Curamin contains DLPA (DL-Phenylalanine), Boswellia, Curcumin, and Nattokinase. It looks like a great supplement to include all four supplements that help pain and inflammation! I noticed the site doesn't mention whether to take with food. Since DLPA is an amino acid, it's best to take it on an empty stomach with water or juice about
an hour before meals to be most effective. If you want to take increased quantities of any individual ingredient, than it may be worthwhile to look at buying them separately. It's possible it may also save money.
I take 1500 mg of DLPA separately, and find it really helps. DLPA is made up of D-Phenylalanine which helps pain and L-Phenylalanine which helps depression. The D is synthetic and the L is natural. Since my depression is in check, I'm going to switch to the D. (thanks to Spinal Soldier who gave me more insight into it!)
I have found curcumin (i.e.turmeric spice) especially works for those who have both fibro and an inflammatory disease like asthma, diabetes, IBS or RA. Turmeric is one of the only spices that act as a glutathione precursor, and our bodies produce glutathione which helps repairs cells (and it's used as an anti-aging supplement, too!) Avocados and asparagus are the two best foods that also help in the same way as turmeric.
Here's another article on turmeric,
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78
Unfortunately for me, the supplements that work to dampen inflammation don't work for me. My fibro is focused on the central nervous system's and its interpretation of pain; so, I focus on supplements that work on the nerves alone. One of the benefits of taking the fish oil is that is helps the health of the nerves. It's works on the covering of the nerve, called the myelin sheath, which is a fatty tissue. It's sort of like the covering on an electrical cable! The myelin sheath gets attacked in auto-immune disorders and the body repairs it, which is where the fish oil comes into play. I take 3g of Minami fish oil. It's usually recommended to take 1g for heart disease, and more if you have an associated nervous system illness. For example, 3g is recommended for those with MS, ALS, and other neurological diseases. Since I believe my pain is neurologically based, I take the full 3g. A side effect is that it helps with the constipation brought on by narcotic pain killers!
For fish oil, for those trying other brands, a cheap fish oil will result in burping up a bad taste, it means the oil is rancid.; Low quality fish oils use cheap fish sources and bad processing which results in making the oil next to useless. A good fish oil also adds Vitamin E or another oil to help keep the fish oil from spoiling. After much research on processing methods and prices, I found the best one to be Minami Cardio Fish Oil. I buy it at www.iherb.com. In Canada, fish oil is very expensive, and this brand has a good price point for the quality. One can likely buy it in the states off the shelf, where competition helps keep prices down!
There's also a debate between krill oil and fish oil. I heard krill oil is good as the source waters are unpolluted, but some of the health claims over the regular fish oil are disputed.
http://healthyomega3.com/krill-oil-vs-fish-oil/
Krill oil is also more expensive, too. Also, some people with shellfish allergies are allergic to krill as when it's harvested, it can contain shellfish. When looking at buying a fish oil supplement, it's important to look at the amount of Omega's, that is, DHA, EPA one is getting. The krill oil that is advertised as 1000mg, does not give you 1000mg of Omega supplements... one is ingesting 1000mg of Krill. It's a trick the companies use to sell their products, so be mindful and save your money!
Post Edited (Sue123) : 1/13/2012 3:32:54 PM (GMT-7)