Form Comparison

BCM-95 Curcumin vs 95% Curcumin Extract

How BCM-95 curcumin and 95% curcumin extract differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

This page contains affiliate links. Titrate earns a small commission when you purchase through them, at no cost to you. This does not affect our recommendations.

Quick verdict. The plain 95% extract is the form used in most osteoarthritis trials, and it matched ibuprofen in one large trial despite low blood levels. BCM-95 recombines curcuminoids with turmeric oil and reported about sevenfold higher blood curcumin in a small study, which may allow lower doses. Choose the plain extract at 1,000-1,500 mg for the cheapest trial-matched option, and BCM-95 for fewer capsules without piperine.

Side by Side

Curcumin with Turmeric Oil (BCM-95) Curcumin Extract (95% Curcuminoids)
Absorption Moderate Low
How it is absorbed Curcuminoids recombined with turmeric essential oil. A small crossover study reported about sevenfold higher blood curcumin than standard curcumin. Poorly soluble and rapidly conjugated in the gut wall and liver; plasma curcumin after gram doses is often near the detection limit.
Typical dose 500-1,000 mg daily 500-2,000 mg daily
Common uses osteoarthritis pain, inflammation osteoarthritis pain
Side effects GI upset. GI upset, loose stools.
Cost Moderate Low
Also called BCM-95, Biocurcumax, CurcuWIN standardized curcuminoids, C3 Complex

When to Choose Curcumin with Turmeric Oil (BCM-95)

Choose BCM-95 curcumin when you want an enhanced form without piperine or lecithin. CurcuWIN uses a different water-dispersible technology; the BCM-95 data do not apply to it.

Curcumin with Turmeric Oil (BCM-95)

Choose BCM-95 curcumin when you want an enhanced form without piperine or lecithin.

What to look for: Curcumin with Turmeric Oil named on the Supplement Facts panel, with the amount per serving stated.

Find on iHerb Affiliate link

When to Choose Curcumin Extract (95% Curcuminoids)

Choose 95% curcumin extract when you want the form most trials used at the lowest cost. The form in most osteoarthritis trials, which used 1,000-1,500 mg daily. Low blood levels did not stop it from matching ibuprofen in one large trial.

Curcumin Extract (95% Curcuminoids)

The form most osteoarthritis trials used, and the least expensive per milligram of curcuminoids.

What to look for: 95% curcuminoids, 500 mg per capsule, taken two or three times daily with food.

Find on iHerb Affiliate link

Products on Titrate

5,316 of the 214,745 labels in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database list turmeric and curcumin as an active ingredient (2,641 on market). 1,778 are sold as turmeric and curcumin products by name.

Open supplement search

Turmeric and Curcumin does not have its own search category yet. Each product above links to its full label in the NIH database.

Related

References

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric.

EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS). Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of curcumin (E 100) as a food additive. EFSA J. 2010;8(9):1679.

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;64(4):353-356.

Anand P, Kunnumakkara AB, Newman RA, Aggarwal BB. Bioavailability of curcumin: problems and promises. Mol Pharm. 2007;4(6):807-818.

Antony B, Merina B, Iyer VS, Judy N, Lennertz K, Joyal S. A pilot cross-over study to evaluate human oral bioavailability of BCM-95CG (Biocurcumax), a novel bioenhanced preparation of curcumin. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008;70(4):445-449.

Cuomo J, Appendino G, Dern AS, et al. Comparative absorption of a standardized curcuminoid mixture and its lecithin formulation. J Nat Prod. 2011;74(4):664-669.

Sasaki H, Sunagawa Y, Takahashi K, et al. Innovative preparation of curcumin for improved oral bioavailability. Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(5):660-665.

Kuptniratsaikul V, Dajpratham P, Taechaarpornkul W, et al. Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Clin Interv Aging. 2014;9:451-458.

Daily JW, Yang M, Park S. Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. J Med Food. 2016;19(8):717-729.

Nelson KM, Dahlin JL, Bisson J, Graham J, Pauli GF, Walters MA. The essential medicinal chemistry of curcumin. J Med Chem. 2017;60(5):1620-1637.

Halegoua-DeMarzio D, Navarro V, Ahmad J, et al. Liver injury associated with turmeric: a growing problem. Ten cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network [DILIN]. Am J Med. 2023;136(2):200-206.