Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I had a vasectomy several years ago with some nerve damage to my left testicle. It bothers me most days a on a scale of 1-10 at about 6. Is there any likelihood a curcumin and boswellia formula will aid me in relief?” —Ron B., Columbus IN A. Dear Ron, That certainly sounds very uncomfortable. I believe you would benefit greatly by taking a blend of boswellia and curcumin, as both have tremendous impact on pain and inflammation. However, not all curcumin and boswellia blends are created equal. They vary greatly in potency and absorbability. I prefer a curcumin that is micronized, then blended with essential oil of turmeric. This special curcumin has published human studies showing up to 10 times the absorption of plain 95% curcumin. With boswellia, you need to find one with a standardization of about 10% AKBA, which is a very potent anti-inflammatory compound in boswellia. However, you want to make sure there is LESS than 5% beta boswellic acid in the product, as this compound actually promotes inflammation. By reducing the beta boswellic acid to less than 5% in boswellia, you can actually double the strength of this herbal medicine. You can find a boswellia and curcumin blend product at your local health food store. I would also suggest the bioactive form of vitamin B6 called pyridoxal 5 phosphate (often called P-5-P) as this will help support your nervous system and proper nerve function. Make sure the P-5-P product you select also contains a high quality magnesium, like magnesium glycerinate, because magnesium helps to activate many of P-5-P’s enzymatic activities in the body. I think you will need at least 60 to 90 days before you see full effects, although you may experience good benefits throughout the process. So have patience, and I think you will see some excellent results from this protocol.