Should you choose a turmeric supplement, or opt for curcumin only???
Soooooooo muchhhhhhhh confusionnnnn…..
You’ve probably heard lots of people talking about turmeric, and then other people talking about curcumin.
What is curcumin?
And what exactly is the difference?
Are Turmeric and Curcumin the same things?
Yes or No?
If you say no, you are correct. Still, many consumers are confused. There’s a big difference between the two and what they deliver. They assume from something they’ve seen or heard that ingesting turmeric as a spice or supplement will provide the same level of results as well-studied, highly absorbable curcumin.
But that’s not true. The ways turmeric and curcumin differ might surprise you!
Knowing that differentiation will help you in your quest for optimal health.
Turmeric
As we all know Turmeric is valued since ancient times. It’s the turmeric plant’s rhizome, or stem found underground, that has been celebrated for centuries as both a golden spice and a medicine. Now scientists finally have the research to support its many health benefits - particularly its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
For this reason, more people are turning to turmeric as a natural treatment for a wide variety of health conditions. If you’re interested in trying turmeric for yourself, you could start by adding it to dishes while cooking. Add turmeric along with Ghee or Oil for it to be easily soluble and pinch of pepper for better results.
But you may need to turn to natural supplements if you want to test health benefits.
The Benefits of Turmeric
There are many compounds in turmeric that contribute to the many benefits of spice.
- In one study, turmeric was more effective at inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells than curcumin alone (66 percent growth inhibition versus 33 percent).
- Researchers found a similar trend with other tumour cells, suggesting that curcumin may not be the only potent plant compound in turmeric.
- However, this research was done in vitro (that is, outside a living organism); animal and human trials are needed to confirm these findings.
- Other research published in 2018 in PLoS One showed that while all eight components in turmeric, including curcumin, exhibited antifungal benefits on their own, the effects were magnified when all eight were taken together.
So Where Does Curcumin Come Into The Picture???
“While turmeric has been touted to be a super spice, mainly due to its role in cardiovascular health and its other anti-inflammatory properties, it's really hard to actually meet the medicinal properties associated with it just by sprinkling it on your food,”. “Thus, to really get the benefits that have been studied, a supplement would be warranted.”
Curcumin belongs to a group of plant compounds known as curcuminoids and is the primary active compound in turmeric. Three notable curcuminoids are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Of these, curcumin is the most active and most beneficial to health. In fact, curcumin is even responsible for the spice’s characteristic yellow color.
The Benefits of Curcumin
Curcumin, makes up about 2 to 8 percent of most turmeric preparations. As curcumin is considered the most active ingredient in turmeric, researchers have begun to isolate curcumin and examine whether curcumin could benefit certain conditions on its own.
- Curcumin could be a more effective anti-inflammatory treatment than Advil (ibuprofen) and aspirin.
- Curcumin may even help treat inflammatory joint conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to two past studies.
- Curcumin can specifically lower inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which are key contributors to type 2 diabetes.
- It may also reduce osteoporosis risk. One animal study found that rats who received turmeric extracts enriched with curcumin-like curcuminoids had preserved bone mass, whereas those who had a lower amount of added curcuminoids showed no effect.
- A study published in January 2017 in Aging also showed curcumin may offer heart-protective benefits, largely by improving endothelial function.
- Curcumin may even help prevent a wide variety of cancer types, such as prostate, breast, and gastric cancer, though more research is needed.
- And finally, a study in rats with diabetes showed curcumin may be more effective at lowering blood sugar than turmeric. Yet research in humans is needed to confirm.
Is Turmeric or Curcumin More Powerful For Your Health?
Unfortunately, more research is needed before scientists can truly compare the benefits of taking turmeric versus curcumin (and how much). At the end of the day, which one you choose may be a matter of personal preference.
Shared Benefits of Turmeric & Curcumin
Research suggests that turmeric and curcumin have many of the same benefits.
Osteoarthritis
Plant compounds in turmeric that include curcumin can reduce markers of inflammation and thus relieve osteoarthritis symptoms
Obesity
Turmeric and curcumin may inhibit the inflammatory pathway involved in obesity and may help regulate body fat
Heart disease
Turmeric and curcumin can reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and reduce the risk of heart disease as a result.
Diabetes
Turmeric and curcumin can improve blood sugar metabolism and potentially reduce the effects of diabetes on your body.
Liver
A rat study found that turmeric extract and curcumin were protective against chronic liver damage by helping reduce harmful oxidative stress.
Cancer
Though research is still in its early stages, turmeric and curcumin may reduce the activity of colon and other cancer cells.
