Best turmeric capsules

Denise Jackson

Supplement Advisor

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric, the golden spice that gives curry its rich yellow color, belongs to the ginger family and comes from the plant Curcuma longa.

This magic spice can now be added to your diet by simply taking quality turmeric capsules that are on offer today.

It has been used as a culinary spice in India and the Middle East for thousands of years, where it was cherished for its medicinal properties.

In the last 2 decades, modern medicine has also taken notice of this wondrous plant and is increasingly propagating its importance.

The main active ingredient and the secret weapon of turmeric is curcumin. It makes up about 2-5% of the weight of the plant. With this in mind I take these turmeric capsules regularly.

Curcumin has a number of health benefits that can be harnessed from the best turmeric capsules. The spectrum of those benefits is wide.

It includes fighting inflammation, protecting and repairing cells, plus promoting heart and joint health.

Many studies have even shown that it is more effective than conventional drugs.

Best turmeric capsules

The benefits

If you are looking to reap the benefits of this wonder plant, there is a wide range of turmeric supplements available in the market today.

Some will be on the cheaper side, some will be more expensive, some will contain individual ingredients, and some will contain mixtures.

In order for you to get the benefit, it is important for you to be able to differentiate the various turmeric products available on the shelves today.

Composition of turmeric

The first thing to know in understanding your turmeric supplement is its composition. Turmeric root contains a family of active compounds called curcuminoids, which make up on average only 3% of the plant.

The most abundant of these curcuminoids is curcumin – it comprises around 77% of the curcuminoid content. Many cheaper turmeric supplements will contain dry powder curcumin root, which doesn’t have a high curcumin content.

This product also has its advantages – because it isn’t an extract, it’s not likely to contain any chemicals.

But, if you are looking for turmeric capsules to replace traditional over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen and Aspirin.

Curcuminoids

Make sure the supplement you are buying has standardized extracts with 95% curcuminoids. This is the only way to get the desired dosage of curcumin.

Another thing to keep in mind is that curcumin has poor bioavailability – it is not absorbed well by the body. This happens when we don’t consume nutrients with other nutrients that they naturally occur with.

It metabolizes at a very high rate and passes through the body quickly. High dosages of biologically active ingredients like curcumin, the liver identifies them as toxic.

The liver then as a detoxification measure, breaks them down.

This process is known as glucuronidation. For this reason, in order to increase curcumin absorption, it is recommended to take it with Piperine (BioPerine).

Piperine is a black pepper extract that inhibits the process of glucuronidation. Black pepper helps keep high levels of curcumin in the blood stream.

Summary

So what does all this mean to you as a consumer? Well in it’s most basic form always try to find turmeric capsules that contain Piperine (BioPerine) this will help your body absorb the turmeric properly and thus benefiting from this powerful natural spice. If you feel that capsules may not be for you try turmeric tea instead.