If you are reading this you know that the market is filled with turmeric/curcumin products, and it is confusing as heck! I would strongly encourage anyone interested in taking these supplements to first do some research - it is helpful to know what the benefits are, and specifically what components provide those benefits. Marketers don’t help much. I am relatively new to turmeric products and have done a bit of research and I will try to provide a little info to help provide some guidance, and maybe to help you fine tune your research: Turmeric is a food/spice, and has benefits to it, including anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, as well as potentially helping to lower cholesterol. Curcuminoids consist of three specific compounds, and make up only ~5% of the turmeric - and of that amount, ~75% is curcumin. What all this means is you need to pay close attention to the ingredients to know whether it is ‘turmeric’ or ‘curcuminoids’ or ‘curcumin’... they are not the same thing, although they are related, and ultimately it is sort of an exercise in math: 100% turmeric equals approx 5% curcuminoids, which equals approx. 4% curcumin (rough estimates for discussion purposes). To achieve the benefit you are looking for the dosage matters, and the dosage (and best way to get it) depends on your specific need. The dosage to aid in antifungal or antibacterial situations is very different than the dosage to aid with joint pain. So, ultimately, it isn’t necessarily the case that any specific product is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but whether it is the right product, with the right ‘ingredients’ to address your specific issue.For my specific purposes I am looking for joint pain relief, and as a result, I need to take a relatively high amount of curcumin. Typically curcumin is not as readily absorbable as some compounds, and usually black pepper, or bioperene extracts, are added to add in absorption. This product does not have black pepper extracts. While it does taut the bioavailability of the curcuminoids, I have found little benefit from the recommended dosage of one capsule/day. I have upped it to two/day and there is some benefit, but I am thinking I may need to up it to 3 to see if there is any additional benefit. If I need to take 3 capsules per day, then this becomes a very expensive product (not to mention, my strong preference not to have to take 3 capsules per day - would much prefer a single capsule). So, for that reason this product is not as effective as I had hoped it might be. I should add that another reason I take turmeric supplements if for the potential cholesterol benefit... and it is possible that this may be great for that purpose (I have my bloodwork done in a couple of weeks, so I will know then). I think this product is a good product, but if your specific reason for taking it is for joint pain relief, then know that the benefits seem pretty weak with the recommended dosage, and you will likely need to increase the dosage. On a positive note, the capsules have no taste and I have had no stomach issues taking it. I hope this review is helpful to you, and if so, let me know by clicking ‘Helpful’... I will try to update after my bloodwork to see how it has impacted my cholesterol...
