Turmeric contains the powerful ingredient, curcumin, which helps fight off inflammation and improve your joint health.
It’s also good for your heart, and can decrease depressive symptoms. Turmeric has been long used as a herbal remedy in eastern medicine, and has shown to have very little side effects – which is one of the reasons it’s so popular today.
Below, you’ll find the best turmeric supplements, ranked and reviewed by our expert health panel.
Rankings
1. Nuzena
Nuzena’s pure turmeric supplement is made with 100% natural ingredients. It’s specifically designed to support immunity, inflammation, and joints.
What we like: This supplement helps regulate blood sugar to support glycemic control. Also, it reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins to lower your blood pressure.
Flaws: It may not absorb as fast as other supplements do. Regardless, it gets the job done and is our undisputed #1 pick of 2020.
2. CurcuminMD Plus
1MD’s turmeric supplement is absorbed up to 285x more efficiently than standard turmeric. It’s 100% vegan formula makes it perfect for any diet.
What we like: CurcuminMD Plus is formulated with an advanced form of curcumin, Boswellia Serrata, giving you a powerful cognitive boost. The high-potency formula also supports joint health and better well-being.
Flaws: This supplement doesn’t help with blood sugar management as well as some of the other options on the market.
3. Thorne’s Meriva SF
Thorne Meriva-SF is curated for optimal absorption and helps maintain a healthy inflammatory response. It also helps to get rid of any aches, joint stiffness, and muscle soreness.
What we like: Meriva-SF has more than 30 clinical studies, making it the most studied curcumin ingredient on the market. This product is made with the purest ingredients and contains no major allergens like gluten.
Flaws: This turmeric supplement doesn’t improve your digestion much.
4. Garden of Life mykind Turmeric
With 500mg of curcumin per serving, myKind Turmeric promotes joint health and healthy mobility. It comes with better bioavailability due to its inclusion of fermented turmeric and ginger.
What we like: Using water extraction and clean tablet technology, this supplement is made from nutrients from real food, allowing for better absorption. The black pepper and probiotics in this compound also help to enhance digestion.
Flaws: The absorption of this supplement is slower compared to other supplements on the market.
5. Source Naturals Turmeric with Meriva
An array of complex biochemical mechanisms makes Source Naturals a great choice for those looking to support their body’s natural inflammatory response. It’s derived from Meriva and other natural sources.
What we like: Turmeric is difficult to absorb, but this supplement uses a specialized extract combined with phosphatidylcholine to aid in generating a greater curcumin bioavailability.
Flaws: It’s not easily absorbed into your body.
6. Life Extension’s Super Bio-Curcumin Turmeric Extract
Life Extension’s turmeric extract promotes a healthy immune system and digestive function. It also provides your body with whole-body health benefits for nearly all your organs.
What we like: This turmeric has up to 7 times greater absorption than conventional curcumin supplements, making it extremely effective at inhibiting inflammatory factors such as NF-kappaB protein molecules.
Flaws: Life Extension’s Super Bio-Curcumin Turmeric Extract doesn’t have any strong evidence supporting enhanced cognitive functioning.
7. BioSchwartz Turmeric Curcumin with BioPerine
Formulated by professionals and crafted from the highest quality ingredients, BioSchwartz Turmeric includes BioPerine for better bioavailability and effectiveness.
What we like: It has the highest potency available for turmeric pills, with 1500mg of turmeric curcumin per serving.
Flaws: This supplement’s anti-inflammatory response is relatively weak.
8. Nature’s Nutrition Turmeric Highest Potency
Nature’s Nutrition Turmeric Highest Potency is crafted with BioPerine for maximum absorption. It supports the brain, heart, and brain function.
What we like: This turmeric’s BioPerine black pepper supplement provides as much as 2000x better absorption than turmeric capsules alone.
Flaws: The anti-inflammatory response could be better.
