Turmeric is being used as a natural food color and also in the cosmetics industry and is used in many forms like pills, tinctures, Topical creams, and beauty. This formula is a hit, and a number of researchers are behind it. It is traditionally believed that Turmeric gets all its properties from Curcumin. But is Curcumin really the same or similar to Turmeric? That’s what we are going to answer in this blog. So get ready for this exciting tug-off war of Curcumin vs Turmeric.
The curiosity of the scientists induced them to investigate the element that makes Turmeric so good for overall health, and that’s what led to the discovery of Curcumin. However, over the course of time, this discovery led to the famous question: What is the difference between Turmeric and curcumin?
Frequently asked questions about Turmeric and Curcumin include:
- Are both the same or different?
- What is the difference between the two?
- Both have the same benefits or not?
- Between turmeric and curcumin, which is better for health?
In this blog, you will be getting the answers to all these questions.
The Polarity of Curcumin vs Turmeric:
Turmeric is basically a plant with roots that are used as a spice in food and herbal drinks whereas Curcumin is a compound found naturally in the root of the plant, which gives a bright yellow color to Turmeric and is commonly called a carotenoid compound, a good source of antioxidants. Turmeric contains two related compounds which are Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin, which are collectively called curcuminoids.
Some other Cuminioids in Turmeric are lutein and zeaxanthin which are good for the eyes and beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A by our body. There are many researchers where it is shown that curcumin is able to influence cell signaling molecules within our bodies, and this property explains the wide range of benefits it gives to our bodies.
Health Factors of Curcumin and Turmeric:
Common Health Benefits of Curcumin and Turmeric are:
Antioxidant properties:
- Both are a strong antioxidant that supports
- Inflammation balancing
- Immunity power
- Balance aging
- Cardiovascular health
- cellular health.
- Skin well-being
- Reduction of aging via antioxidant supports
- Supports for skin barrier function
- Reduce acne
- Speeds up healing of wound
- Heal skin burns and sunburns
- Help dermal microbiome health
Different Health Benefits of Curcumin and Turmeric are:
Curcumin benefits:
A number of studies have shown that Curcumin has the power to block the inflammatory molecules in the body, and gives relief from rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Here some health benefits of Curcumin are as follows:
- Improvisation of blood vessel lining and help in heart disease
- Prevention from cancer
- Natural anti-inflammatory properties
- Support the brain function and reduce the chance of brain disease
- Reduction in inflammatory issues and eases the symptoms of arthritis
Turmeric Benefits:
Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It supports other traditional health treatments. In light of the research, it has been shown that it helps in the reduction of cancer and also reduces the side effects of chemotherapy.
The Health Benefits of Turmeric are listed below:
- Osteoarthritis
- Itching
- Relief from Hey Fever
- Stress Treatment
- Depression
- Support to reduce cholesterol
- Inflammatory bowel
- Stress
Does Curcumin work better without turmeric?
It is not that easy to point out the better one between Curcumin and Turmeric because both sides have their own positive sides. According to experts, we get nutrition from the complete food, as the other nutrients within that food affect how our body absorbs them and that’s the complete process by which we get health benefits. Let’s understand by an example of fruit. when we eat food we eat whole fruit with its skin too, in spite of drinking the juice. Our body responds completely differently to sugar in fruit when we eat as a whole fruit or drink juice. So consumption of turmeric gives us a chance to intake other ingredients too and with those elements Curcumin works differently.
In short, Curcumin will work differently if consumed in the raw form(without Turmeric’s Component Form). However, studies show that it works at its full potential when consumed as a constituent of Turmeric.
Which is better a better Absorbent: Curcumin or Turmeric
Which one has better bioavailability, either turmeric or curcumin? Before answering the question let’s be clear both are not able to be fully absorbed, in the absence of fat or oil. Turmeric root naturally contains oil in it which makes the absorption a bit easier.
On the other hand, Curcumin shows more bioavailability when consumed with fatty acids like fish or krill oil. Curcumin with black pepper is more effective in increasing bioavailability. The reason behind this fact is that piperine is the compound found in black pepper that prevents the breakdown process of Curcumin compounds during digestion. This process increases the bioavailability of Curcumin.
Is Curcumin effective when used as a singular raw component?
Now the question arises is Curcumin still important on its own? Yes. But it totally depends on your biological makeup and the sensitivity of your health and body. People use Turmeric on a daily basis for better sleep, but some people do not feel like that, so they need to add concentrated Curcumin to their diet to get the desired effects.
The need of the consumer decides whether to use Turmeric or Concentrate Curcumin. If your body is highly sensitive to nutrients or supplements, your doctor may advise for plan where low and slow consumption of turmeric will work. It means only a small amount of concentrated curcumin is enough for a daily diet. But in case you are not sensitive to nutritional intervention, you may start to take a higher dose of concentrated curcumin.
Conclusion:
In the end, we see that turmeric supplements are not different from Curcumin supplements both show approximately the same benefits. It all depends on how your body reacts toward supplements. The doctor will decide the dosage of that according to your body type. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric and curcumin support many health benefits, so choosing a supplement with black pepper and oil both are very helpful for the absorption of curcumin inside the body.
Read More:
Turmeric Tea Recipe: A Warm Cup of Health
