Turmeric, a beautifully golden-orange spice praised for its beneficial effects on health, is used by many in the belief that it supports the immune system, fights off inflammatory disease, alleviates joint pain, and even protects you from cancer.
But is that true? Research into its anti-inflammatory, health-giving properties seems optimistic about its medicinal potential, particularly the compound contained within turmeric called curcumin. However, research is not yet conclusive, although many nutrition professionals encourage an increased use of turmeric in cooking. Indeed, turmeric has been commonly used by Ayurvedic practitioners – an ancient Indian medical system – for over 3000 years which could lead you to conclude there might be something in it!
And I like to think there is because my personal experience of taking a turmeric supplement has been incredibly positive. So, if you are thinking about increasing your intake of this wonderful golden spice too, I hope you find this guide to the Best Turmeric Supplements helpful.
Vegan Mum’s Top Picks
- Best for joint health: Performance Lab
- Best organic: Dr Vegan
- Best food-grown: Wild Nutrition
- Best value for money: Vegan Vitality
- Best small tablet: Nutrition Geeks
- Best for immunity: Vitl
- Best packaging: Feel
I have exclusive discount codes for some of these brands that genuinely work! See the individual brand entries below for details.
Why I take a turmeric supplement
I started weight training at the gym at the end of 2023, but nearly gave up when the resulting aches and pains in my hips and thighs became almost unbearable. But because my daughters wouldn’t hear of me giving up (thankfully!) I dug around on the internet and unearthed some research that suggested turmeric might help, or perhaps more importantly, the curcumin contained within it – see this useful article by the Arthritis Foundation for more information on that.
Whilst it’s a spice I already use in some of my recipes, my culinary repertoire is pretty varied and turmeric isn’t always an appropriate ingredient. So to increase my intake, I decided to use a supplement and eventually found one that was right for me and within a few weeks, I experienced a very noticeable improvement. And whilst I still occasionally get aches and pains, it’s normally only when I’ve been a little too optimistic about my weight-lifting capability!
Please note that if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on any form of medication, do not take any supplements without first seeking medical advice.
Here are my top picks for the best turmeric supplements
Turmeric supplements come in a variety of formulations and may contain additional ingredients and differing levels of curcumin depending upon its main purpose. For example: Vitamin C and Zinc to help you fight off infections, or Boswellia Serrata to target joint pain. I’ve tried to make that clear where it’s relevant. All the entries in this guide are vegan, have subscriptions available and pricing is accurate at the time of publishing. Got a question first? Try my FAQs below.
Flex from Performance Lab
- Price: from £33 per month – free shipping
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: plastic tub
- Serving: 2 capsules per day, preferably morning, with food
- Amount per serving: CurcuWIN® 250mg
Flex from Performance Lab is my preferred supplement because it is formulated to target joint pain and flexibility, and has worked for me very quickly and successfully. It contains their own proprietary blend of turmeric and curcumin, called CurcuWIN®, considered by many experts to be highly bioavailable to the body. And it has further ingredients too including vegan glucosamine, Phytodroitin™ – a plant-based version of chondroitin found in non-vegan joint supplements – and Boswellia serrata, another anti-inflammatory agent.
In addition to the standard dosage, they state you can take another 2 capsules after exercise if you find it helps, although I’ve never had to do that. Follow the pack instructions carefully though. This is a clean label brand too which means they avoid unnecessary ingredients like fillers and bulking agents and their supplements are free from all the common allergens and additives.
Whilst Performance Lab is at the pricier end of the market, apart from the quality (and that it works for me!) I also factor in that I can buy a 3 month supply and get free shipping too which it’s easy to forget can add significant cost.
Pros
- targets joints
- clean label
- curcumin levels
- free shipping
Cons
- higher price
Dr Vegan Curcumin & Turmeric
- Price: from £10.19 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: paper pouch
- Serving: 1 capsule per day with food
- Amount per serving: Curcumin 200mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: MUM30
These capsules win hands down on smell because the aroma of turmeric when you open the compostable paper pouch is fabulous, and it’s actually one of only a couple of my top picks that actually smell like what they contain! Very reassuring. The organic ingredients include a good level of curcumin as well as ginger root and black pepper, the last of which contains a compound called piperine which aids the absorption of the curcumin.
It has also been formulated to aid digestive health as well as bones and joints. My only concern with this capsule is its size because it is a little fatter than some others and I find it harder to swallow (I resort to my bread trick – take the capsule, eat a mouthful of bread followed by a slug of water)! However, you can open the capsule if you want to and sprinkle the contents over your food or into a drink – it is much more powerful and absorbable than simply scattering over some turmeric from your spice drawer!
If you’d like to read more about this brand’s products, find my Dr Vegan review here.
Pros
- organic
- curcumin levels
- value for money
- packaging
Cons
- larger capsules
Wild Nutrition Turmeric
- Price: from £31.60 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: glass bottle
- Serving: 2 capsules per day
- Amount per serving: Turmeric 1000mg 12.5% curcumin
Using their own proprietary blend of turmeric to provide appropriate levels of curcumin, plus the other elements required to make it easily absorbed by the body, this supplement has a point of difference from the others on this list because it is Food-Grown®.
