The Best Curcumin Supplements

NATURAL JOINT PAIN RELIEF AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

The Best Curcumin Supplements Of 2020

An Honest Comparison Based On Facts

Many of the most recommended and best selling Turmeric and Curcumin supplements have low amounts of Curcumin. We compared over 100 Curcumin supplements and our comparison chart clearly shows you which ones are the best.

We Make Finding The Best Supplements Easier.

Do a web search for Turmeric or Curcumin Supplements and you might find 50 websites reviewing that supplement and unfortunately most will recommend a different #1 product. This leaves consumers confused, frustrated and often buying the wrong supplement.

We're Fixing That Problem For You

We consolidate all the review websites recommended Curcumin supplements and actually show you on a comparison chart exactly how much active ingredient is in each one so you can easily see which one is truly the best.

Finding the best curcumin supplement just got easier

Most review websites recommend Curcumin supplements with low amounts of Curcumin.

Best Curcumin supplement comparison charts
Check Out The Full Comparison Below
What Makes Us Better

We started working in the supplement industry in 1993 and we use our many years of experience researching supplements to cut through the BS and HYPE to find the 1 true best Curcumin supplement for you.

The Numbers Don't Lie

Once you see the numbers on our comparison charts you will realize there are a ton of BS supplement review websites that can not be trusted.

Learn more about Curcumin and it’s health benefits below this, or skip to the best Curcumin Supplements and the Comparison charts – HERE . . . .

About

What is CURCUMIN
and why it might be a good fit for you.

Curcumin is the primary active ingredient of Turmeric which is a very popular herbal root plant that has been used in Ayurveda medicine for over 3000 years.

Curcuminoids are the 3 active compounds within Turmeric. They consist of about 77% Curcumin, 17% demethoxycurcumin, and 3% bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Although some people may claim it’s best to get your Curcumin naturally through Turmeric powder, we disagree since unfortunately, the curcumin content in Turmeric is often very low between 0.3 and 6% and there is no evidence that Turmeric as a whole has the same health benefits found in the studies done on the higher concentrations of Curcumin. It is the Curcumin that is the most studied and that shows the most benefits for health. There may also be health issues with taking to much Turmeric – see below.

Unfortunately Curcumin is also poorly absorbed into the blood stream so at such a small percent in Turmeric the health benefits may be minimal to none.

Thankfully some companies have been able to boost curcumin concentrations to 95% and use bio-engineered forms that may improve absorption.

Adding a pepper extract know as Piperine may increase the absorption by 2000% ( 17 ). Also it is said consuming curcumin with a fat like coconut oil may also increase the absorption.

Although Curcumin may have many uses it’s primarily used to naturally reduce joint pain and inflammation, and it gets great user feedback for this purpose.( 1 )

One study showed curcumin supplementation was about equal to Ibuprofen for alleviating symptoms for Osteoarthritis ( 15 ).

Curcumin is now one of the most researched and best selling supplements in the world, but purchase with caution because Curcumin supplements users are a hot target for marketing hype with many products being low in active ingredient and may not be very effective at all.

Proven Benefits Of Curcumin

The Best Curcumin Supplements can help with joint pain

Clinical studies show curcumin to be beneficial for long term use for reducing joint pain and inflammation. ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, )

Curcumin Supplements For Anxiety and stress relief

Multiple studies show potential decreases in depression symptoms, including studies showing similar results to Prozac. (8, 9, )

Curcumin Supplements for age related issues

Due to it’s anti-inflammatory and anti oxidant properties Curcumin may help delay aging and fight age-related chronic diseases. (10, 11, 12,)

Other Benefits of Curcumin

Osteoarthritis

Studies show Curcumin helps reduce osteoarthritis symptoms, primarily with the pain and physical function and does so safely and about as well as Ibuprofen. ( 15 )

Antioxadant

Many studies show Curcumin to increase antioxidant enzymes and some to a large degree and some people use Curcumin for this reason.

Increase Nitric Oxide

Curcumin has been reported to increase nitric oxide in serum by up to 40%, which is significantly larger than many other dietary supplements.

Anxiety

Studies indicate that using Curcumin may be mildly effective with helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety.

Reduce Cancer Risks

Regular use of Curcumin may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and studies are showing it has anticancer properties and may be helpful with other cancers. ( 13 )

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Some studies suggest that Curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function which can lead to a healthier heart. ( 14 )

Common Questions About Curcumin

Is It Best To Take Curcumin or Turmeric Supplements?

