Each review contains information about the ingredient’s clinical applications, formulations, dosing & administration, adverse effects, and pharmacokinetics. Learn more about our critical appraisal research or contact us for initial guidance and more information.
Curcumin
Main uses
- Anti-oxidant applications
- Cardiometabolic conditions
- Inflammatory conditions
Formulations
| Form | Bioavailability | |
|---|---|---|
|
Unformulated |
2 g produced no change to bioavailability in humans (19) |
|
|
Longvida®️ (solid lipid particle structure with improved solubility) |
↑ 100x bioavailability compared with unformulated curcumin (10) |
|
|
Meriva®️ (phospholipid micelle formulation) |
↑ 29x bioavailability compared with unformulated curcumin (4) |
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|
Theracurmin®️ (highly dispersible, water-soluble & low aggregability) |
↑ 27x bioavailability compared with unformulated curcumin (17) |
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|
Curcumin-Bioperine®️ (combined with piperine) |
↑ 21x bioavailability compared with unformulated curcumin (19) |
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BCM-95®️ (micronized curcumin in turmeric essential oils) |
↑ 7x bioavailability compared with unformulated curcumin (2) |
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C3 Complex®️ (95% concentration combination of three curcuminoids) |
No bioavailability data currently available |
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Dosing & administration
| Arthritis | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
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Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin: 1000 mg per day
|
|
|
Outcomes |
↓ joint pain (5) |
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|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Metabolic syndrome | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
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|
Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin extract: 630 mg 3x per day for 12 weeks |
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|
Outcomes |
↑ HDL-C ↓LDL-C, TG (21) |
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|
Class of evidence
|
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|
|
Dosing & administration
|
Turmeric: 2.4 g per day for 4 weeks |
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|
Outcomes |
↓ BMI, WC, BF% (1) |
|
|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
|
|
Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin formulation: 500 mg per day |
|
|
Outcomes |
↓ liver fat content, BMI, TC, LDL-C, TG, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glucose, and HBA1C (16) |
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|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Osteoarthritis | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
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|
Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin: 180 mg per day |
|
|
Outcomes |
↓ knee pain (12) |
|
|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Peptic ulcer | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
|
|
Dosing & administration
|
Turmeric: 600 mg 5x per day for 4 weeks |
|
|
Outcomes |
↓ ulcer prevalence, abdominal pain and discomfort (14) |
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|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Rheumatoid arthritis | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
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|
Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin: 500 mg per day |
|
|
Outcomes |
↓ tenderness and swelling (3) |
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|
Class of evidence
|
|
|
| Type 2 diabetes | ||
|---|---|---|
|
General outcomes from A-level evidence |
No data currently available. |
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Dosing & administration
|
Nano-micelle curcumin: 80 mg per day for 3 months |
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|
Outcomes |
↓ HBA1C, FBG, TG, BMI (15) |
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Class of evidence
|
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Dosing & administration
|
Turmeric: 2 g per day for 1 month w/ metformin |
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|
Outcomes |
↓ HBA1C, FBG, LDL-C, non-HDL-C and LDL/HDL ratio, hsCRP, lipid peroxidation, MDA ↑ total antioxidant status (18) |
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Class of evidence
|
|
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|
Dosing & administration
|
Curcumin: 150 mg, 2x per day for 8 weeks |
|
|
Outcomes |
↑ endothelial function malondialdehyde, ET-1, IL-6, & TNFalpha (20) |
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Class of evidence
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Adverse effects
Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
- Phase I hepatic metabolism rapidly reduces the compound’s double bonds via enterocyte oxidoreductases with involvement of CYP3A4 or alcohol dehydrogenase in liver microsomes. (8)(13)
- Phase II metabolism rapidly conjugated via sulfotransferases (SULTs), glucuronosyltransferases, and glutathione S-transferases (GST). (8)(13)