What Is Curcumin, and How Is It Different From Turmeric?

Almost every misunderstanding about turmeric supplements comes from treating two different words as if they meant the same thing.

The distinction

Turmeric is a root. Curcumin is one of a small group of yellow compounds inside it, collectively called curcuminoids. When research talks about turmeric doing something useful, it is nearly always the curcuminoids that were tested.

Why the difference is so large

Dried turmeric root is only about 2 to 5% curcuminoids by weight. So a capsule containing 500 mg of ground turmeric might supply 10 to 25 mg of the compound the research is about.

An extract standardised to 95% curcuminoids is a different proposition entirely: 500 mg of that supplies 475 mg.

How to read which one you are holding

Look for a percentage. "Turmeric extract (95% curcuminoids)" tells you exactly what you are getting. "Turmeric root powder" means the spice. "Turmeric extract 4:1" or "10:1" describes how much root was boiled down and says nothing about the curcuminoid content.

Does eating curry count?

Not really, for these purposes. Turmeric in cooking is a food and a perfectly good one. The amounts studied for joint symptoms are far beyond what you would get from meals, which is the entire reason extracts exist.

The absorption problem

Curcumin is badly absorbed. Even a large dose mostly passes through without reaching the bloodstream in useful amounts. This is why serious turmeric products include black pepper extract or use a specially engineered form — and why a product without either is likely wasting most of its ingredient.

What this means when shopping

• Find the percentage and multiply it out. That is your real dose.
• Check for an absorption helper such as piperine or BioPerine.
• Compare your figure with the 500 to 1,500 mg used in joint research.
• Treat ratio extracts as unknown quantities rather than assuming the best.