Turmeric has been used in cooking and medicine for thousands of years in South Asia, and is an important spice in Ayurveda, an ancient form of traditional Indian healing still used today. Known as the ‘golden spice’, in cooking, turmeric gives Indian, Asian and Thai curries their yellowy-orange colour and is often used in a spice blend to give warmth and flavour to dishes.
Medicinally, it’s been used in India for generations to help relieve conditions of the digestive tract and the skin, to help manage stiff joints, and general aches and pains.
In recent years, the Western world has become more aware of turmeric and its potential health benefits. In fact, many, many research projects have studied turmeric and its active ingredient that’s now known to be responsible for its health benefits, curcumin. These studies have found promising results and suggest that turmeric supplements could have many health benefits and uses, including as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
More recent research still points in the same direction, but it also shows why turmeric products can perform very differently from one another. The extract used, the dose, and the delivery format all matter. A 2025 network meta-analysis on knee osteoarthritis found turmeric products promising overall, while a 2026 critical review said the evidence is encouraging but mixed in quality. This is why choosing well is the key with any supplement, even when it is as seemingly simple as turmeric.
Our top-rated turmeric supplements are the organic fermented turmeric capsules from Living Nutrition. The bioavailability of turmeric, or how easily and how well it’s absorbed into the bloodstream, can be fairly low in some supplements. Fermented turmeric is considered more bioavailable and can therefore impart more benefits.
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Turmeric supplement |
Highlights |
Total turmeric |
Per unit |
Price |
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Certified organic, 100% natural, highly absorbable |
18,000mg |
300mg |
£24.99 |
|
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Best turmeric drink in powder form |
50,000mg |
2000mg |
£29.99 |
|
|
Certified organic gummies with 25mg of CBD |
1,500mg |
25mg |
£49.99 |
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High-strength turmeric with black pepper |
75,000mg |
1,250mg |
£14.95 |
|
|
Certified organic 100ml bottle |
33,300mg |
333mg |
£14.95 |
|
|
Organic drink with lemon |
390,000mg |
26,000mg |
£25.00 |
Turmeric and curcumin are often thought of as being the same thing. But in fact, turmeric is the spice we’re familiar with in the kitchen, whilst curcumin is a compound found within turmeric.
Used primarily as a spice in cooking, turmeric is most commonly found as a dried powder. It comes from the Curcuma longa plant which is in the same family of plants as ginger. In the same way, as ginger comes from the root of the ginger plant, turmeric powder comes from the root (sometimes called the rhizome) of the Curcuma longa plant.
Most turmeric available in the West originates from India. To produce the dried spice, the root is boiled, dried in a hot oven or in direct sunlight and then ground into a powder. Fresh turmeric is also available, which can be peeled and then sliced or grated into dishes.
Turmeric contains around 200 active compounds called curcuminoids. Of these, the most notable and well-researched is curcumin. As well as colour, curcumin is responsible for the health benefits of turmeric, since curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.
Aside from adding turmeric to your cooking, taking concentrated, pure turmeric supplements with no binders or fillers to ‘mask’ the active ingredient curcumin is considered the most beneficial.
Pure or organic turmeric supplements are available as capsules, powders, drinks, gummies and tinctures, and it’s down to personal choice which one you choose to take. If you’re new to taking supplements or you often forget to take them, for ease, a once-a-day capsule is the best way to take turmeric.
Turmeric isn’t very ‘bioavailable’, meaning that it doesn’t absorb well into the bloodstream. It’s also broken down by the liver during digestion, further decreasing the level of curcumin that can benefit the body.
An ingredient found in black pepper, called piperine, helps to increase the bioavailability of turmeric by up to 2,000%. It’s thought that this is due to two factors – piperine makes it easier for turmeric and curcumin to pass through the wall of the gut into the blood and also slows down the breakdown of curcumin by the liver.
However, some people find that taking a turmeric supplement that also contains piperine causes stomach upsets and discomfort. Fermented turmeric is one useful option, especially for people who do not get on well with black pepper.
