Turmeric is one of the most searched for supplements on the internet. There are many different supplements and forms of turmeric out there. So how do you know which one to use? First, you should know a little bit about what turmeric is and its active ingredients.
Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory with antioxidant properties. It comes from the root of a plant grown mainly in India and is a major ingredient in curry powder. It has been used for centuries in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine.
Curcumin is a major component of turmeric and is what gives it a yellow color. When looking for a turmeric supplement, the amount of curcuminoids (curcumin and other related substances) is what is most important. There are many supplements on the market with 50-100 mg of curcuminoids. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, maximum benefit will come from supplements with 400mg or more. But there’s even more to it than that.
Curcumin and turmeric both have low bioavailability, which means they don’t absorb into the blood stream naturally. Turmeric supplements with black pepper or Piperine increases absorption. This is why cooking with turmeric is not sufficient to get the amount of curcumin that would reduce inflammation. But Piperine can cause heartburn and really high doses can be dangerous for the liver.
Because turmeric is so popular, there has been a lot of research and nutraceuticals are working on developing more bioavailable forms of turmeric. Dolcas Biotech developed BCM-95 as a more absorbable form of turmeric and it’s been on the market for years. More recently, they developed Curcugen, a form of turmeric that is 39 times more bioavailable than standard turmeric. It uses turmeric’s own oils or oleoresin to enhance the body’s ability to absorb the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. This new development does not require black pepper extract, making it much easier on the stomach.
We are pleased to partner with Dolcas Biotech to offer you the most bioavailable turmeric product on the market. We recommend taking Curcugen every day to maximize the benefits of this natural anti-inflammatory supplement. Decreasing inflammation in the body has been proven to decrease overall pain.
References
Weil, M.D., Andrew. June 4, 2019. Curcumin or Turmeric? https://www.drweil.com/vitamins-supplements-herbs/herbs/curcumin-or-turmeric/
Sun, J., Chen, F., Braun, C., Zhou, Y., Rittner, H., Tian, Y., Cai, X., Ye, D. Role of curcumin in the management of pathological pain. Phytomedicine. September 15, 2018. 48: 129-140.