Why is there so much confusion about turmeric? And why that can be bad.

ConsumerLab.com recently released a very comprehensive analysis of turmeric and curcumin products. Although a subscription is required to see the full report, the news release related to the report is here.

The news release points out that there is a continued problem with lead being found in turmeric. The full report announced that one of the Qunol brands of turmeric had been recalled because of high levels of mold in it powder. This recall just occurred in January 2026.

Also, lead contamination remains a problem. One tested product exceeded California's strict Prop 65 lead limit by about 3x, raising real safety concerns for regular users of turmeric. 

.

In a related YouTube Short (view here), Dr. Tod Cooperman, President and Founder of ConsumerLab, shares independent lab test results on turmeric/curcumin supplements and ground turmeric spice. While I applaud the detail and work that went into producing the video and testing the products, I found it overly confusing and, in some cases, inaccurate.

The subject of the bioavailability or absorption of turmeric/curcumin adds more confusion. Dr. Cooperman is correct in that curcumin absorbs poorly on its own because it is not water-soluble. Taking it with a fat-containing meal dramatically improves uptake — a simple,

Turmeric Golden Latte

effective strategy. Or take it with a Golden Latte. (Recipe here.)

Black pepper (piperine) continues to spark debate. While it boosts blood levels by inhibiting liver metabolism (often cited as increasing bioavailability up to 2,000%), this may hurt gut-level benefits. Adding black pepper can rush curcumin into the liver, limiting time for gut microbes to break it down into beneficial metabolites. For microbiome-focused effects (gut health, local anti-inflammatory action), skipping black pepper may be better, allowing more curcumin to interact with microbes before it is taken up by the liver. For more information on black-pepper, check out our blog here.

I also found it interesting that the study seemed to make a distinction between turmeric, as a spice and turmeric as a health supplement. It also seemed to make a distinction between turmeric and curcumin. As you know, turmeric has been used as a spice for thousands of years and is an important part of Ayurvedic medicine. In reality, it doesn't matter if I take turmeric rhizomes, process them into a powder and put them in one of those little metal cans and sell them in the kitchen section under spices or put them in capsules and sell them in the health food supplement section or put them in a nice bag and sell them in the pet food section as a Dog Food Topper. It's all turmeric powder.

Turmeric is composed of around 250 compounds that are broadly broken down as follows with the benefits of each:

·         Curcuminoids — Potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant; may reduce arthritis pain, support heart health, manage oxidative stress, depression, metabolic syndrome.

·         Essential oils (terpenoids) — Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial; potential anticancer, neuroprotective, anti-ulcer, cardiovascular support.

·         Polysaccharides — Immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory; may aid anti-aging, gut health, arthritis relief, immune function.

·         Other phenolics — Contribute to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effects; support overall protection against oxidative damage and chronic conditions.

·         Macronutrients/minerals (carbs, proteins, fats, minerals) — Provide basic nutrition (fiber, iron, potassium, manganese); minor role in energy, blood health, antioxidant enzyme support.

Curcumin Powder

I think sometimes we focus so much on curcumin that we forget about all of the other compounds. Turmeric normally contains 3-6% of curcumin by weight. There are specific diseases and conditions that warrant additional curcumin, such as arthritis, heart disease, etc. For that reason, we produced the CurcumaMAX line of products which have enhanced levels of curcumin. (Learn more about CurcumaMAX here). If you want to learn more about curcumin, check out our blog here.

Our message is simple. We believe in sticking to nature as much as possible. We do not manipulate our turmeric using hard-to-pronounce methods. We do believe that fermenting turmeric greatly increases its bioavailability in the gut. This is backed up by scientific studies. Read more about the benefits of fermentation here.

Don't gamble with your health. Products that we used to think would help us are now poisoning us. Take responsibility for what you consume.

And lastly – we believe most of all in the results. We get lots of testimonials – both sent to us personally and posted as a product review. We receive so much feedback that our turmeric has helped reduce the pain of arthritis, which has brought about other changes to cholesterol levels, improved heart and – yes – even helped in the battle against cancer. We are so gratified at being able to make a real difference in people’s lives.

If you have any questions about what we have covered here or about how turmeric can help you, please contact us

. We are happy to help out in any way we can.