Turmeric vs Curcumin Supplements: What’s the Difference & What’s the Best?

Posted on June 26, 2023

 

What hidden mysteries could possibly be found in the root of a plant that has been used for around 4,000 years?

 

According to the scientific publications pouring out of journals on the topic of turmeric, too many to mention!

 

Turmeric is one of those plants where the deeper we dig, the more revelatory the health benefits we unearth.

 

This plant has been praised for millennia and as such was carried throughout the continents of the planet over a period of about 3,000 years.

 

In Sanskrit, Turmeric has at least 53 descriptive names, such as mangalya (auspicious) and mehagni (killer of fat).

 

Finding its way into kitchen cupboards, dispensaries, restaurants, clinics and even for the dying of fabrics, Turmeric is still hailed for its flavour, colour, aroma and medicinal qualities.

 

 

Given the push to understand turmeric from a scientific perspective, much has been learned about how to make the most of what this plant has to offer.

 

Without giving away the storyline—a lot!

 

So let’s crack open a fresh turmeric root and see what we can discover about the seeming versatility and miraculous nature of this plant.

 

What’s the Difference Between Turmeric & Curcumin?

 

For many, the terms turmeric and curcumin have become one and the same.

 

 

As with any plant part, Turmeric root is made up of many naturally occurring phytochemicals (phyto = plant).

 

Curcumin is one of these natural plant chemicals that was isolated from turmeric root way back in 1815.

 

Most of the health benefits of turmeric are believed to be due to curcumin, which is classed as a polyphenol.

 

An important take-home point is make sure your product indicates how much curcumin is actually in it.

 

If it’s a curcumin supplement, this will be easy.

 

If it’s a turmeric supplement, you need to find the curcumin content per tablet, capsule or serve for powder.

 

Think of it as a marker of quality, like knowing the chromium content of stainless steel.

 

You don’t want your new stainless steel appliance rusting after a year or two, especially if you live close to the coast where salty breezes constantly permeate your living space.

 

So to, you don’t want to find out a year or two down the track that the turmeric you’ve been supplementing is of an inferior or unknown quality.

 

So which one do you need, turmeric or curcumin?

 

Either works just fine, as far as we know at this point in scientific time.

 

Just make sure your turmeric indicates how much curcumin (or curcuminoids) is in it.

 

Curcumin Absorption can be Enhanced

A fascinating piece of early research published by the journal Planta medica in 1998 showed that curcumin absorption can be increased by 2,000% with another natural plant extract.

 

The plant extract they used was piperine, a natural phytochemical found in black pepper.

 

Absorption is everything when it comes to the health benefits of turmeric and curcumin.

 

Absorption is the process of up taking a nutrient from the digestive tract into the blood stream or lymph.

 

If a nutrient is not absorbed well, it will end up passing through the large intestine and into the toilet with our next bowel motion.

 

 

Piperine is believed to work its magic by inhibiting curcumin glucuronidation in the intestine and liver.

 

So in reality, curcumin gets somewhat absorbed into the portal vein, what then goes to the liver, as well as the intestinal cells.

 

The issue it the rapid metabolism before it is removed from the body.

 

This original piperine and curcumin research is over 20 years old now.

 

Since then, innovators have developed an additional method to ensure curcumin gets to where we want it.

 

Curcumin bound to phospholipids creating a “phytosome” has been shown to boost curcumin absorption.

 

This is sold under the brand name Meriva from Indena S.p.A. and offers around 29 times the absorption of standard preparations.

 

Lastly, CurcuWIN is a curcumin preparation made with Ultrasol technology from Omicative.

 

This type is believed to offer around 46 times the absorption of standard curcumin supplements.

 

These options provide consumers with the means to experience enhanced benefits from one of nature’s powerhouse phytochemicals.

 

What are the Best Turmeric & Curcumin Supplements?

Many brands have released turmeric and curcumin brands to tap into consumer interest and sales that they know will come.

 

And as long as the products are of a high quality, where's the harm?

 

It all comes down to the quality of the supplement, what is used to promote bioavailability and lastly the price.