Wild Nutrition believe that this makes their supplements clean and easy to absorb – essentially, they grow them in a high-quality whole food paste, an organic process meaning that they are natural and don’t rely on synthetic ingredients. It’s very interesting and I know several people who use Wild Nutrition supplements and wouldn’t use anything else, despite the higher price.
Please note that not all Wild Nutrition’s supplements are vegan.
Pros
- packaging
- curcumin levels
- Food-Grown®
Cons
- price
Vegan Vitality Turmeric
- Price: from £6.40 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: plastic tub
- Serving: 1 capsule per day
- Amount per serving: Turmeric (not curcumin alone) 2500mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: VEGAN15
Vegan Vitality is a brand of supplements designed, not surprisingly, with affordable vegan nutrition in mind! Free from any unnecessary additives and with a pleasant low key smell, these smallish capsules contain turmeric, ginger and black pepper, the last of which contains a compound called piperine that helps the curcumin in the turmeric to be absorbed into the body. It is unclear how much curcumin is present but their extraction method suggests it is good.
Shame about the plastic tub because the packaging of some of their other products is more environmentally-friendly. I have written here about their vegan collagen complex for example which comes in a paper pouch. However, the tub contains a 2 month supply, so if you’re looking for a good value for money option, this could be the one for you.
Pros
- value for money
- 2 month supply
- pleasant smell
Cons
- packaging
Nutrition Geeks Turmeric
- Price: from £3.15 per month
- Type: tablet
- Packaging: pouch
- Serving: 2 tablets per day
- Amount per serving: Curcumin 58mg
The real selling point of these supplements, aside from the price, is that these are small tablets, not big capsules! So if you struggle to swallow capsules, you may want to consider Nutrition Geeks. The curcumin levels are lower than some of the others in this guide but to be honest, there are no official daily recommended amounts anyway so you might be happy with that.
If there’s a downside, it’s that perhaps because they are in tablet form, they do contain a couple of additives including magnesium stearate, so not the supplement for you if you are trying to avoid them. However, there are not believed to be any negative side-effects and you can read more here on Healthline’s blog on magnesium stearate.
Pros
- extra ingredients
- packaging
- value for money
Cons
- lower curcumin
- smell
Vitl Immune Support
- Price: from £10.99 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: glass bottle and tin
- Serving: 1 capsule per day
- Amount per serving: Turmeric (not curcumin alone) 100mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: VITLORDINARY10
This supplement contains additional elements that focus more on the immune system, so in addition to turmeric there is Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, Zinc, and Selenium amongst others. It is difficult to ascertain the curcumin levels so I suspect they may be lower than some of the other supplements in this guide. However, it’s supporting ingredients are formulated to reinforce your body’s natural defences as a whole rather than to concentrate on joint health.
I like the packaging – glass and tin – but did notice a slight smell that was more sulphurous than turmeric on first opening. However, it wasn’t overwhelming.
Vitl also offer a personalised vitamin product that you can read more about in my Vitl Review.
Pros
- extra ingredients
- packaging
- value for money
Cons
- lower curcumin
- smell
Feel Pro Turmeric
- Price: from £26.95 per month
- Type: capsule
- Packaging: cardboard tube
- Serving: 2 capsules per day
- Amount per serving: Curcumin 200mg
- DISCOUNT CODE: PARTNER20
With a curcumin level similar to some of the others on this list, these capsules come in very environmentally-friendly packaging and also claim to contain the most bio-available proprietary blend of curcumin although unfortunately, I’m not qualified to comment on that! I can say though that this supplement also contains Vitamins C & D3, and collagen-supporting ingredients too according to the brand’s description on their website.
But I wonder if they’re trying too hard to pack extra stuff in (the capsules are a bit fatter than many too and don’t really smell of turmeric) although it’s just my observation. I guess it depends on how relevant the additional ingredients are to you. If it saves you from buying an additional supplement with the other elements in, then it may make these more cost-effective for you. But for me personally, they’re not what I’m looking for.
Pros
- packaging
- curcumin levels
Cons
- larger capsules
- extra ingredients
FAQs
Is turmeric the same as curcumin?
Curcumin is an element contained within the turmeric root and is believed to be the most potent part of it. It is the key ingredient talked about in supplements and is extracted from the turmeric. Turmeric is a plant native to Southern Asia, related to the ginger plant, and the root (or rhizome) is generally what is used in cooking. It has a warm, earthy and slightly bitter flavour and can be used fresh, although be prepared for orange hands, knives and chopping boards which is why many people use the dried golden-yellow powder spice.
What do ratios mean on supplements?
I’ve seen a lot of talk about curcumin ratios or extraction rates, with different brands extolling the virtues of their own ratio. I’m not about to say that it’s nonsense, but according to research into plant to extract ratios cited on the US government’s National Library of Medicine it’s not always meaningful to the end consumer, so I tend to take brands’ ‘ratio claims’ with a large pinch of salt and instead focus on its curcumin mg levels.
What are the negative side effects of turmeric?
In large quantities it can cause some stomach upset and dizziness but you are unlikely to ingest it in those amounts. It can also have a blood thinning effect as this blog by the British Heart Foundation shows. So, overall, it seems pretty safe but as always, if you’re: under 18; pregnant or breastfeeding; or on any form of medication, please take medical advice about turmeric and turmeric supplements.
More vegan health articles
I hope this guide to the best turmeric supplements has been useful. Below you can find just a few of my many other articles on vegan health.
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