What is Curcumin & Turmeric, Benefits, Bioavailability and how to Choose the Best Product

Category: Academics

What is Curcumin? Curcumin is a bright yellow compound which is produced by the rhizome structure (roots) of the Curcuma Longa species, better known as Turmeric. (Reference) While Turmeric is the whole root, Curcumin is one of the many compounds that make up Turmeric. This group of compounds are known as ‘Curcuminoids’ in which Curcumin has shown the biggest interest due to its many potential health benefits. Turmeric powder often only contains 2-5% of Curcumin which is far too little to have a therapeutic effect which is why companies extract Curcumin from Turmeric rhizome to create a refined and potent product of 95+% Curcumin. Low Bioavailability of Curcumin and What to do About it The health benefits of Curcumin greatly depend on how much you are able to absorb into your body. Eating the spice Turmeric will not provide enough Curcumin to make a difference due to its low concentration. Taking refined Curcumin as a food supplement may be the only and best option to achieve a therapeutic dosage. However, this also comes with issues.