Ask the Doctor: Curcumin Vs. Turmeric

In our inaugural newsletter, we are including a section called: Ask the Doctor. Send us emails with your questions at dr.roy@aimnatural.com. We will try to answer one or two in each bulletin. We will post the section on FB and on our website, so look for your answer there as well! 

Question:  “What is the difference between turmeric vs. curcumin?”. 

Answer: “Turmeric” refers to the root of the Curcuma longa plant. That whole root can be powdered, or crushed and used as a food.

“Curcumin” is one of many natural compounds found IN the turmeric root. 

Both turmeric as a whole root, and curcumin as an extract from that root, and have historical uses including well aging and anti inflammation, but CURCUMIN, extracted and in high doses is what we see used in a clinic setting as a therapeutic.

Here at AIM, we recommend, Curcumin from one of two companies: Thorne or Pure Encapsulations. The reason why is when turmeric is sourced into this country, it’s processed with solvents that can cause cancer! Only these two companies third party test for those solvents and others. We trust their process and we trust the cleanliness of the product. We cannot, and do not, recommend Curcumin over the counter. For our patients, it can be purchased safely, only at BeWELLwithAIM.com

Studies show that the doses for Curcumin to work well are rather high. This is a problem because they are large pills, you need to take a lot, you must take it with a fat and it’s most easily absorbed if attached to an extract of black pepper.

While CURCUMIN, not turmeric, in high doses in the right patient, can be a powerful cancer adjunct, it uses the same pathway in the liver as many immunotherapies, hormone blockers and chemotherapeutics, so it can make other drugs more or less effective. AND if you don’t have a well functioning digestive system, it can be hard to absorb. 

In our practice, each patient is approached HOLISTICALLY and INDIVIDUALLY. For a nourished woman trying to stay well in survivorship from ovarian, who is working on metabolic health and may have a well functioning gut, we may start with 2 grams of Curcumin from Thorne or Pure Encapsulations and slowly increase until we get her to 6 gms daily. For someone who has significant levels of inflammation and has just completed a course of chemotherapy for colorectal, we might try 500 mg of Curcumin daily and combine it with gut support. For someone who is trying to prevent heart disease with no history of cancer, we may try a moderate dose along with both pharmaceutical and natural options to optimize vascular flow and stress management. 

With natural medicine there is NO one sized fit all approach. It is a mistake to think of natural therapies as benign or safe across the board for all. This is a mistake that many patients, and doctors alike make. A one sized fit all approach, rather than PERSONALIZED care is still a feature of the culture of medicine.

Call us at 248 798 2942 to make an appointment with  Dr. Roy or March to learn whether you can add this powerful and ancient herb. Until then, enjoy the root, turmeric, as a food and check out our post on how to make it into a comforting nighttime drink.

PMID: 26537958