It is likely best to take Curcumin over Turmeric because most studies use Turmeric Extract with high concentrations of Curcumin which is almost pure Curcumin and due to low bioavialability and the very low percentage of Curcumin in Turmeric Root there is not much evidence that Turmeric can product the same health benefits as concentrated Curcumin. It is also said that Turmeric is high in Oxalates which may cause kidney stones.  However, there may be other compounds in Turmeric that may be beneficial and may improve the health benefits of Curcumin, but more studies are required for that.

How Much Curcumin Should I Take Daily?

Take between 1000mg and 1500mg a day to be in the range used in many clinical studies. It may be best to to take 500mg of curcumin 2 to 4 times a day. The best Curcumin supplement we found has 500mg of curcumin per capsule while others recommended Curcumin supplements had less than 50mg per serving.

When Should I Take Curcumin?

Curcumin is fat soluble so it’s likely best taken with a meal containing some fat for better absorption. If your supplement already contains a source of fat, (see our top choice) then taking it on an empty stomach 30 minutes before a meal may be best.

What Should I Consume Curcumin With?

Taking Curcumin with water may limit absorption because it is fat soluble so it’s best to take it with drink that contains fat, like almond milk or Soy milk or take it with a meal that contains good healthy fats. The best Curcumin supplement on our list contains fat for better absorption so you could take it with water on an empty stomach.

How Long Does It Take to For Curcumin To Work?

Providing you are taking the best Curcumin supplement are are getting the correct amounts of 1000 to 2000mg daily, studies suggest it may take up to 2  months of regular daily use before results may be noticed.

Can I Get Enough Curcumin By Consuming Turmeric Powder?

Probably, but you would have to take about 20,000mg of standard Turmeric powder to get in the daily recommended range of 1000-2000mg of Curcumin. That would be about 4 to 5 teaspoons, or 10 capsules of 500mg of Turmeric a day, and unfortunately Turmeric is high in soluble Oxalates which may cause Kidney Stones so that much is not recommended.

Is Curcumin Safe to Take Daily?

Studies show taking up to 8000mg of Curcumin for 2 months and 3000mg of Curcumin for 3 months was safe. Although Curcumin is considered very safe there are no long term studies showing daily use safety beyond 12 months.

Can I Take Curcumin With Medications?

Always check with your doctor before you mix medications and supplements. It is said there may be issues taking Curcumin with blood thinner drugs like warfarin (Coumadin), clopidogrel (Plavix), and aspirin, among blood thinning drugs. Also drugs that reduce stomach acids like Cimetidine (Tagamet) Famotidine (Pepcid) should not be mixed with Curcumin unless you consult a physician first.

Will Curcumin Help Me Lose Weight?

Not likely but a study conducted by Tufts University determined that Curcumin appears to reduce weight gain in mice and suppressed the growth of fat tissue in mice and in cell models. Other than this it is not known if Curcumin will help you lose weight or not. I would suggest other better options for weight lose like THIS.. 

What Are The Side Effects Of Taking Curcumin?

When it comes to curcumin, a higher dose and more active ingredient is usually better.

Clinical Side Effects: Most human clinical studies show very few adverse side effects for short term use with doses under 2000mg of curcuminoids., Some clinical reports and about 5% of user feedback has reported mild to side effects especially with higher doses.

Most Common Side Effects: nausea, stomach aches/cramps or possible rash.

Our Recommendations: Start with a lower dose of 500mg per serving twice a day and work up to 1500 to 2000mg. Stop using immediately if you experience any adverse effects and consult a physician.

We found recommended curcumin supplements with less then 50mg of curcumin per serving.

Don’t Buy another

CURCUMIN supplement until you know the FACTS

What You Need To Know

  • Extreme Caution Alert!!
  • This is one of those products that has active ingredients that can come in different concentrations.
  • Many brands often use blends with far more of the cheaper and less effective Turmeric and very little of the more concentrated Curcumin. This cuts costs, increases profit, and improves sales by allowing them to highlight the fact they use the preferred 95% extract which often confuses consumers.
  • NEVER buy a curcumin product unless you know exactly how much curcumin is in it.
  • During our research, we found review websites lying and providing incorrect information, and recommending very low percentage Curcumin supplements.
  • The recommended daily dose of curcuminoids is 1000mg to 2000mg. We found curcumin supplements that were recommended as #1 best by some review websites that may have less than 1900mg of curcumin in the entire bottle and some less than 50mg per day!
  • Cheap Turmeric / Curcumin sourced from Bangladesh may have high levels of lead and companies that do not use 3rd party testing on their finished product would miss this.
  • When buying curcumin look for brands that use high amounts of ONLY 95% curcumin that are made in cGMP facilities and use 3rd party testing on the finished products.
  • NEVER rely on consumer ratings on supplements as an indication of which one is good. Most consumers don’t understand this product and they don’t compare supplements properly. This is why we see top selling products with very low active ingredients getting many 5 star reviews when we know there are so many other much better products available
  • We believe over 80% percent of consumers are unknowingly buying inferior curcumin supplements and are being mislead by many review websites and the manufacturers marketing hype.