Antifungal
Turmeric and curcumin can disrupt fungal cell membranes and could be used in conjunction with fungal medication for better outcomes.
Antibacterial
Turmeric and curcumin have strong antibacterial effects. They can reduce the growth of many disease-causing bacteria.
How to Pick a Safe, High-Quality Turmeric or Curcumin Supplement???
Before investing in a turmeric or curcumin supplement, talk to your healthcare team to see if supplementation is actually safe and warranted as it may cause adverse effects or interfere with other medications.
- Whether you choose to take turmeric or curcumin, put in the effort to find a quality supplement.
- In addition, you may want to find a supplement with piperine added. Piperine is a compound in black pepper that can increase the absorption of turmeric and curcumin by as much as 2,000 percent, according to past research.
- Be especially cautious if you’re prone to kidney stones, take antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, anticoagulants, cardiac medication, diabetes medication that lowers blood sugar, or chemotherapy treatments, or if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
- In addition, turmeric and curcumin limit iron absorption, so you may want to steer clear if you have an iron deficiency.
What are the risks of taking turmeric?
While turmeric contains many plant compounds, much of the credit for its health benefits go to curcumin. Moreover, it has many side effects.
Side effects
Turmeric is generally safe. It can cause nausea and diarrhea, especially in high doses or after long-term use. It might also pose a risk of ulcers in high doses. As a topical treatment, it can cause skin irritation. Caution is advised when turmeric is taken by people known to have gallstones; consult your health care provider first.
Risks
Pregnant women should not use turmeric supplements. Talk to a doctor before using turmeric supplements regularly if you have any medical conditions, including gallbladder or kidney disease, bleeding disorders, diabetes, or immunity problems. Since turmeric can potentially increase bleeding, stop taking it at least two weeks before any surgery.
Interactions
If you take any medicines regularly, talk to your doctor before you start using turmeric supplements. They could interact with medicines like aspirin, NSAID painkillers, statins, diabetes drugs, blood pressure medicines, and blood thinners. They might also interact with supplements that decrease clotting, like ginkgo, ginseng, and garlic.
Given the lack of evidence about its safety, children and women who are breastfeeding should only use turmeric supplements if a doctor recommends it.
Moreover, suppose you decide to take an unstandardized amount of turmeric powdered root as a supplement. You would have to take hundreds of capsules to get a clinically studied amount of curcumin.
It Seems Like The Answer Should Be Simple: Take Curcumin
While Curcumin has been touted to be a superfood, mainly due to its antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties, it's tough to meet the medicinal properties of Curcumin associated with it just by adding Turmeric to our food.
Turmeric used in everyday cooking does not have enough Curcumin, the critical ingredient attributed to the primary health benefits. In general, there is 3% to 6% of Curcumin content in the Turmeric. We use less than a gram of Turmeric powder in our daily cooking, resulting in very little consumption. The body does not absorb even that due to poor solubility and bioavailability. Hence, the body does not get enough supply of Curcumin with everyday food.
As many of turmeric’s health benefits have been attributed to Curcumin, its main active ingredient, you might consider taking a Curcumin-only supplement. The health effects were magnified when Curcumin was taken along with these other therapeutic compounds of Turmeric.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many studies comparing the effectiveness of Turmeric versus Curcumin supplements, so your choice may come down to personal preference.
Normal Curcumin extracts available in the market are poorly absorbed in the intestinal tract. In other words, standard Curcumin, which doesn’t absorb effectively, is a waste of effort and money.
The next question has to be:
How can you know that the curcumin you are choosing is getting absorbed????
Are all curcumin supplements the same????
For More Clarity, Follow The Evidence
Our Holistic Curcumin supplements….Best Choice!!!!
WHY??? Here is the answer
Most conventional market products, even those of leading brands, offer you finely ground curcumin powder in their capsules and tablets. Just grinding powder-fine offers NO benefits at all.
Our patented nano-technology ensures that the curcumin particle size is below 50 nano meters. This is what is required to provide that our ever-efficient metabolism does not throw out the Curcumin. What we do is relatively simple. We reduce the Curcumin to a particle size small enough to get past the digestive enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract and enter the bloodstream intact to elicit the health benefits.
Further, our patented precision technology ensures that the curcumin molecules reach the parts of the body, which need the therapeutic properties of Curcumin.
We need to mentioned that our product is water soluble and the other products in the market are fat soluble. What is the benefit of water soluble product?
So, we may need to turn to supplements like Holistic Curcumin if we want to get the Health Benefits of Curcumin.