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  • Chronic discomfort affects millions, with OTC medications having side effects and potentially worsening joint health.
  • Rhuleave-K®, a natural blend of curcumin, boswellia and sesame oil, offers fast, sustained relief.
  • Curcumin and boswellia target inflammation effectively; enhanced absorption via SPEEDTECH™ improves results.


Discomfort can present itself in many different ways and its effect on our lives can be far reaching. From muscle aches and joint stiffness to sore neck muscles, lower back ache, and sore muscles after a workout, ongoing discomfort can leave us feeling wiped out and miserable, and can significantly affect our quality of life. According to figures from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, between one-third and one-half of the adult population experiences chronic discomfort, equating to around 28 million adults who are living with daily discomfort that has lasted for three months or longer.

Whilst many people turn to OTC medications and anti-inflammatories to help ease their discomfort in the short term, these medications are not without unpleasant side effects, with paracetamol linked to liver toxicity and NSAIDs causing gastrointestinal damage and irritation. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that NSAIDs may even worsen some aspects of joint health, causing deterioration of cartilage and connective tissue.1

For those relying on conventional medication on a regular basis, a natural alternative may provide the answer: relief for muscle aches and joint stiffness that works quickly and for a sustained period of time, without unwanted side effects. One such natural alternative is Rhuleave-K®, a clinically proven combination of plant extracts curcumin, boswellia and sesame oil.

Inflammation

One of the most common causes of discomfort, is inflammation. Inflammation is a natural function of the body that helps protect it from injury and infection, and initiates the healing process. This process causes heat, swelling, redness and discomfort in the area. It is for relief of these symptoms of acute inflammation that paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) have become among the most widely used OTCs globally2.

A natural alternative for acute discomfort

For many individuals who take these OTC (over the counter) medicines, a single medication at recommended dosage isn’t enough to eradicate the pain, and higher dosages risk complications and adverse events. Providing a natural option, Rhuleave-K® containing curcumin and boswellia has been shown to relieve musculoskeletal discomfort within 63 minutes, with these analgesic herbs achieving comparable outcomes to paracetamol3 and NSAIDs4,5. Boswellia and curcumin possess therapeutic actions that target several stages of inflammation, and the combination promises to offer an effective alternative to OTC medications.

Curcumin

Curcumin, the active compound in the culinary spice turmeric, has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, particularly in conditions such as osteoarthritis, with studies suggesting it can be as effective as some NSAIDs with fewer side effects.6 This powerful bioactive compound exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by helping to regulate inflammatory signalling pathways and by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators.

Studies also show that curcumin can also exert an analgesic effect by targeting sensory receptors and reducing perception of discomfort.7

Boswellia

Also known as Indian frankincense, boswellia has been shown in clinical studies to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and may provide effective relief in numerous inflammatory conditions.8,9 It may also prevent the loss of cartilage. Some research shows that boswellia can prevent the formation of leukotrienes in the body, molecules that have been identified as a cause of inflammation. Four acids in boswellia resin contribute to these anti-inflammatory properties, with acetyl-11-keto-boswellic acid (AKBA) thought to be the most powerful.

Enhanced herbal efficacy

It’s well known that both curcumin and boswellia are difficult to absorb in the gut. In order to overcome the inherent low bioavailability of these extracts, Rhuleave-K® is manufactured using proprietary SPEEDTECHTM technology to enhance absorption.10,11 By combining natural ingredients through a high-speed milling process, this special technology micronizes botanical particles within a phospholipid-rich base of sesame oil12 to create a highly bioavailable dispersion of active compounds. For this reason, specialized technology can maximise the anti-inflammatory benefits of curcumin and boswellia for greater clinical effects.13,14,15,16

References:
1. The Acceleration of Articular Cartilage Degeneration in Osteoarthritis by Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs. Hauser R. The acceleration of articular cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Journal of Prolotherapy. 2010;(2)1:305-322.
2. Kellstein D et al. Evaluation of fixed-dose combinations of ibuprofen and acetaminophen in the treatment of postsurgical dental pain: a pilot, dose-ranging, randomized study. Drugs in R&D. 2020;20(3):237-247.
3. Rudrappa GH et al. Efficacy of high-dissolution turmeric-sesame formulation for pain relief in adult subjects with acute musculoskeletal pain compared to acetaminophen. Medicine. 2020;99(28):e20373.3
4. Murthy M et al. Fast relief of acute musculoskeletal pain in different body parts following exercise-a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled human study with Curcuma longa and Boswellia serrata extracts. Sch J App Med Sci. 2022;3:311-326.
5. Daily JW et al. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717–729.
6. Bideshki MV, Jourabchi-Ghadim N, Radkhah N, Behzadi M, Asemani S, Jamilian P, Zarezadeh M. The efficacy of curcumin in relieving osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis of meta-analyses. Phytother Res. 2024 Jun;38(6):2875-2891. doi: 10.1002/ptr.8153. Epub 2024 Apr 4. PMID: 38576215.
7. Fang W, Nasir Y. The effect of curcumin supplementation on recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage and delayed-onset muscle soreness: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2021 Apr;35(4):1768-1781. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6912.
8. Banji D, Banji OJF, Rashida S, Alshahrani S, Alqahtani SS. Bioavailability, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effect of Acetyl Keto Boswellic acid and its combination with methotrexate in an arthritic animal model. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022 Jun 28;292:115200. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115200. Epub 2022 Mar 17. PMID: 35306043.
9. N. Kimmatkar, V. Thawani, L. Hingorani, R. Khiyani, Efficacy and tolerability of Boswellia serrata extract in treatment of osteoarthritis of knee – A randomized double blind placebo controlled trial, Phytomedicine, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2003, Pages 3-7, ISSN 0944-7113.
10. Schiborr C et al. The oral bioavailability of curcumin from micronized powder and liquid micelles is significantly increased in healthy humans and differs between sexes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(3):516-527
11. Meins J et al. Enhanced absorption of boswellic acids by a micellar solubilized delivery form of Boswellia extract. NFS Journal. 2018;11:12-16.
12. Bali S et al. Ayurvedic lipid based rasayans – a perspective on the preparation and pharmacological significance of lipids on the bioavailability of phytoconstituents. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2021;13(2):100526.
13. Jain S et al. Lipid based vesicular drug delivery systems. Adv Pharma. 2014;1(1):1-12.
14. Meins J et al. Enhanced absorption of boswellic acids by a micellar solubilized delivery form of Boswellia extract. NFS Journal. 2018;11:12-16
15. Mirzaei H et al. Phytosomal curcumin: A review of pharmacokinetic, experimental and clinical studies. Biomed Pharcother.2017;85:102-112.
16. Prasad S et al. Recent developments in delivery, bioavailability, absorption and metabolism of curcumin: the golden pigment from golden spice. Cancer Res Treat. 2014;46(1):2-18.

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