If 1000mg to 2000mg of Curcumin has been the typical dose used in most studies why do some Curcumin supplements have less than 1500mg in the entire bottle?

KEYS to Buying Good Curcumin

We started working in the health and fitness industry in 1993 and during that time we learned how to compare supplements and spot bad products.

Curcumin is a tricky supplement to buy because of all the misleading marketing and BS. Whenever you have a product that has multiple versions and different percentages of ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, you will have companies using blends to try and confuse the consumer so they can sell more of the cheaper low percentage ingredient and less of the more expensive and higher percentage ingredient which improves their profits.

You will also find many review websites recommending these types of products for unknown reasons – See Why Here . . . . .

Don’t worry, if you use our comparison charts instead of falling for their marketing BS you will see for yourself which one is the best curcumin supplement for you.

What makes one Curcumin supplement better than another? Curcumin

 – Daily serving should be 1000mg to 2000mg of curcumin- based on doses used in studies. The best Curcumin supplement will be high in Curcumin so you can easily hit this range. We found some review websites recommending Curcumin products that had less than 2000mg per bottle.

Turmeric Root – Due to companies not providing the percent of Curcumin in their Turmeric Root we assume with every product using this ingredient that they only contain 5% unless otherwise stated. ( However the true amount could be as low as 0.5% or as high as 6%)

Blends – I hate blends!! When I worked as the Director of Purchasing for a supplement retailer the second I saw a blend listed on the ingredients label I suspected something was up, and most of the time I was right. To me, a blend means the company is hiding something! They may claim it’s a proprietor blend so other companies can not copy it but in my opinion that’s a load of BS. It’s as simple as that. If a company is not willing to tell you exactly how much of the best ingredient is in their product, chances are it’s not very much. A blend could consist of 99% of the lowest quality ingredient (only 0.5% Curcumin) and only 1% of the good ingredient (95% Curcumin) and this allows the company to still make claims like ” We use 95% Curcumin” or “Contains 95% Curcumin”.  Unfortunately we found other review websites recommended blends for unknown reasons. Blends and marketing tactics like this are very misleading to consumers but since we see many products like this with great reviews and great sales we know people do not understand what they are buying.

Specialty Formulas: Specialty formulas are known as bio-engineered formulas or bio-enhanced designed to either increase the concentration of curcumin up to 95% or/and increase bio-availability. Specialty formulas that make big claims are not necessarily the best Curcumin supplement so don’t fall for the hype. We have researched these and have taken these into consideration. See HERE for our explanations and comparisons on all the different bio-enhanced Curcumin available today.

Manufacturing and Testing: If a Curcumin supplement is not made in a cGmp Facility and is not 3rd-Party tested there is no guaranty of label accuracy and purity. Non-third party tested products could also have dangerous ingredients and impurities in them. When looking for the best Curcumin supplement we ignored most products that were not 3rd-party tested. See the page on 3rd-Party Testing for more info

Comparing Supplements is our business

Approval

Curcumin Is The Most Active Compound In Turmeric.

You can trust us to help you find the best Curcumin Supplements

Supplements Are For Your Health

Should You Trust Other Review Websites ?

You take supplements for your health so should you trust just any review websites to provide you with the right information to get the best supplement for your health? Based on our research we would say NO.. See why HERE . . .

For this page we compared 109 of the top Curcumin supplements to find out which one had the most Curcumin per bottle. During our research we found 29 websites reviewing Curcumin supplements with 16 different #1 Curcumin supplements being recommended.

Is it possible to have 16 different #1 Curcumin supplements? The answer is NO, not if you rely on science and facts!

Our research indicates that supplement review websites are mostly written by people with very little experience in supplements or by people that are more interested in making money than they are in recommended the real best supplement for your health.

We believe this is why almost 90% of other review websites recommended a #1 Curcumin supplement that had less Curcumin and cost more than our top choice.

It might also be why when we compared all their top choices we see that most review websites even recommended Curcumin supplements that had 60 – 90% less Curcumin per bottle.

