Form Comparison

95% Curcumin Extract vs Curcumin Phytosome

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

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Quick verdict. The plain extract is the cheaper, trial-standard form at 1,000-1,500 mg a day. Meriva binds curcumin to phosphatidylcholine, raised total curcuminoid absorption about 29-fold in a crossover study, and has its own osteoarthritis trials at much lower curcuminoid doses. Compare curcuminoid milligrams, since phytosome is only about 20% curcuminoids; choose Meriva for lower doses without piperine and the plain extract for cost.

Side by Side

Curcumin Extract (95% Curcuminoids) Curcumin Phytosome (Meriva)
Absorption Low Moderate
How it is absorbed Poorly soluble and rapidly conjugated in the gut wall and liver; plasma curcumin after gram doses is often near the detection limit. Curcumin bound to phosphatidylcholine. Total curcuminoid absorption was about 29-fold higher than an unformulated extract in a crossover study.
Typical dose 500-2,000 mg daily 500-1,000 mg (about 100-200 mg curcuminoids) daily
Common uses osteoarthritis pain osteoarthritis pain
Side effects GI upset, loose stools. GI upset.
Cost Low Moderate
Also called standardized curcuminoids, C3 Complex Meriva, curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex
Labels in index 313 99

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

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

In Titrate's index of NIH label data, 313 labels named as turmeric and curcumin products list 95% curcumin extract and 99 list curcumin phytosome.

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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.

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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.