Are all Curcumin Products the Same?

One of the more popular supplements that is being advertised for relieving pain and many other conditions is curcumin. The class of compounds that curcumin is in is cleverly called curcuminoids, which are naturally occurring polyphenols, which have many different health benefits in the body. Curcumin is the main curcuminoid in the root turmeric, which is best known for its anti-inflammation properties. The reason why curcumin and other anti-inflammatory products are so popular is because a lot of Americans are inflamed and dealing with the resulting symptoms.

Are They the Same?

So that leads us to the question: are all curcumin products out there the same? The short answer to that is a resounding no. Curcumin extracted from the turmeric root is not that bioavailable, however there are certain ways companies can improve amounts extracted as well as bioavailability. One of the more common practices is adding black pepper (active ingredient piperine) to curcumin, and that increases absorption by 20 times. Another way is by putting the polyphenol in a lipid-soluble/liposomal form, which increases absorption.

BioCurc®

As of March 19^th, 2019, the most bioavailable form of curcumin is called BioCurc®. The study performed by Stohs Et Al. that 400 mg of the BioCurc® form is equivalent to 2,000,000 mg of turmeric (that’s 5,000 times more bioavailable). Most curcumin products is extracted to 95% (meaning that out of a 100 mg product 95 mg of that is curcumin), and the 400 mg BioCurc® is equivalent to 45,000 mg of the 95% curcumin extract products (that’s 112.5 times more available than the standard product).

The more products, such as Curamed®, are more absorbable than the standard 95% curcumin extract, however, they are still at least 35 times less bioavailable than the BioCurc®, which comes in Nutri-Dyn’s product Curcumin 400X®. There may be other products that contain the BioCurc® form of curcumin, however, it is important to make sure that the company/product is high-quality and is third-party certified. Nutri-Dyn is triple third-party certified, so they probably have the best curcumin product on the market now.

If you are interested in the Curcumin 400X® product by Nutri-Dyn, you can order it through this website HERE. Or if you have any questions regarding curcumin or inflammation, feel free to contact me at Functional Wellness and Chiropractic Center.

References

Goel A, Kunnumakkara AB, and Aggarwal BB. Curcumin as “curecumin”: from kitchen to clinic. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 15; 75(4): 787-809.

Maheshwari RK, Singh AK, Gaddipati J, and Srimal RC. Multiple biological activities of curcumin: a short review. Life Sci. 2006 Mar 27; 78(18): 2081-2087.

Majeed S. The state of the curcumin market. Natural Products Insider. 2015 Dec 28. [Accessed 2019 Mar 19]. https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/herbs-botanicals/state-curcumin-market.

Prasad S, Tyagi AK, and Aggarwal BB. Recent developments in delivery, bioavailability, absorption and metabolism of curcumin: the golden pigment from golden spice. Cancer Res Treat. 2014 Jan; 46(1): 2-18.

Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998 May; 64(4): 353–356.

Stohs SJ, Ji J, Bucci LR, and Preuss HG. A comparative pharmacokinetic assessment of a novel highly bioavailable curcumin formulation with 95% curcumin: a randomized, double-blind, crossover study. J Am Coll Nut. 2018; 37(1): 51-59.