Some websites even recommended curcumin supplements that barely had enough curcumin for 1 daily dose, a dose that showed positive results in most clinical studies.

The Best Curcumin Supplement of 2020

We compared our featured product, “Sports Research Turmeric Curcumin” to over 100 of the most popular Curcumin Supplements and we believe the science and facts show it is the best Curcumin Supplement of 2020.

We compared over 100 of the most popular Curcumin Supplements to find the best Curcumin Supplement of 2020.

Features:

  • 57,000mg per bottle
  • 475mg of Curcuminoids per softgel cap
  • Only .52 cents per every 1000mg of Curcuminoids
  • 120 servings per container
  • Contains 5mg BioPerine per serving for up to 20 times absorption
  • Added Coconut oil for improved absorption
  • GMP and 3rd Party Tested
  • Amazon’s Choice Product
  • 3999 – 4.5 star reviews

Features:

  • 28,500mg per bottle
  • 475mg of Curcuminoids per capsule
  • Only .94 cents per every 1000mg of Curcuminoids
  • 30 servings per container
  • Contains 10mg BioPerine per serving for up to 20 times absorption
  • GMP and 3rd Party Tested
  • Made in the USA
  • Amazon’s Choice Product
  • 2029 – 4.5 star reviews

Features:

  • 12,700mg per bottle
  • 425mg of Curcuminoids per capsule
  • Only $3.05 per every 1000mg of Curcuminoids
  • 30 servings per container
  • Contains 10mg BioPerine per serving for up to 20 times absorption
  • GMP and 3rd Party Tested
  • Amazon’s Choice Product
  • 62 – 4.5 star reviews

The 20 Best Rated and Top Selling Curcumin Supplements

Our comparison chart compares the top recommended products from 29 review websites as well as the top selling Curcumin supplements from Amazon and other popular supplement retailers. Not all the 109 supplements we reviewed are on this comparison simply because they weren’t even worth comparing.

The chart is informative for retailers & consumers to show which curcumin supplements have the most Curcumin. A chart like this makes it easier to find the best curcumin product without the hype and BS found on other review websites.

As you will see, our findings show you that many of the products that were highly recommended by 89.66% of other review websites did not meet our strict standards, and some of the most recommended products were very expensive, or had very low active ingredients or were not safely manufactured in a cGMP facility or 3rd-Party tested.

Our chart compares:

  • The amount of curcumin per entire bottle.
  • The cost per 1000mg of Curcumin/ Curcuminoids – (costs is based on the average price found)
  • Which one’s are GMP, 3rd party tested, and made in the USA products
  • How other review websites ranked each product.
  • How the best selling products from multiple websites compare.
N/A means we were not able to confirm the data.
 
We have seen over 50% of tested supplements not meet label claims. Therefore, if a product is not 3rd-party tested there is no confirmation that was is listed on the label is actually in the bottle, and since there is no way to confirm what is in the bottle we can’t accurately compare it to a verified 3rd-Party tested product. 

Comparison Chart

Scroll left and right to see full Chart

Product

Curcumin
Per Bottle

Cost Per
1000mg
Curcumin

Number of
1000mg

servings
of curcumin

per bottle

Recommended
#1 choice
by?

Sports Research

57,000mg

.52 cents

57

3 websites

Me First Living

28500mg

.94 cents

28.5

1 Website

Doctor Danielle

8400mg

$2.97

8.4

1 website

BioSchwartz

6240mg

$3.01

6.24

3 websites

1MD Advanced

3600mg

$12.49

3.6

2 websites

Divine Bounty

Unknown

N/A

N/A

1 website

Gaia Herbs

1800mg

$16.20

1.8

3 websites

Golden Saffron
1350mg

$29.59

1.35

1 website

Natural Factors

792mg

$88.34

<1

1 website

Product

Curcumin
Per Bottle

Cost Per
1000mg

1000mg
servings
Per Bottle

#1
Choice
of?

Nature Wise

Unknown

N/A

N/A

2 websites

Nordic Naturals

1800mg

$22.19

Text

1 website

Primal Harvest

12750mg

$3.05

12.75

1 website

Safrel Pharma

Unknown

N/A

N/A

1 website

Thorne Meriva

3000mg

$15.00

3

2 webistes

Vimerson Health

4950mg

$4.01

4.95

5 websites

VitaBalance

Unknown

N/A

N/A

1 website

NEW PRODUCT ADDITIONS

Curcumin
Per Bottle

Cost Per
1000mg

1000mg
servings
Per Bottle

#1
Choice
of?

