Form Comparison

95% Curcumin Extract vs Turmeric Root Powder

How 95% curcumin extract and turmeric root powder differ in potency, absorption, tolerance, and cost.

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Quick verdict. Turmeric root powder is only about 3% curcuminoids, so a 500 mg capsule holds roughly 15 mg, far below the 1,000-1,500 mg used in osteoarthritis trials. The 95% extract is the form those trials used, and it is cheap. Choose the extract for a therapeutic dose and root powder only as food.

Side by Side

Curcumin Extract (95% Curcuminoids) Turmeric Root Powder
Absorption Low Low
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. About 3% curcuminoids by weight, so a 500 mg capsule holds roughly 15 mg; those curcuminoids are poorly absorbed.
Typical dose 500-2,000 mg daily 1-3 g daily
Common uses osteoarthritis pain culinary use, traditional use
Side effects GI upset, loose stools. GI upset at high doses.
Cost Low Low
Also called standardized curcuminoids, C3 Complex ground turmeric

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 Turmeric Root Powder

Choose turmeric root powder when you want turmeric as food rather than a curcumin dose. Food-level exposure. Not what the clinical trials used.

Turmeric Root Powder

Choose turmeric root powder when you want turmeric as food rather than a curcumin dose.

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

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.