9. Qunol Turmeric Curcumin Softgels
If you’re a physically active person, Qunol turmeric provides anti-inflammatory benefits and promotes joint comfort.
What we like: It has water dispersion technology to deliver superior absorption. Also, it provides 1000 mg of enhanced turmeric complex.
Flaws: For your heart health, other turmeric supplements are more powerful.
10. Swanson’s Vitamins Curcumin Complex
This vegetarian supplement is standardized to a minimum of 95% curcuminoids, and helps support your body’s joint health and mobility.
What we like: Swansons Vitamins turmeric complex has powerful antioxidant capabilities, helping to support your brain and heart health.
Flaws: It’s not as good at decreasing depressive symptoms as some other turmeric supplements are.
Who Should Buy Turmeric?
Turmeric can be used by anyone who wants to improve their overall health and is touted as one of the best nutritional supplements out there. It’s known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, so it does wonders for your joint health and helps your body fight off various diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.
Turmeric can be taken as a powder or in capsules. It’s praised for its relaxing effects and improved quality of sleep when you add it to your favorite nighttime tea.
Both men and women of all ages can benefit from a quality turmeric supplement. You should never over-consume turmeric because it could lead to some unwanted side effects, including an upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, or diarrhea.
Pregnant and nursing women can safely take turmeric, but you should speak to your doctor to be sure. People taking blood clotting medication should avoid turmeric as it may negatively interact with these types of medications.
How We Ranked
One of the first requirements we had when ranking the best turmeric supplements, was the absorption speed. This is because, how quickly each turmeric powder or capsule absorbs, determines how effective it is. As such, we looked for products like CurcuminMD that included black pepper extract, which has been show too drastically improve the absorption. Thorne’s Meriva SF also showed up in our top three because its optimal absorption makes sure your inflammatory response is nothing short of stellar.
We also looked for products in high doses, since this help bolster the anti-inflammatory benefits, supporting joint health. This is why Life Extension’s Super Bio-Curcumin Turmeric Extract showed up toward the middle of our list because it inhibits inflammatory factors like NF-kappaB protein molecules.
Another component we looked at was how well each turmeric improved your brain health. CurcuminMDPlus earned a spot as our highest rank since Boswellia Serrata, an advanced form of curcumin, gives you a potent cognitive boost. Nuzema is extolled for its glycemic control, and although Swanson’s Vitamins Curcumin Complex showed up short on our list, it appeared for its potent antioxidants.
FAQ
Q: What are the side effects of turmeric?
A: Turmeric is safe to take and doesn’t cause any serious side effects in most people. However, an upset stomach, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and more (1) is possible. Consuming a very high amount of turmeric could cause an abnormal heart rhythm. It’s recommended that you don’t take any more than 1,000 milligrams per day.
Q: Is it safe to take turmeric every day?
A: Turmeric is safe to take every day in small doses, but it can have side effects if taken in large doses. If you take the recommended amount, it will give you abundant health benefits, such as improved heart, brain, and mental health. However, if you over-consume turmeric, it may be damaging for your cardiovascular health.
Q: What medications should not be taken while consuming turmeric?
A: If you’re on blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin, it’s recommended to avoid taking curcumin since it can raise your blood-thinning levels to dangerous amounts. This can cause bleeding related issues, nausea, and low count of cells in your blood, which can cause fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Q: Who should not use turmeric?
A: People with iron deficiency shouldn’t take turmeric because it can reduce iron availability in your body. It should also not be taken from people undergoing surgery since turmeric could slow blood clotting.
Q: Is turmeric bad for your kidneys?
A: Turmeric is generally safe for your kidneys, however, consuming too much of it can cause kidney stones (2). That’s because turmeric is high in soluble oxalates that can bind to calcium and form insoluble oxalate, which can play a huge role in kidney stones.
Q: Which drugs does turmeric interfere with?