Nutrition Research Institute - Turmitrinol

4800mg - Not 3rd party tested

$7.99

4.5

Found webpage that said this was the best out of 144 products

Turmerix

Unknown

N/A

N/A

Not Rated

Turmeric Curcumin Save MAX 2K

Unknown - Not 3rd-party tested

$2.22

17.57

Not Rated

Turmeric Curcumin Save

Not 3rd-party tested

8200mg

$3.51

8.26

Not Rated

Gaia Herbs Turmeric Extreme

Unkown - Blended Product

N/A

N/A

Updated - 2 Webistes

Source Naturals’ Turmeric with Meriva

12000mg - Not 3rd-party tested

$2.33

12

1 website

LETS COMPARE TOP PICKS

We compared our top choice Curcumin to the most recommended Curcumin supplement from 5 review websites. This same product is also Amazon’s #1 Best Seller – Updated June 09 2020 – It’s eye opening when you SEE HOW THEY COMPARE.

  • This comparison is not meant to suggest that one product in not a good product, it simply shows that some review websites do not consider the amount of active ingredient when they make product recommendations.
Best Curcumin

Features

Sports Research

Vimerson Health

Curcumin Per Bottle

75,000mg

4650mg

Curcumin Per Capsule

475mg

77.5mg

Cost per 1000mg/Curcumin

.52 cents

$4.94

Amazon Price

29.95

22.97

Servings Per Bottle

120

30

BioPerine

5mg per cap

5mg per cap

GMP Certified

Yes

yes

3rd-Party Tested

Yes

Unknown

Comparison Chart Notes and Disclaimers.

Omitted Curcumin products

Many products were left off this chart for the following reasons:

  • No indication of the percent of Curcumin.
  • Curcumin amounts so low there was no point comparing.
  • Companies that we could not find information on to verify if they are reputable or not.
  • Companies that would not reply to our email or phone questions.
  • Companies reported to have bad customer service.
  • Companies we felt we could not trust.
  • Companies with label inaccuracies.
  • Companies shown on other websites that did not pass testing.
  • Companies with product made outside the USA and Canada.
  • Companies that do not use GMP or 3rd party testing.
  • Any brands that looked fraudulent, misleading or shady.

Bioenhanced Specialty Versions Of Curcumin

Curcumin C3 Complex® with BioPerine® – has been clinically studied and shown to increase the bioavailability of Curcuminoids by 20 folds. C3 has 95% Curcuminoids.

Longvida® – Based on our research, the Longvedia manufacturer claims that their technology increases the bio-availability of Curcumin 67 times. As far as we can tell the percent of curcuminoids is between 20% and 30%.

Meriva® – Some studies suggest and Meriva brands can increase the bio-availability of Curcuminoids 29 times. Based on our research Meriva® is about 20% Curcuminoids.

CurcuWIN™ – The manufacturer of   CurcuWIN™ claims 46 times greater Curcumin bioavailability compared to standard Curcumin. Based on our research it is about 20% to 30% Curcuminoids.

BCM- 95® – We have seen reports of this having 7 to 10 times more bio-availability than regular curcumin. It has approximately 95% Curcuminoids.

Theracurmin® – Theracurmin® uses nanotechnology and water dispersion technology and claims 27 times greater bioavailability compared to powdered Curcumin. Our research suggests it’s approximately 11% Curcuminoids.

Summary –

  • Longvida – has 20 – 30% Curcuminoids – 65 times the absorption
  • Meriva – 20% Curcuminoids – 29 times the absorption
  • Curcuwin – 20 -30% Curcuminoids – 46 times the absorption
  • BCM 95 – aprox. 90% Curcuminoids – 7 – 10 times the absorption
  • Theracumin – aprox. 10% Curcuminoids – 27 times the absorption
  • Cavamax – aprox 15% – 4.4 times the absorption
  • C3 Complex – 95% Curcuminoids – 20 times the absorption

Compare The Numbers

If each of these specialty formulas had an equal 500mg per serving, this is how they would compare.

  • Longvida – 500mg + 65x Absorption = 6500-7475mg Curcuminoids
  • Meriva – 500mg + 29x Absorption = 2900mg Curcuminoids
  • Curcuwin – 500mg + 46x Absorption = 4600-6440mg Curcuminoids
  • BCM 95 – 500mg + 7-10x Absorption = 3080-4300mg Curcuminoids
  • Theracumin – 500mg + 27x Absorption = 1458mg Curcuminoids
  • Cavamax – 500mg + 10-20x Absorption = 388-1400mg Curcuminoids
  • C3 Complex – 500mg + 20x Absorption = 9500mg Curcuminoids

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