Not all Turmeric/Curcumin Is Created Equal

April 9, 2008 by GiGi

Welcome back!

Last year, I did an article about Turmeric. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s here:

Curcumin is the main primary component of turmeric, so it’s also sold under that name.

I’ve recently joined Consumer Lab which is an independent lab that tests supplements. They’ve done testing on various brands of turmeric/curcumin supplements and discovered that some brands weren’t delivering what they promised. Some didn’t have the amount of curcuminoids they claimed and others were contaminated with lead.

Things to look for when you buy turmeric supplements:

Species of turmeric (look for Curcuma longa, although the use of the accepted common name “turmeric” is sufficient to denote this species)

Part of the plant used (should be “root” or “rhizome”)

Form of turmeric used (e.g., root/rhizome powder or extract)

Amount of turmeric per pill or dose in grams (g) or milligrams (mg) [1 gram = 1,000 milligrams]

These are things that are required on the labels by the FDA.

Obviously, Consumer Lab did not test ALL turmeric supplements, but one brand that DID pass their testing was: