Turmeric is a beautifully-colored root that Eastern cultures have boasted about for hundreds of years. The reason this root ever left Asia and was imported elsewhere was just for those medicinal claims. Soon enough, everyone wanted to see what this little root could do for their health.
This root has been used in hundreds of years worth of culinary and medicinal practices and continues to be used traditionally even to this day. Thankfully, this little root has made its way across the ocean and into the modern Western world, where it is taking the health and wellness community by storm. There are countless case studies of Americans who suffer from joint pain, mood imbalances, depression, cancer, and many other modern illnesses that have alleviated since they began taking turmeric. Often times, these people are in our very own communities. There are also countless turmeric reviews available, but you need to know what to look for so you are informed enough to make the right choice for you!
This poses a few good questions, however, to those of us who are looking to try it out at first and are faced with a multitude of options. Many people in the health community claim that standardized turmeric has done wonders for them, while ‘organic’ turmeric root powders have fallen short time and time again.
What is the difference between the two? Does paying extra for the Certified Organic seal and purchasing the root itself really make that much of a difference in comparison to purchasing an extract?
In a world full of information and misinformation, it’s important to have your facts straight and make the right choice for yourself. It’s important to find the manufacturers you can trust and avoid the ones that are fishy. Advertisers who are selling turmeric root powder or proprietary blends want to sell cut supplements so they can get more money for their product instead of providing a real benefit to their consumers – they try to trick consumers into placebo effects with misguiding labeling and unverified claims, suppressing bad reviews of their product.
Why Should You Avoid Proprietary Blends in Turmeric Supplements?
You see dozens of people falling into the trap of proprietary blends on a regular basis, especially if you keep up with the health and wellness community. Proprietary blends are a waste of your hard-earned money and here’s why: the manufacturers are not transparent with their consumers. No matter how much of a product is in their blend, there’s no way for it to be tested, especially not on a batch-to-batch basis.
The FDA ruled on these blends that manufacturers are required to label everything in their blends, but not how much it has. This means that there is no way to tell how much of one supplement the blend contains, and no way to test how it varies.
For example, let’s say you just purchased a brand new proprietary blend of curcuminoids, plant cellulose, and black pepper. This blend could be 95% plant cellulose, 4% curcuminoids, and 1% black pepper. Plant cellulose will help your digestion in small amounts, but you certainly don’t need to take a capsule of it each day. In the world of health supplements, it is often used as a filler product.
On the same token, however, that proprietary blend could also be 99% curcuminoids, 0.8% black pepper, and 0.2% plant cellulose. There’s no way to test for it and no way to tell that the ratios won’t change with the next produced batch.
You Don’t Need Flavor, You Need Results.
Standardized Turmeric is a word that many manufacturers like to throw around to make you think you’re buying the best quality root powder on the market, boasting that they have 95% turmeric root powder. We’ve already covered why you should avoid proprietary blends. Now, you may be asking, “I thought that Turmeric root powder was what I wanted in a supplement?” Well, when it comes to turmeric extracts, you’re actually looking for the Curcumin content. Curcumin is the key ingredient in turmeric root powder, and it is the same ingredient that does wonders for hundreds of people’s joint pain, arthritis, depression, and many other ailments. It is not the root powder that has the same effect as ibuprofen, but it is the Curcumin ingredient inside the Turmeric root powder.
If you’ve ever tried the organic Turmeric powder you can pick up at your local grocer in the baking aisle, then chances are, you know that it doesn’t really show any results. There are a handful of people that can derive results from the culinary spice, but the fact is, that powder is not strong enough. It is not harvested with the medicinal benefits in mind, but the flavor.
If you’re trying to get rid of your joint pain and get a better night’s sleep, you don’t need flavor, you need results. That is why it’s important to understand the difference between Turmeric root powder and Curcumin extract.
Curcumin is the key ingredient when it comes to obtaining results that your body needs and manufacturers boast all the time that their Turmeric capsules contain Curcumin – and they’re not wrong – Turmeric root powder contains a mere 2-3% of these curcuminoids, but you’re not getting the amount of Curcumin that your body needs to really feel results.
There are a lot of different manufacturers that sell proprietary blends, advertise their turmeric root powder benefits and cut their product with the same culinary root powder that has shown to not work time and time again. In order to give your body the best quality Curcumin, you’re going to be looking for the supplements that carry 95% standardized Curcumin extract and 5% standardized Bioperine (black pepper) extract to aid in absorption.
Efficacy of Absorption
Standardized Bioperine is the key ingredient of black pepper which helps your body absorb all of the curcuminoids. These key ingredients, when taken on their own, don’t absorb into the body well, so they need a little push. That’s exactly what Bioperine provides, and why it is an essential ingredient to add to your Curcumin supplement. Just a small 5% added to your 95% Curcumin extract will help your body absorb the Curcumin by an astounding 2000% increase in bioavailability.
Now, take a refreshed look at the turmeric root powder on the shelf of your local grocer and think:
That culinary product has 2-3% curcuminoids, which is what you’re looking for in a health supplement. However, of that 2-3%, your body only absorbs between 1-3% of that without the Bioperine to aid in absorption. That means that you are getting less than 1% of the supplement your body needs for that entire bottle. It’s understandable why turmeric root powder has fallen short in the past, considering the facts.
What to Look For in Turmeric Curcumin Supplements
When you’re shopping for Curcumin extract products, it’s important to look for a Certificate of Analysis, or COA. This certificate shows that the manufacturers have a quality product that has been lab tested with proven scientific methods. These manufacturers send three to four bottles of each batch to a lab for independent testing so you can guarantee that you have consistency.
For best results, you’ll want to find a supplement that has 1,000 milligrams of standardized turmeric (which is 95% curcuminoids) and 5% of standardized Bioperine to help aid in absorption. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll certainly feel better for it. Better yet, you’ll finally be getting your money’s worth instead of purchasing organic root powder from your local grocer for $10-$15 a pop.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for results with turmeric, it’s important to do your research and find a standardized, lab-tested and COA certified product that you know you can count on remaining true to each batch made. Remember, the key is to look for the best turmeric reviews you can find. By using the tips we’ve pointed out here, you’ll be sure that you’ll find the best turmeric supplement available.