Turmeric Supplements

Healthspan customer reviews

Turmeric Guides

What is turmeric?

Turmeric is extracted from the root of Curcuma longa, a flowering plant in the ginger family that's mainly grown in India. This 'golden spice' has been an integral part of Indian and Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years.

The main active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin.

What are turmeric supplements good for?

Turmeric supplements have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for millennia to support various aspects of health. Some examples are:

Joint health

Studies have shown that curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, can benefit joint health by blocking chemicals that can cause inflammation. One study found that turmeric was as effective as ibuprofen in reducing joint discomfort, with less risk of abdominal side effects.

Digestion

Turmeric can help support digestion. In one study, 207 people took daily turmeric supplements. After 8 weeks, digestive symptoms had decreased by between 53% and 60%.

Skin

With anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial effects, turmeric can help reduce breakouts, reduce the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and slow signs of ageing, says beauty writer Jocelyn Bailey. Find out more about the benefits of turmeric for skin.

Types of Turmeric Supplement

Available as tablets and capsules, Healthspan's turmeric supplements combine the best of Ayurvedic medicine with the latest scientific innovation to bring you the maximum benefit.

This includes the use of black pepper and our innovative Opti-Turmeric® liquid curcumin technology to help improve absorption in the body.

Healthspan supplements also exclusively use turmeric from the southern Indian slopes of Karnatake and Tamil Nadu, with a minimum of 95 per cent curcuminoids (the most active compounds found in turmeric.)

Turmeric Tablets

Turmeric tablets are a simple, low-cost way to add turmeric to your routine. Often with other nutrients such as vitamin C to help provide joints with additional support, they're a good first step to supporting your health.

There are two options in the Healthspan range:

Ayurvedic Turmeric is a pure, high-strength supplement, providing 500mg turmeric extract (equivalent to 10,000mg fresh turmeric root) plus added vitamin C to support collagen formation and joint health.

Turmeric and Glucosamine Joint Support provides 100mg turmeric (equivalent to 2,000mg fresh turmeric root), alongside a wider variety of joint health nutrients, including glucosamine, Boswellia serrata extract, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin D3, to give joints and bones all-round care.

Turmeric and Black Pepper

Turmeric is a difficult ingredient for your body to absorb. When taken in the traditional way, turmeric tends to be broken down by intestinal cells before it can reach the bloodstream.

If you're concerned about not getting the best from your turmeric supplement, choosing turmeric tablets with black pepper is an effective way to ensure more turmeric can be used by the body.

Turmeric 10,000 with BioPerine® contains 500mg turmeric extract per tablet (equivalent to 10,000mg fresh turmeric root), alongside vitamin C to help support immune, bone and cartilage health.

BioPerine® is a purified extract of piperine, which is the active compound in black pepper. Studies show that black pepper can help prevent the breakdown of turmeric's active ingredient, curcumin, in the intestinal wall, and so help absorption.

Turmeric Capsules

Many people find capsules easier to swallow than tablets. Capsules also have the unique ability to contain liquid ingredients, which are often better absorbed in the body (better bioavailability).

The Healthspan range includes two types of turmeric capsules: Turmeric & Super Strength Omega 3 and our premium, best-selling product – Opti-Turmeric®.

Turmeric & Super Strength Omega 3 provides two popular wellbeing ingredients: curcumin and the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are often lacking in our diet. With added vitamins C and D3, this supplement can provide a multitude of benefits for brain, bone and joint health in just one capsule.

Opti-Turmeric is our market-leading formulation, providing 500mg NovaSOL® inside easy-to-swallow capsules. NovaSOL is a liquid turmeric formulation that is 7x faster-acting and 185x better-absorbed than standard turmeric powder. 20mg vitamin C has also been added to support joint and immune health.

The same technology is also used in our Elite Opti-Turmeric® and Elite All Blacks Opti-Turmeric® supplements, which are batch-tested and approved by Informed Sport to be free of banned substances and safer for competing athletes.

Turmeric for Dogs

Dogs experience many of the same health issues as humans – including joint problems. As vet Richard Allport says, "Dogs are prone to inflammatory disease. This is very obvious in joint disease such as arthritis, but many patients with chronic ill health have a constant low-level inflammation that is responsible for many of the degenerative diseases in the body, including joint degeneration."

Allport regularly recommends turmeric for the pets in his care. Read more about the benefits of turmeric for dogs, including the benefits for digestion.

Healthspan's turmeric for dogs – Flexi-Turmeric – provides 400mg turmeric root powder, 50mg vitamin C (to help support immune and joint health) and 50mg brewer's yeast for B vitamins and flavour. It's particularly effective when partnered with Flexi-Joints for Dogs: a high-strength glucosamine and chondroitin supplement.

Should You Choose Curcumin or Turmeric Supplements?

Understanding the difference between curcumin and turmeric is important to help you choose the right product.

The first thing to know is that turmeric contains several plant substances. One group, curcuminoids, is thought to have the greatest health benefits. Of these curcuminoids, which includes curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, curcumin is the most beneficial for health.

Unfortunately, curcumin – despite being responsible for turmeric's distinctive colour and flavour – only makes up between two and eight per cent of most turmeric preparations, so it's important to do your research into your turmeric supplements and to buy from a reputable company.

Rest assured that although Healthspan uses 'turmeric' rather than 'curcumin' in product names – because it's the better-known term – we pride ourselves on providing the highest-quality, most-effective products, which always use turmeric with a minimum of 95 per cent curcuminoids.

As ever, if you're not sure which product is best for you, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our UK-based, fully trained and friendly advisors are here to help.