Curcumin is the primary active combination in turmeric which is best known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It may also help alleviate pain and depression symptoms, as well as improve joint function in people with osteoarthritis. Discover third-party tested Curcumin results highlighted below.
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Curcumin is the main active ingredient found in turmeric. Curcumin is a polyphenol, which has anti-inflammatory properties that help the body produce antioxidants. Through this anti-inflammatory mechanism, It it thought that Curcumin supplementation can help protect against incidents of major diseases such as cancer , heart disease and alzheimer’s . These claims are still in early stage of research and more large scale human studies are needed.
Curcumin comes in a wide range of sources, most notably in the every day use of the spice turmeric. Supplementation with the compound Curcumin has the advantage of increased dosage and potency in comparison to the average standard dose of turmeric whilst cooking. Curcumin can be found in:
Turmeric & curcumin have become one of the most studied compounds for a wide range of health benefits.
Supplementation with Curcumin has been confidently shown by various human studies to lower inflammation and increase endogenous antioxidants inside the body of humans without active disease. However, these same results do not appear to be able replicated in humans with chronic disease. This study concluded that Curcumin (curcuma longa) "suppresses inflammation and brings clinical improvement in patients". Where as this study focusing on inflammatory markets in chronic diseases found that "Turmeric or curcumin did not decrease several inflammatory markers in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.". Therefore, Curcumin could be used as a preventative measure to protect against the onset of inflammation leading to chronic disease, rather than as a treatment option for the inflammation of chronic disease.
Curcumin has been shown by many studies to provide a reduction in osteoarthritis symptoms. The compound does this through the reduction of pain which can improve physical function. This 2014 study of 367 knee osteoarthritis patients compared curcmin extract with ibuprofen for pain management. The study recruited patients who reported a pain score of 5 or higher, who were split into two groups. One group used 1200mg of ibuprofen per day for 4 weeks. The other group took 1500mg of curcumin extract per day for 4 weeks. The study reported that curcumin extract is "as effective as ibuprofen for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The side effect profile was similar but with fewer gastrointestinal AE reports in the C. domestica extracts group". Many other human studies have reached the same conclusion making curcumin a viable option for osteoarthritis sufferers.
Multiple studies have shown that curcumin seems to be more effective in the treatment of depression symptoms than placebo. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study looked at curcumin for the treatment of major depression. 56 people with major depressive disorder were treated with either 500mg of curcumin, twice daily or a placebo for 8 weeks. The researchers found that during the 4-8 week period, the curcumin group saw a significant improvement in several mood-related symptoms in comparison to the placebo group. One limitation of this study was the small sample size.
Curcumin has also been studied on it's ability to improve markers of weight management. This 2020 meta-analysis looked at curcumin's effect on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, BMI, body weight and waist circumference. A total of 8 randomised controlled trials with 520 participants were observed. The dose of curcumin was ranged from 70mg - 3000mg with durations between 8-12 weeks. Researchers found that curcumin supplementation significantly decreased BMI and waist circumference but had no significant effects on body weight. The study concluded that curcumin supplementation "might have a positive effect on visceral fat and abdominal obesity that have been associated with NAFLD" (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease).
You may have heard from friends or family that you need to take black pepper alongside turmeric, they would be correct. curcumin as a compound is poorly absorbed when ingested by itself. This review states thats curcumin taken alongside piperine which is the main active compound in black pepper, increases the absorption (bioavailability) of curcumin by 2000%! Often supplement brands couple piperine or black pepper extract within the ingredients of the supplement. When choosing a curcumin supplement, always look at the active ingredients to make sure piperine is present. If you're using turmeric as a spice whilst cooking, try to add a small amount of black pepper to the recipe to ensure you capture the potential health benefits from turmeric.
Recommendations for dosing curcumin can vary depending on the desired outcome. Most studies see a daily dosage of 1500mg of curcumin but ranges can be seen from 70mg right the way up to 4000mg per day. As detailed above, it is important to pair curcumin with piperine for optimal absorption.
Due to the poor absorption of curcumin, most studies tend to divide the daily dosage up between meals. It's common to see studies split a 1500mg per day dose up into three doses with breakfast, lunch and dinner to maintain a steady level of curcumin within body all day long. For this strategy to have an optimal effect, the first dose should be in the morning with breakfast.
The timeline in which the average person can see results from supplementing with curcumin will depend on the desired outcome. For the treatment of depression, results from studies were not seen until week 4 of the 8 week study. For pain management in osteoarthritis symptoms, results from taking curcumin can take effect within hours, rivalling drugs like ibuprofen.
Curcumin is considered safe for use in the short-term. Studies longer than 3 months have yet to be published, therefore it's safety in long-term use cannot be established. Dosages up to 8 grams are considered safe. It is extremely rare to see side-effects when supplementing with curcumin but some people can experience nausea, diarrhea and headache.
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in turmeric. Curcumin has become one of the most studied natural compounds for a wide range of different health outcomes. Outside of using turmeric as a spice whilst cooking, curcumin is available in a number of different supplement forms including capsules, powder and drinks such as the ever popular turmeric shots. Curcumin's main benefit is its ability to reduce inflammation and increase endogenous antioxidants. However, these same benefits of inflammation reduction are not seen in patients with chronic disease as a treatment option. Curcumin has been studied to have potential benefits in a range of different scenarios, such as:
Curcumin is considered safe in doses up to 8g per day and Is often divided up into 3 doses per day. The compound has a poor absorption rate and pairing it with a small dose of black pepper (piperine) can increase absorption up to 2000%.
Turmeric is available everywhere as a root or ground spice. This can be found in your local supermarket. Curcumin is also widely available in supplement form and can be purchased in most health stores and from most health brands online. Purchasing from third-party tested brands is still very important as heavy metal contamination in the supplementation industry is still common. Find our recommendations for trusted brands and products on this page, highlighting third-party test certificates where possible.
We’ve compiled a list of trusted brands that sell Curcumin in our tool above. Highlighted cards display that we have secured testing certificates from third parties from that product. Click the white information button to see more detail on the item and find links to download the Curcumin third-party testing certificates.
Along with the information on this page, we also display links to purchase that may help reduce inflammation and joint pain products through either Amazon or a brands direct website. Some of these links are affiliate links where our website will receive a commision fee from Amazon or direct brand for introducing any potential sale. Whilst this helps us maintain our vision and service, our main focus is to provide value to our audience through education and sourcing of safe products. We also urge our audience to understand their health in detail by routinly undergoing tests by blood sample or other means.