The Good Curcuminoids, particularly curcumin, are the active comounds in the yellow Asian spice turmeric, and are also  found in ginger. A growing body of research suggests that curcumin has many benefits to human health, including strong anti-cancer, antioxidant, cholesterol, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing qualities.* The research also suggests benefits with the brain conditions that can lead to Alzheimer's disease. Some form of curcumin should be a part of every person's daily diet.

The Not-So Good Curcumin does not absorb well. Many curcumin capsules add piperine (Bioperine), but piperine has potential risks (it suppresses detox enzymes in the liver -- see the piperine page for discussion). In any case, while taking curcumin with a spicy meal might help, piperine clearly does boost absorption, and is the best current way to ensure that the curcumin you take can do its job. That said, it's good to be mindful of piperine intake (it is in various products:  some multi-vitamins and coenzyme Q-10 formulas, and Life Extension's Miraforte, among others -- check the labels), and avoid taking piperine throughout the day, or taking too much (10 mg daily is a prudent limit).

Some recommend getting curcumin purely from ones diet. While turmeric in a curry is surely benefcialt, getting therputic levels of curcumin would require a whole lot of daily curry. Anyone seeking more than minimal intake of curcumin will have to resort to capsules.

I keep turmeric with and without piperine around and take the piperine-free one whenever I am taking another supplement with piperine. I also try to take some whole turmeric with it, since much of the research is based on the whole turmeric complex, not curcumin alone. Update: Note that the new Life Extension Super Bio-Curcumin has shown excellent absorption without requiring piperine. 

Dosage There is some debate on the effective dose for curcumin, particularly related to Alzheimer's. While many of the studies show dose-dependent impact (i.e., by and large, more is better), Andrew Weil has said that the research suggests only low-doses had a positive impact. The research I see says "more is better", but until more human research is available, the debate is clearly not closed.

Resources The published research on curcumin is substantial:

GAIAHEALTH HOME     HEALTH INFORMATION/SEARCH

Summaries

Curcuminoid Research 2005  Summaries of and links to dozens of research papers on curcumin, turmeric, and curcuminoids, covering all aspects of it health benefits.

Curry as a Medical Treatment

Curcumin Summary From AOR, a cutting-edge Canadian supplement company whose highly-regarded products are sometimes distributed by Jarrow in the U.S.

Curcumin and Alzheimer's Disease

Animal Research

Life Extension Review    A detailled report, with multiple citations of curcumin/turmeric research related to Alzheimer's Disease.

Curcumin and Cancer

Breast Cancer

Melanoma

Skin Cancer

Curcumin and Cholesterol, HDL, LDL

Life Extension Research Summary

Curcumin and Stress/Depression

Curcumin vs. Stress

Curcumin and Inflammation

Arthritis Research

Arthritis Summary

Wound-Healing, Anti-oxidant, Anti-bacterial Properties

* Please note that this information is for educational purposes only and does not represent any form of medical advice. Statements made here have not been evaluated by the FDA. Product discussion here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Users are encouraged to work with a nutritionally-oriented doctor before embracing a nutritional or herbal regime