IF YOU’RE IN your 30s or 40s, you’re likely all too aware that you don’t bounce back the way you used to in your 20s. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a daily companion after a workout, hangovers linger for days, and brain fog is a persistent menace to your mornings.
Yes, these are signs of getting old, but chronic inflammation, the underlying condition driving these symptoms also signals a metabolic decline that if left unchecked can lead to more serious health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.
“Inflammation touches almost everything that determines how well you age,” says Dr Harry Weisinger, co-founder of KURK liquid curcumin. “Your joints, your blood vessels, your metabolism, even your brain function – it all gets affected.”
Think of inflammation as part of your body’s repair system, says Weisinger, who holds five degrees, including a masters and Ph.D. in nutrition and neuroscience, is a professor in the medical schools of Deakin University and the University of Western Australia and founder of My Performance Doctor, a private practice focusing on precision health care, preventative medicine and longevity. “When you’re injured, it kicks in to help you heal, bringing fluid, cells and the building blocks for repair to the region. Sometimes, the inflammatory response exceeds what is needed or is helpful, or it becomes chronic, which is when it is doing more harm than good.”
For most men, this starts showing up as stiffness, slower recovery after exercise, or just feeling more tired than you used to previously. “What you’re really feeling is your body’s inflammatory load building up over time,” says Weisinger.
Weisinger knows better than most the havoc unchecked inflammation can wreak on the body. “I’ve been dealing with inflammation for most of my adult life,” he says. “I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 18. I’ve had cancer (lymphoma), multiple surgeries, a hip replacement, and a coronary stent… so I know what it’s like when inflammation is running wild in your body.”
Indeed, it was Weisinger’s pockmarked medical history that led him and his business partner, Trent Scanlen, to found KURK, a liquid curcumin product designed to neutralise inflammation.
While scientists have long known that curcumin was effective in reducing inflammation, the stumbling block has been absorption. Unformulated turmeric or curcumin supplements are poorly absorbed, meaning that even with consistent use, little to none of the active compounds reach the bloodstream, Weisinger says. Think of it like a big server in tennis – all that power means nothing if the big-swinging beefcake can’t land the ball within the service lines.
“We formulated KURK specifically to address this,” says Weisinger, adding that KURK is formulated to improve absorption of natural curcumin by between 500 and 1000 times. “We use something called micellar technology, which wraps the curcumin in these tiny, fat-like spheres that your gut can actually absorb. So, it gets into your bloodstream, reaching the tissues where it can exert its effects. Once the curcumin is circulating in your system, it can reach those inflamed areas and help dial down the response. It’s not masking pain or numbing anything. It’s helping your body get back into balance so it can actually heal.”
Available in Liquid KURK and KURK Sport and the new KURK Lemon flavour, the supplement’s effectiveness was demonstrated earlier this year in a real-world joint pain study conducted by Clinpact Health Services, London, which found that KURK liquid curcumin reduced join pain in just four weeks. Specifically, all participants reported pain reduction with a 47% average in pain reduction across the group. Amazingly, 68.8% reported more than 70% pain reduction during the four-week study.
Weisinger was impressed by the consistency of the results and speed in the reduction of symptoms. “For us to see consistent, measurable improvements within weeks suggests a reduction in inflammation as opposed to masking of symptoms,” he says. “Most told us they felt less stiff, moved better, and didn’t need as much pain medication anymore, which is exactly what we had hoped to see. When it comes to curcumin, bioavailability and a good flavour profile are key. I think this study indicates we’ve achieved both.”
The results echo Weisinger’s own experience with his supplement. “Since I started taking KURK, I’ve noticed a genuine difference in how I feel day to day,” he says. “I recover faster from training. My energy stays more consistent throughout the day. I can keep up with work, training, and family life without feeling completely wiped out afterward.”
Of course, you would expect the founder to offer a glowing testimonial of his product. But at the same time, it’s Weisinger’s personal experience with serious health issues and determination to find a treatment that could benefit not only himself but everyone as we get older, that allows you to take his words with fewer grains of salt than you otherwise might. A clinical study doesn’t hurt, either.
“For me, it’ s about being able to stay consistent and in control,” says Weisinger. “It helps me stay well enough to keep doing the things that matter most – and that’s exactly what I want it to do for everyone else.”
