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Summary

  • What are turmeric and curcumin?

    Turmeric is a spice used for its flavor and orange-yellow color. Curcumin is one of several curcuminoid compounds found in turmeric that give turmeric its color and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making turmeric root powders and extracts useful as dietary supplements (see What It Is).
  • What did CL's tests of turmeric find?

    As shown in the Results Table below, one supplement was discovered to be contaminated with lead. Amounts of curcuminoids found ranged from just 42 mg to more than 1,000 mg per serving.
  • Best turmeric/curcumin supplement?

  • Best ground turmeric spice?

    We identified a Top Pick Ground Turmeric Spice that provides a significant amount of curcuminoids (33 mg per ½ teaspoon) with less lead than other ground turmeric spices and at lower cost. To get the most from turmeric spice, use it in a meal that contains fats or oils, as well as some black pepper.
  • What are the health benefits of turmeric?

    Small clinical studies suggest that curcumin from turmeric is helpful for indigestion, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, seasonal allergies and depression. Turmeric/curcumin may improve cognitive function in healthy older adults, but little benefit has been found in people with Alzheimer's disease. Other compounds may also be active (see What It Does).
  • How much turmeric should I take?

    The typical daily dose ranges from 500 mg to 2,000 mg of curcuminoids (most of which is curcumin) from turmeric extracts (see Dosage), which can often be as much as 95% curcuminoids of which around 80% is curcumin. Be aware that turmeric powder in some supplements provides no more curcumin than turmeric spice, which is only about 3% curcuminoids of which around 50% is curcumin, i.e., half a level teaspoon of turmeric powder (about 1 gram) provides about 35 mg of curcuminoids.
  • How do forms of turmeric differ?

    Turmeric and curcumin are not well absorbed on their own and it's generally best to take turmeric/curcumin with food containing some fat in order to increase absorption. If you can't always take turmeric or curcumin with food, see Absorption and Bioavailability to learn about bioavailability enhancement with ingredients such as BCM-95, C3 (which includes the black pepper extract piperine, known as Bioperine), CurcuWin, Longvida, Meriva, NovaSol, and Theracurmin.
  • Turmeric/curcumin safety and side effects:

    Turmeric/curcumin supplements are generally safe, but gastrointestinal side effects may occur with higher doses and they can cause problems for people with gallbladder disease, kidney stones, or those taking blood-thinning or blood-sugar-lowering medications. Rarely, liver injury has been reported. One of the bioavailability enhancers commonly added can potentially affect a number of drugs (see Concerns and Cautions).

Make sure you're choosing the best turmeric or curcumin supplements or spices approved in our tests!

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Alphabetical list of turmeric and curcumin supplements and spices compared in this review

View Larger Image 8284_large_AIVitality-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

A1 Vitality Turmeric Curcumin

View Larger Image 8285_large_AllergyResearchGroup-CurcuWIN-500-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Allergy Research Group CurcuWIN 500

View Larger Image 8296_large_DoctorsBest-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Doctor's Best Curcumin Phytosome with Meriva

View Larger Image 8291_large_FrontierCoOp-Turmeric-2023.png

Frontier Co-Op Turmeric Root

View Larger Image 8286_large_GaiaHerbs-TurmericSupreme-Turmeric-2023.png

Gaia Herbs Turmeric Supreme - Extra Strength

View Larger Image 8293_large_GardenOfLife-MyKindOrganics-ExtraStrength-Turmeric-2023.png

Garden of Life mykind Organics Extra Strength Turmeric

View Larger Image 8300_large_GNC-HerbalPlus-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

GNC Herbal Plus Turmeric Curcumin 500 mg

View Larger Image 8292_large_GreatValue-GroundTurmeric-Turmeric-2023.png

Great Value Ground Turmeric

View Larger Image 8298_large_IntegrativeTherapeutics-TheracuminHP-Turmeric-2023.png

Integrative Therapeutics Theracurmin HP

View Larger Image 8287_large_Jamieson-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Jamieson Curcumin Turmeric 550 mg

View Larger Image 8299_large_Kirkland-1000mg-Turmeric-2023.png

Kirkland Signature Turmeric 1,000 mg

View Larger Image 8294_large_LifeExtension-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Life Extension Curcumin Elite

View Larger Image 8297_large_McCormick-GroundTurmeric-Turmeric-2023.png

McCormick Ground Turmeric

View Larger Image 8295_large_PuritansPride-Curcuminoids-Turmeric-2023.png

Puritan's Pride Curcuminoids from Turmeric

View Larger Image 8288_large_Qunol-Turmeric-2023.png

Qunol Extra Strength Turmeric

View Larger Image 8289_large_Root2-TurmericExtract-Turmeric-2023.png

Root2 Turmeric Extract Curcumin C3 Complex

View Larger Image 8282_large_SpringValley-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Spring Valley Turmeric Curcumin Extract - Natural Peach Mango Flavor

View Larger Image 8290_large_CuraMed-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Terry Naturally CuraMed

View Larger Image 8283_large_ZestyPaws-Curcumin-Turmeric-2023.png

Zesty Paws Turmeric Curcumin Bites

You must be a member to get the full test results along with ConsumerLab.com's recommendations and quality ratings for turmeric and curcumin products. You will get results for 12 turmeric/curcumin supplements selected for testing by ConsumerLab.com as well as for four others that passed the same testing in CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program. You will also get results for three popular turmeric spices used for cooking. 


In this comprehensive review of turmeric and curcumin supplements and spices you'll learn:

  • Which turmeric and curcumin products failed to pass testing, which passed, and which are CL's Top Picks
  • How turmeric and curcumin products compare on curcumin and total curcuminoids, ingredients, quality, and price  
  • How the bioavailability of curcumin may be enhanced with ingredients such as black pepper extract (Bioperine) and with formulas such as BCM-95, C3, Curcugen, CurcuWin, Longvida, Meriva, NovaSol, and Theracurmin... and how to increase absorption of curcumin even without an enhanced formula!
  • Dosing for specific uses of turmeric and curcumin, including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, depression, ulcerative colitis and proctitis, uveitis, psoriasis, blood sugar control, and cancer
  • Safety and side effects of turmeric and curcumin supplements
  • Cautions and potential drug interactions with turmeric, curcumin and black pepper extract

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Additional Information
Tested through CL's Quality Certification Program prior to, or after initial posting of this Product Review.