Turmeric v Curcumin: What’s the Difference?

For millennia, we’ve taken turmeric for its medicinal properties. It has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and is a staple of South Asian cooking. It’s also received a lot of attention in the wellness industry over recent years. Hip cafes started to serve golden milk, and turmeric started to pop up as an ingredient in high-end skincare products.

What is turmeric?

Fresh turmeric (Curcuma longa) is grown in root form. It is in the same family as ginger. Turmeric powder is created by boiling, drying, and crushing parts of the plant, mainly its roots. Its powder form has been used in traditional South Asian and Middle Eastern dishes for thousands of years. As wonderful as turmeric is, the problem we have is that its bioavailability (absorption power) is extremely poor, so when we eat it, we do not receive its bountiful benefits.

What is curcumin?

If you’re already familiar with our brand, you will know that curcumin is the key active compound found in turmeric. It’s what gives turmeric its health-boosting qualities. Curcumin belongs to a group of plant-based nutrients called curcuminoids. Curcuminoids were first isolated from turmeric about 200 years ago, and are the colouring agents that give the spice its vibrant allure.

Curcumin is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, but the curcumin content of turmeric is tiny—only 3% on average. 

So, why choose Kurk curcumin?

Ultimately, curcumin is the star of the show, but nature needed a little help from its friend, science. 

Our experts have developed a process that allows us to extract curcumin, distill it and break it down into the form most easily absorbed by your body. 30kg of turmeric, transformed into 1kg of active, effective liquid gold curcumin.

Curcumin fights inflammation. And inflammation is the root cause of multiple health issues—from Alzheimer’s to arthritis, depression to heart disease. Because it’s specially formulated for absorption, taken regularly, Kurk can have cumulative effects, improving everything from sleep quality to stress levels, muscle aches to memory.

In Kurk, the best of nature meets the best of science—and curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties are amplified.