Is curcumin well absorbed by the body?

Standard curcumin is absorbed very poorly by the body. After a dose of 2 grams, blood levels in humans were unmeasurably low or barely detectable. The reasons are poor absorption in the gut, rapid breakdown in the intestinal wall and liver, and rapid elimination from the body.

The most studied solution is combining curcumin with piperine, a compound found in black pepper. At a dose of 20 mg piperine alongside 2 grams of curcumin, absorption in humans increased by 2000% compared with curcumin alone. Piperine inhibits the breakdown of curcumin in the liver and intestinal wall. At the doses studied, no side effects were reported.

Newer formulations have also been developed, such as liposomes, nanoparticles and phospholipid complexes. These improve solubility and slow down breakdown. A specific formulation called Curcuwin Ultra+ showed strongly improved blood levels in a small randomised study of 24 healthy volunteers, even at a much lower dose than standard turmeric extract. Absorption was 40% faster. Whether this higher uptake also leads to better health effects has not yet been proven.

Another variant, curcumin bound to fibres from fenugreek, is also described as promising. However, that claim comes from a review in which two authors have ties to companies that produce the product. Bear that in mind when reading those results.

Curcumin is in any case safe: clinical studies show no side effects, even at doses of up to 12 grams per day.