Curcumin is a well studied and versatile supplement. Nonetheless, most of its purported benefits lack solid research. This post will help you understand when curcumin is likely to be effective and when there are not enough data to say. Read on to discover the science behind curcumin supplementation.

What is Curcumin?

Conditions That May Benefit From Curcumin

• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• Depression
• High blood fats
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Pruritus (itchy skin)

Note that turmeric is not bioavailable. Taking regular curcumin supplements will unlikely provide benefits outside the gut [1, 2]. Some forms of curcumin may be more bioavailable (such as CurcuBrain).

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa), most commonly known as the spice found in curry, is not only known for its flavor, but for its purported health benefits as well.

Curcumin supplements have not been approved by the FDA for medical use. Supplements generally lack solid clinical research. Regulations set manufacturing standards for them but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing.

How much do we know?

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCIH), there’s a lot of research about turmeric or curcumin, including human studies, for a variety of health conditions [3].

However, strong evidence is lacking to support claims that curcuminoids from turmeric help reduce inflammation [3].

Active Compounds

Turmeric contains several major constituents known as curcuminoids, which typically make up about 3% of its weight in commercially available preparations [4].

Curcumin is known to be the most active phytochemical of the four curcuminoids found in turmeric. It makes up 77% of curcuminoids [5].

The remaining three constituents typically come in at 17% desmethoxycurcumin, 3% bisdemethoxycurcumin, and the remaining, more recently identified curcuminoid, cyclocurcumin [5].

Snapshot

Proponents

• Allegedly reduces inflammation
• May help balance the immune system
• Good for detoxing
• Likely safe

Skeptics

• Poor bioavailability
• Lack of solid data for most uses despite a large body of research
• Has a specific taste some people don’t like

Health Benefits of Curcumin

Possibly Effective for:

1) Osteoarthritis

Research suggests that specific turmeric extracts (Meriva, Indena), alone or in combination with other herbs, may reduce pain and improve function in people with knee osteoarthritis [6].

Three-month supplementation with