 

Sporty’s Health stock a range of quality turmeric and curcumin products, including Caruso’s, Nutra-Life, Herbs of Gold and Fusion.

 

Some brands even offer more than one turmeric or curcumin supplement!

 

So who has got black pepper or piperine turmeric on offer, hopefully disclosing the amount of curcumin per tablet or capsule?

 

The supplements offering turmeric/curcumin and piperine are:

• Nutra-Life Ultra Curcumin Turmeric 55,000+
  
• Fusion Turmeric.
  
• Fusion Curcumin Advanced.

 

Offering Meriva:

• Herbs of Gold Bio Curcumin 5400
• Nutra-Life BioActive Curcumin

 

And CurcuWIN

• Carusos Super Curcumin
  

 

The Health Benefits of Turmeric & Curcumin are Vast

With hundreds, if not thousands, of research papers indicating miraculous effects and benefits for Turmeric, this article could potentially go on for eons.

 

To be brief, research has indicated benefits for the management of existing chronic health issues, such as arthritis, anxiety, leaky gut, obesity, elevated blood sugar, anxiety, depression and much more.

 

The most common reason people seek out turmeric and curcumin is for its natural anti-inflammatory effects to assist with joint pain and lack of mobility.

 

Research confirms benefits for this usage, with a paper indicating that the phytosome preparation of curcumin can reduce joint pain and improve joint function.

 

A study published in 2020 reviewed all of the existing evidence for curcumin or turmeric use for depression (meta-analysis).

 

The authors concluded that there is a sign for a significantly beneficial effect of curcumin on depression and anxiety.

 

 

 

Notice at the end of the abstract the authors state that further trials are needed, as there was a small sample size- interpret results with caution.

 

This is something that "pops-up" at the end of so many scientific articles covering natural products.

 

Is it added to reduce the credibility of a natural product?

 

Or is it a legitimate concern of the authors about the power of the study.

 

Either way, one thing is certain. Governments around the world are slow to fund research for natural remedies, whether these pertain to preventative or treatment strategies.

 

Food for thought- or herbs for thought?

 

A systematic review published in 2022 showed that curcumin supplementation was able to reduce fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HBA1C) and body mass index.

 

HBA1C offers insight into the average blood sugar level over the past 90 days, while fasting sugar is a more in the moment measurement at the time blood is drawn for testing.

 

These scientific publications amongst hundreds of others all confirm that there are already applications for turmeric, and its phytochemical curcumin, for the prevention and management of chronic disease.

 

Time will give us more insight into the best dosages for particular conditions, and who may benefit more from one type of preparation than another.

 

However, for now, turmeric and curcumin supplements are widely available and are just waiting to deliver you a super-charged curcumin payload!

 

Turmeric & Curcumin Promote Sports & Exercise Performance and Recovery

With research already indicating that curcumin can increase VO2 max and prevent muscle damage, whilst reducing systemic inflammation, the future of turmeric is looking bright indeed for the sports and exercise enthusiast.

 

A systematic review published in 2021 indicated that curcumin is safe and beneficial for sports and exercise.

 

Their findings suggested that this supplement could offer the following during training:

• Reduced Inflammation.
• Reduced Oxidative Stress.
• Decreased Muscle Pain & Damage.
• Superior Recovery.
• Enhanced Performance.
• Improved Mental and Emotional Wellbeing.
• Improved Heat-Tolerance.
• Enhanced Cardiovascular Performance.
• Improved Digestive Health.

 

 

 

 This staggering list of potential benefits says it all.

 

Turmeric truly is quite a miraculous plant with innate natural chemicals seemingly fashioned by nature to work some magic for us.

 

Whether you’re a serious elite athlete or not, Turmeric and curcumin supplements certainly have a lot on offer, perhaps making it one of the most underrated products in this field.

 

Though most still associate turmeric with achy joints, and sometimes gut health, before long the majority will surely be made aware of just how much this natural supplement has to offer.

 

The sheer quantity of scientific data, not to mention historical uses, will at some point in the near future become overwhelming to the point that mainstream medicine cannot deny it any longer.