Curcumin Extract 95% 665mg | 60 Capsules | NOW Foods

NOW Foods Curcumin 95% Extract

This is curcumin in concentrated form. Each capsule contains 665 mg of turmeric root extract, standardized to 95% curcuminoids. You may know turmeric primarily as the yellow curry spice. In the Netherlands, this root is also called "geelwortel" (yellow root). But here, it's all about the active substance extracted from it. For those who want to work specifically with a turmeric extract, without additives, this is a direct choice. No flavorings, no additional ingredients, just the extract and the capsule surrounding it.

What Curcumin Actually Is

Curcumin is the substance that gives turmeric its bright yellow color. In the fresh root of the Curcuma longa plant, there is little, about 3 percent. That's why NOW Foods works with an extract rather than ground root. By concentrating the root to 95% curcuminoids, you receive much more per capsule than a spoonful of turmeric powder alone would provide. Besides curcumin itself, this extract contains two related substances: demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Together, these three substances are called curcuminoids. These are polyphenols, a group of plant substances also found in other herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Good to know: an extract is different from a concentrated powder from the spice rack. The root is first processed here, so that what remains consists mainly of curcuminoids.

What 95% Curcuminoids Means

This percentage indicates the strength of the extract. Many turmeric products on the shelves contain between 285 and 500 milligrams per capsule. Here, there are 665 mg of extract, which is about 630 mg of curcuminoids per capsule. In practice, this represents a substantial dose in a single capsule. The difference lies in standardization. Because the extract is adjusted to 95%, you know precisely how many curcuminoids are in each capsule. With ordinary turmeric powder, this rate varies greatly and always remains imprecise. And this is a purified extract, so without black pepper and without fillers with their own history. What you receive is a turmeric extract, nothing more.

The Absorption of Curcumin, and What Contributes to It

Many people wonder why absorption is so often discussed with curcumin. There's a reason for that. Curcumin is fat-soluble, and your body naturally has difficulty absorbing it in the intestine. Added to that, your liver processes and eliminates it quickly. Here's a practical tip: take the capsule with a meal containing some fat. Fat helps your body transport curcuminoids. Some brands add piperine, a substance from black pepper, to increase absorption. This product deliberately does not. It is a pure extract, without pepper or other absorption enhancers. If you are specifically looking for that combination with pepper, this is not the product for you. And you can know that upfront.

Curcumin or Turmeric, What's the Difference?

In common parlance, these two words are often confused. Yet, there is a difference. Turmeric is the whole root, the herb you also use in cooking and which is called "geelwortel" in the Netherlands. Curcumin is the isolated active substance found in this root. A turmeric extract like this one is in between: it comes from the root, but is processed so that the curcuminoids are highly concentrated. So you only need one capsule instead of several spoons of powder. Turmeric, by the way, has been used for thousands of years in Indian cuisine and Ayurveda, long before a capsule enclosed it. What is in this pot is essentially this ancient herb reduced to its most concentrated part.

In summary: this is "geelwortel" reduced to what most people are interested in, the curcuminoids, in a fixed amount per capsule. One capsule per day with meals, and a sixty-capsule jar lasts two months. A pure and concentrated choice for those who know precisely what they are looking for.