Curcumin is the bright orange pigment that gives turmeric root its color. Curcumin is the most prominent active compound in turmeric. People have experienced tremendous benefits from curcumin, from reducing inflammation so that walking is less painful, to improving blood sugar readings, and even helping with depression, and reducing risk of cancer. Research shows that curcumin is beneficial for joints, the heart, the brain, the liver, and most every other organ. However, curcumin has a difficult time getting into your bloodstream. In scientific terms, curcumin bioavailability is very low. The initial trials of curcumin involved volunteers taking as much as 12 grams of curcumin a day, which is about 24 large capsules. One of the limiting factors for those early trials was getting people to take that many capsules. And the absorption of standard purified curcumin was very, very low. As a result, many companies and scientists have tried to come up with ways to make curcumin more bioavailable. And the comparisons are always made to standard curcumin. This initially made sense twenty years ago, but it doesn't any longer.
The industry’s focus on comparing supplements to “standard curcumin” has muddied the waters, leaving consumers confused about what really matters: how much active, free curcumin reaches the blood. In this article, we’ll explore why the old approach to measuring curcumin bioavailability is flawed and I present a better way to evaluate curcumin supplements, backed by a graph showing blood levels of free curcumin.
Why We Focused on Relative Bioavailability
Curcumin’s poor solubility in water and rapid metabolism in the body make it hard to absorb effectively. Early research showed that standard curcumin powder, when taken with water, resulted in almost undetectable blood levels of curcumin. As mentioned above, scientists and manufacturers rushed to develop enhanced formulations. To prove their supplements were superior, companies began comparing their products to standard curcumin, reporting bioavailability increases of 7, 27, or even 51 times. These relative comparisons became the industry standard, but they are misleading. The baseline—standard curcumin taken with water—is artificially low, especially since curcumin absorption improves significantly when consumed with fats or oils, which many studies ignore. So, of course, the new, improved supplement looks better than standard curcumin. Some kind of lipid molecule is built into all of the new formulations, which naturally increases the absorption of curcumin. But how does it compare to other improved supplements? Unfortunately, no one ever tested that, or if they did, it was never reported.
Why Free Curcumin in the Blood Matters
The critical metric for curcumin’s effectiveness is not how many times better it is than a poorly absorbed baseline, but how much free, unconjugated curcumin reaches the bloodstream. Free curcumin is the bioactive form that can cross cell membranes and exert its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective effects. In contrast, conjugated curcumin, formed when the body metabolizes curcumin for elimination, is less active and cleared quickly from the body. Some manufacturers have begun measuring and reporting free curcumin levels in the blood, providing a more meaningful way to assess a supplement’s efficacy. This reporting has allowed us to make direct comparisons between the new, improved forms of curcumin. We can compare actual blood levels of free curcumin rather than relative bioavailability. Consumers can now compare products based on actual blood concentrations of the active compound, not inflated relative claims.
Comparing Free Curcumin Levels Across Supplements
The graph shown here, compiled from the reported results of 5 different manufacturers, illustrates blood levels of free curcumin from their various supplements. Brand "A" has decent levels of free curcumin, but it took 1.9 grams, not just 0.4 grams, to get to that level. Curcumin taken with piperine (which is said to make absorption "way better" than standard curcumin) is a very small peak. Brand "C"shows up with a very small, broad peak, if you can call it that. And 2 grams of Brand "B" is barely above zero for the amount of free curcumin in the blood. This manufacturer reported picograms/ml of free curcumin rather than nanograms/ml (1,000X higher) it was so low.
The graph above demonstrates that CurQfen™ stands out for delivering the highest levels of free curcumin to the bloodstream, even when taken in small amounts. Unlike many formulations, in which only single-digit percentages of curcumin remain unconjugated, CurQfen™ achieves up to 76% free curcumin in the blood, as shown in a 50-person bioavailability study (Kumar et al., 2016). This makes it a leader in providing the active form of curcumin that can effectively reach tissues and organs.
Conclusion: Focus on Blood Levels, Not Relative Curcumin Bioavailability
For more than twenty years, the industry has been obsessed with comparing curcumin supplements to a flawed standard, giving relative bioavailability numbers. That has been a distraction. What really matters is how much free curcumin gets into the blood and into the organs of the body where it can do great things. Absolute bioavailability is what is important. The data show that CurQfen™ excels in supplying superior levels of free curcumin, making it a top choice for those seeking the compound’s full benefits.
The Power of Effective Curcumin Absorption
Research studies done specifically with the CurQfen™ form of curcumin show what is possible when curcumin's potential is fully realized. For example, in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, CurQfen™ supported neuroprotection and remyelination (Ittiyavirah and Hema, 2019). In human trials, 500 mg of CurQfen™ twice daily reduced stress, anxiety, and fatigue while boosting overall well-being (Sudheeran et al., 2016). It also normalized arterial stiffness in young obese men, lowering cardiovascular risk (Campbell et al., 2017). In patients with knee osteoarthritis, CurQfen™ nearly doubled the improvement in walking performance compared to glucosamine and chondroitin (Khanna et al., 2020). These results highlight the significance of choosing a curcumin supplement that maximizes free curcumin in the blood, unlocking its full healing power.
