Among the top-selling supplements of the past few years, turmeric powder and curcumin come from the same plant, so it’s easy to get them confused. Here’s the difference:
Turmeric is a plant. Its root is ground into a powder to make “the golden spice” that imbues many Indian dishes with a yellow color. In India, where there is a much lower incidence of most lifestyle diseases than in the United States, turmeric is traditionally consumed in most meals, starting in childhood.
Curcumin is the chief health-promoting component of the turmeric plant, making up no more than about 3 percent of the root. Curcumin in supplements is a concentrated extract designed to work more quickly than the whole turmeric root. Its main goal is to promote good health, not fight disease. But treatments may be geared toward specific health problems.
“I have yet to find a single disease of any type for which curcumin has not been studied,” says Ajay Goel, PhD, professor at Baylor Research Institute in Dallas, who has been researching natural substances for about 25 years. And, he adds, more than 10,000 studies document the benefits of curcumin. Goel recommends routinely eating turmeric as a spice to enhance overall, long-term health. However, he says, “If you’re intending to find a cure or to get relief from something immediate, then you have to take curcumin.” Otherwise, the concentration of curcumin in turmeric may not be sufficient to deliver quick results. In India, he says, these are some traditional Ayurvedic remedies:
Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of full-fat milk and drink it to relieve an upset stomach, a headache, an oncoming cold, or other ailments. They key is to mix turmeric with a fatty liquid, to aid absorption. For cuts and scrapes, put turmeric powder under a bandage, to prevent infection and speed healing. Turmeric powder can be added to smoothies or any other food.