More recent reviews also look at water-dispersible, liposomal and other enhanced curcumin formats. At the same time, a 2025 reappraisal argued that broad ‘bioavailability’ claims can sometimes be overstated, so it makes more sense to choose a format you tolerate well and will actually take consistently.
Curcumin is a fat-soluble nutrient which means that it’s absorbed by the fats within the diet, so it’s also a good idea to take turmeric supplements with food that contains healthy fats, such as oily fish, olive oil, avocados, nuts, or seeds. That is one reason turmeric lattes and other drink formats can work well in daily life: they are easy to pair with milk, coconut milk or other fats already in the recipe.
Turmeric is considered generally safe to take as a daily supplement. However, taking it with black pepper (piperine) may cause stomach upset. Plus, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, its safety hasn’t yet been established.
There are some health conditions that may be negatively affected by taking turmeric, and these include kidney stones, diseases of the gall bladder, diabetes, iron deficiency and blood clotting disorders. If you have any of these conditions, speak to your doctor before taking turmeric supplements.
Turmeric supplements have been linked with various health benefits, mostly linked to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of curcumin. Perhaps most notably, curcumin can be used to help reduce the inflammation linked to joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Inflammation is also linked to other conditions such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
The strongest modern evidence still tends to sit around joints and inflammation. A 2025 meta-analysis found turmeric products helpful overall for knee osteoarthritis, but a 2026 review also warned that the quality of many reviews is still low. In other words, turmeric remains promising, but it is better to think in terms of steady support than miracles.
Whilst studies continue into the absolute link between curcumin and its potential to help manage these diseases, what is currently understood, is that the active ingredient in turmeric, is a potent anti-inflammatory and chronic inflammatory disease “will be at the forefront as promising targets for curcumin therapy”.
Turmeric supplements rich in curcumin have also been found to help people struggling with depression when taken alongside regular medications. It’s also been found to raise levels of the ‘happy hormones’, serotonin and dopamine.
Other studies have found links between taking turmeric supplements and healthier gut microbiota. The gut is home to trillions of bacteria, viruses and protozoa, collectively known as the gut microbiota. The more thriving the microbiota, the better our gut health and digestion.
There is also newer interest in skin ageing and healthy ageing more broadly. A 2025 trial on a water-dispersible turmeric extract in healthy women reported improvements in several facial skin measures, and a 2024 review looked at curcumin’s wider anti-ageing potential through its antioxidant and cell-signalling effects.
In terms of the antioxidant properties of curcumin, taking turmeric supplements can benefit the immune system. An antioxidant such as curcumin can help to protect the immune system by neutralising free radicals, and unstable molecules of oxygen that can damage the cells of the immune system.
Turmeric supplements come in many different forms and we have chosen our personal favourites in each area. You can then find the supplement most suited to your needs.
Organic fermented turmeric capsules from Living Nutrition contain 600mg of turmeric per serving (two capsules) that’s been fermented in a similar way to kefir and kombucha. Fermented turmeric is more bioavailable than regular turmeric, and is safer than taking turmeric with black pepper to make it more bioavailable.
Taking a more bioavailable turmeric supplement means that it will be absorbed through the gut wall and into the bloodstream more efficiently, meaning that it’s more beneficial to health as your body receives more of the active compound curcumin. The anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin also helps balance liver function.
Living Nutrition have developed their own fermenting technique to increase the bioavailability of their supplements and are actively involved in nutritional and scientific studies directly linked to producing the highest-quality products.
Their organic fermented turmeric capsules are suitable for vegans and are free from gluten, preservatives, fillers and binders. They’re designed to be taken once a day with food.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body and is especially important for the skin, joints and connective tissues. As we get older, natural collagen production slows down, which is one reason collagen powders have become such a popular part of many daily routines.
The turmeric latte blend brings collagen and turmeric together in a simple, warming drink that is easy to keep up. With pure bovine collagen from grass-fed cows and an organic turmeric latte mix including turmeric, coconut milk powder, cinnamon, ginger and black peppercorn, it offers a more rounded option than plain collagen alone.
It works well as an afternoon drink, an evening wind-down, or a gentler alternative to coffee if you want something warming and nourishing. You can mix it with dairy or plant milk, and it also blends nicely into porridge or smoothies if that suits your routine better.