A: Turmeric may interfere with blood-thinning drugs (3), like warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin. Blood-thinning drugs can cause bleeding related issues, such as passing blood in your urine, passing blood when you defecate or give you black defecate, severe bruising, prolonged nosebleeds, bleeding gums, vomiting blood or coughing up blood, and heavy periods in women.
Q: Is turmeric an aphrodisiac?
A: Any evidence suggesting turmeric is an aphrodisiac is anecdotal and comes to us through the foggy prism of history. The scientific jury is still very much out on whether it can boost libido or produce any other amorous urges in men or women (4).
Q: Which populations should not take turmeric?
A: Breastfeeding mothers, those taking antidiabetic drugs, and people who are taking iron supplements should avoid taking turmeric. Turmeric can stimulate the male sex hormone androgen, lower blood sugar, and delay the absorption of iron.
Q: Can turmeric keep you awake at night?
A: Turmeric is unlikely to keep you awake at night. In fact, taking some turmeric before bed can help you relax, improve your mood, and lower any depression and anxiety symptoms.
Q: Can you overdose on turmeric?
A: Turmeric doesn’t typically have any negative side effects. However, taking too much of it can cause an upset stomach, nausea, and dizziness.
Q: How quickly does turmeric work?
A: Turmeric has been shown to have positive effects on your body in as little as six weeks. However, the speed at which it works can also depend on what part of your health you’re looking to improve. Turmeric can help with inflammation, diabetes, brain health, and provides you with several other benefits.
Q: What is the best way to consume turmeric?
A: You can buy turmeric powder or you can take it in the form of capsules. Brewing turmeric in tea is considered one of the most effective ways to consume it. To do this, first, boil 4 cups of water. Next, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground grated or powdered turmeric. Then, allow the mixture to simmer for approximately 10 minutes. Finally, strain the tea into a container and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
Q: Does turmeric help with constipation?
A: Turmeric is not necessarily a natural laxative. However, research indicates it may provide some limited gastrointestinal benefits for people with digestive disorders (5).
Q: How does turmeric lower blood pressure?
A: Turmeric expands and relaxes your blood vessels to lower your blood pressure. Lower blood pressure will improve your heart health and can decrease your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Q: Does turmeric work for joint pain?
A: Yes, turmeric contains the component, curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. As joint pain is most often a side effect of inflammation (6) it is possible turmeric could help alleviate such pain.
Q: Is turmeric a blood thinner?
A: Turmeric isn’t a blood thinner, but it contains blood-thinning properties. Blood thinners can cause bleeding-related issues, nausea, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath. As such, it’s recommended that you avoid taking turmeric with blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin.
Q: How much turmeric should you take a day?
A: It will depend on the reasons you are taking it. As a rule of thumb however, do not veer from the dosage recommended on the product label without first speaking to your doctor.
Q: How long does it take for turmeric to reduce inflammation?
A: Since turmeric contains anti-inflammatory properties, it can reduce swelling and pain. Curcumin needs to build up in your system first. It will take about four to eight weeks for you to see visible results of reduced inflammation.
Q: What is the best turmeric to take for inflammation?
A: For inflammation, we recommend you take Nuzena. This one is specifically formulated for anti-inflammatory joint care. Other ones like Thorne’s Meriva 500-SF and Source Naturals Turmeric with Meriva are quality anti-inflammatory turmeric to take as well.
Thorne’s Meriva 500-SF is made for fast absorption and aids your body’s inflammatory response to heal any aches, joint stiffness, or muscle soreness.
Q: Is it better to take turmeric or curcumin?
A: There’s no evidence pointing to which one is better to take out of turmeric and curcumin, but turmeric does contain a high amount of curcumin, so that’s what we recommend you take. They both may reduce joint inflammation, cholesterol, blood sugar, and tumor, fungal, and bacterial growth.
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Recap
Turmeric is a powerful supplement you can utilize to improve your health, especially if you have joint pain and inflammation. It floods your body with antioxidants and helps protect your body from various chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer.
For CPOE.org’s #1 recommended turmeric, click here.