Form Comparison

Colloidal Curcumin vs Curcumin Phytosome

How colloidal curcumin and curcumin phytosome differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

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Quick verdict. Both are piperine-free with osteoarthritis data, and their absorption claims (about 27-fold for Theracurmin, 29-fold total curcuminoids for Meriva) come from studies too different to rank. Meriva costs less per day; Theracurmin works at the smallest dose. Choose Meriva for value and colloidal curcumin if you want the fewest milligrams.

Side by Side

Colloidal Curcumin (Theracurmin) Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva)
Absorption Moderate Moderate
How it is absorbed Submicron curcumin particles dispersed with gum ghatti. Plasma curcumin was about 27-fold higher than with curcumin powder in a small human study. Curcumin bound to phosphatidylcholine. Total curcuminoid absorption was about 29-fold higher than an unformulated extract in a crossover study.
Typical dose 90-180 mg curcumin daily 500-1,000 mg (about 100-200 mg curcuminoids) daily
Common uses osteoarthritis pain osteoarthritis pain
Side effects GI upset. GI upset.
Cost High Moderate
Also called Theracurmin, nano-curcumin Meriva, curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex

When to Choose Colloidal Curcumin (Theracurmin)

Choose colloidal curcumin when you want the highest blood levels per milligram and accept the price. Fold-increase claims across brands come from different study designs and cannot be ranked against each other.

Colloidal Curcumin (Theracurmin)

High blood levels at small doses. The price reflects the technology.

What to look for: Theracurmin, 90-180 mg curcumin daily.

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When to Choose Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva)

Choose curcumin phytosome when you want a studied enhanced form without piperine. About 20% curcuminoids by weight; compare curcuminoid milligrams, not capsule milligrams.

Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva)

Well studied for absorption and joint pain, without piperine's drug interactions.

What to look for: Meriva, with curcuminoid milligrams stated. About 20% of the capsule weight is curcuminoids.

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.

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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.