CBD is extracted from the Cannabis sativa plant and contains undetectable levels of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis responsible for its intoxicating effects. This means that taking CBD won’t give you a ‘high’.
Instead, CBD has been linked with several benefits. Taking CBD in gummy form is a popular way of taking CBD in a pre-measured amount.
The vegan CBD gummies with turmeric and spirulina from CBDfx contain 25mg of broad-spectrum organic CBD per gummy and are ideal for combining with a busy, stressful lifestyle.
This kind of combination suits people who do not necessarily want a stand-alone turmeric capsule. It is more of a convenient all-in-one format, especially for those who already enjoy gummies and want turmeric alongside CBD rather than on its own.
They contain no animal gelatine, making them suitable for vegans, and contain 100% natural ingredients. The added turmeric provides protective anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, whilst the spirulina provides a multitude of vitamins and minerals.
If you would prefer a CBD oil with turmeric, Purple Edition water-soluble CBD includes turmeric in a full-spectrum CBD and CBDa liquid with terpenes. It is a lighter, more flexible option for people who prefer to add a liquid to food or drink.
Harrogate Organics’ Turmeric & Black Pepper High Strength is a straightforward capsule option for people who want a simple turmeric routine without extra blends or drink preparation. The product page describes it as a high-strength turmeric and black pepper supplement, with 60 capsules per bottle, suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The listed ingredients are turmeric, organic brown rice flour and black pepper.
This is the kind of supplement that suits people who want something practical and familiar: just capsules, taken daily, without having to think about recipes or powders. Harrogate Organics recommends one capsule twice daily, ideally on an empty stomach, and notes that black pepper is included because it may help improve turmeric absorption.
Some people do find that taking turmeric with piperine causes them stomach problems. So, if you notice stomach cramping, bloating or pain, or you experience an upset stomach, it’s best to try a fermented turmeric capsule without the piperine.
A tincture is a liquid solution designed to be taken in minimal amounts that contains an active substance such as an herb or a medicine, dissolved in alcohol to create a highly-concentrated supplement. Despite the alcohol content, a tincture is meant to be taken in very small servings, and sometimes mixed with water, there’s no risk of becoming intoxicated.
The turmeric tincture from Organic Herbal Remedies contains the finest quality turmeric root sourced from India and Sri Lanka and is manufactured in the UK. Just 1ml of this tincture contains the equivalent of 333mg of dried turmeric root.
Considered more bioavailable than some other turmeric supplements, this turmeric tincture contains no artificial ingredients and is approved by the Soil Association as organic.
A turmeric tincture is ideal if you prefer to take a liquid supplement rather than a tablet or capsule. Plus, due to its high concentration, there’s no need for a large or cumbersome bottle.
James White’s Organic Turmeric Zinger Shot is a simple, ready-made option for people who want turmeric in a quick, drinkable format rather than as a capsule or powder.
Each 70 ml shot is made with pressed apple and pressed turmeric, with a little natural chilli flavouring and black pepper extract to round out the taste. The product page says each shot is made from 26 g of turmeric, and it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
This kind of product suits busy mornings, travel days, or anyone who likes the idea of turmeric but knows they won’t keep up with mixing powders or taking several capsules. James White recommends one shot a day, and the flavour profile sounds punchy but still approachable, with reviewers describing it as smooth and easy to enjoy.
Taking a daily turmeric supplement may benefit your health in many ways and may help to protect your immune system. We recommend taking any turmeric supplement 4-8 weeks to see any noticeable benefits.
If you do not want a stand-alone turmeric supplement, we also stock it in a few broader formulas. Super Antioxidant Plus includes turmeric alongside glutathione, grape seed, pine bark, green tea, bilberry and CoQ10, so it is more of a general antioxidant blend than a turmeric product on its own.
The Arthro Pack combines turmeric and curcumin with fish collagen, MSM, chondroitin, glucosamine and fish oil, so it is more of a full joint-support stack than a simple turmeric supplement.
If you would like any further advice on choosing the best curcumin supplement for you feel free to reach out to us using the chat function or via the information on our contact page.
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Hannah de Gruchy
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