TL;DR Unless a nutritional supplement makes me feel noticeably different, I stop using it. A daily dose of Kurk (I like the vanilla flavour best) reduces my joint inflammation. It was causing pain and limiting movement. I’ve been taking it for more than a year and intend to continue. I’m a fan!
I cringe at how much money I have spent over the years on nutritional supplements. I’m confident I didn’t do any harm with all these multivitamins and extra supplements claiming to ‘support’, ‘enhance’ or detox’. But I’m not sure that much more than my bank balance was affected. Sometimes I took so many different supplements, I couldn’t have isolated which had any effect anyway!
A satisfying way to get lots of vitamins and minerals
I decided a few years ago that unless a supplement made me feel different, I wouldn’t waste my money. I now drink green juice a few times a week. I make it by juicing a mix of green vegetables and fruits. Or, if I haven’t made it to the store, am travelling, or am in a rush, I use a powder mixed with water. It tastes gross… but nevertheless, a strangely satisfying way to get lots of vitamins and minerals (and an extra pint of water) into my body.
And I do feel better when I do this regularly. I can’t remember the last time I was ill (a few days of COVID were pretty rough, but that was it). So I figure, vitamins from vegetables are only going to benefit my general health and immunity.
Arthritic joint pain was increasingly problematic
I’m generally fit and healthy and am grateful to my body for being able to do what I want it to without pain or struggle. I eat very well, exercise daily, and lift heavy weights twice a week. I don’t smoke. But I’m not indestructible. One increasingly problematic thing for me was arthritic joint pain in my toes. I had pain when bending my big toe, and could not bend and flex when walking or working out. It got so bad that even lying in bed or sitting with my feet up, the toe joint would be inflamed and throbbing painfully.
I read about inflammation and how to tackle it, upped the green tea, garlic etc intake – all super good for me for sure, but not impacting the pain. I was recommended turmeric and took capsules, but again felt no effect.
I am a fierce advocate for lifestyle changes that decrease inflammation in our bodies.
The unsexy stuff that really does work is free or at least low-cost: Exercise, a healthy diet, hydration, managing stress, and getting good sleep.
All this stuff prevents inflammation and disease. Science acknowledges it as helping to keep us strong and healthy. Start with the basics, always.
A single-purpose supplement to reduce inflammation
So then I tried Kurk. Kurk is a single-ingredient, single-purpose supplement. I kinda like that. Do one thing (reduce inflammation using absorbable curcumin) and do it with relentless attention to detail and focus. Didn’t love the taste I’ll admit, but drank just 1 ml of water every morning to see what happened. I kept going and after a few weeks, I realised – the pain in my toe was completely gone. The joint is still pretty stiff. But, it works for all my walking and activity needs. Most importantly, it was no longer hot, red, or painful.
Just to test it out, I stopped taking Kurk for a few days. After 4 days without it, my joints hurt again. Back on Kurk, within a couple of days, the pain is completely gone. It is the first time I have ever felt such a direct and causal link between how I feel and a supplement I’m taking.
Curcumin as a dietary supplement with anti-inflammatory properties
We know that chronic inflammation is linked to disease. Multiple studies also agree that curcumin as a dietary supplement has anti-inflammatory properties.
And there are thousands of people like me just saying what feels better or different. I am not a scientist or a Doctor, and I’m not medically sick and requiring treatment. But I definitely know when I’m taking Kurk or not. I feel better and my joint pain is gone.
Elimination of joint pain is the clearest outcome for me. That Curcumin has been widely recognised for its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties tells me it’s doing the rest of me good too.
I’m happy to answer your questions about my experience with Kurk. The founders and scientists at Kurk are very open to discussing and sharing more about their research.
Note: the linked studies and papers are from a Google Scholar search. I did not do lengthy or academic research. I have linked them simply as examples or searches in credible journals or sources.
