selflessly give their all. But while it’s hard to imagine Mom as anything less than a superhero, the reality is that pain, stress, and depression may not be strangers to her, with many chronic illnesses affecting a greater percentage of women than men1.
So, this Mother’s Day, consider an extra-special gift for Mom – one that will nurture her, both in body and mind.
5 Out-of-the-Box Gift Ideas for Mom on Mother’s Day:
1. Gift a Local Yoga Class
While we want to see our moms take it easy as they age, maintaining an activity level that’s appropriate for their age and state of health will ensure that they thrive as the years progress.
Starting a yoga practice – even in middle age – can provide many health benefits. Yoga uses breathing and stretching techniques that can reduce pain sensitivity, reduce anxiety, help in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, improve sleep, and promote overall well-being.
When looking for a yoga practice for mom, make sure to find a well-trained instructor who can provide the necessary guidance for a beginner yogi or for someone with a particular medical condition.
2. Schedule a Massage.
Deep-tissue massage, lymphatic drainage massage, oncology massage, Swedish massage, and Reiki are just some of the therapeutic massages to provide mom with symptomatic relief from her inevitable aches and pains.
3. Plant an Herb Garden.
Give your mom a dose of healing herbs with varieties such as cilantro, sage, and rosemary, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. They can look particularly beautiful in a raised bed or pot, and adding these into your everyday dishes is a great way to improve the nutrition and flavor of food.
4. Introduce Mom to Meditation.
We really can’t say it enough. Meditation, over the long term, is one of the most inexpensive and effective methods to improve health. A regular practice can pave the way to better stress management, pain management, and even emotional clarity by reducing inflammation in the brain – the root cause of many chronic illnesses.
With its rising popularity, meditation classes are available in almost every community. If you think a public setting isn’t her style, look for an instructor who offers private meditation consultations.
5. Express gratitude
Sometimes, the simplest acts can have the most impact. A gratitude journal* encourages mom to spend time each day contemplating things that she’s grateful for. Studies show how this simple practice can help reduce stress, improve sleep, increase happiness, and even boost the immune system. It might just become a favorite part of her daily routine.
Wishing mothers everywhere a wonderful Mother’s Day!
* This article contains an affiliate link to Amazon.com. Purchases made via this link will generate an affiliate commission to benefit the Foundation for Total Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for neuroinflammatory diseases. //brainonfire.org
1 Abdelaziz, Faten Ben. International Journal of Public Health, suppl. Supplement 52 (Feb 2007): S1-S2.
Telemedicine – Another Way to Access the Doc
/in News, Wellness/by Lisa Lilienfield, MDAt the Kaplan Center we pride ourselves on the hands on, high-touch, close relationships that we cultivate with our patients. There is nothing like the comfort that patients feel when they are in the company of a health care provider who, at that moment, is only there for them.
But office visits are not always possible. Work, travel, having young children at home, and countless other situations, can prevent a patient from getting the care they need. Other situations, such as reviewing data with your doctor, checking in on a treatment protocol, or refilling prescriptions, simply do not require an in-person visit.
Telemedicine, or “e-visits” with a doctor, is an easy and convenient alternative when physically being in the same room with your doctor is not possible or necessary.
Several Kaplan providers* are now using an online service called SecureVideo to schedule appointments with their existing patients that we call cloudvisits. Providers and patients connect with each other electronically, and have clear, face-to-face conversations. A visit can be scheduled so that our patients, who cannot take time off work or cannot leave their home, can maintain access to their provider which otherwise would not have been possible.
Our patients who have participated in cloudvisits have been impressed and thrilled with its simplicity and convenience. We still have our in-office visits, but the cloudvisits have been a wonderful additional service which has saved both time and money.
In the right circumstance, telemedicine can be an efficient, effective, and frictionless option for our patients, and can be done practically anywhere and anytime. Communication using SecureVideo is encrypted and HIPAA compliant.
Telemedicine is reimbursable by some insurance companies. If you have out-of-network benefits please check with your insurance company to see if telemedicine is reimbursable under your plan. The CPT codes (codes used to bill office procedures) are 99215 or 99214, depending on the length of your appointment.
*Participating providers:
Dr. Gary Kaplan
Dr. Lisa Lilienfield
Jodi Brayton, LCSW, MSW
Telemedicine appointments are only available for current patients of the Kaplan Center – and – who have previously been seen at our practice. Please ask your provider if a cloudvisit is appropriate for you.