What is curcumin? Not what you might think.

You may have heard that the polyphenol curcumin may have beneficial effects on your health. To your glee, you may have busted out the taco seasoning or whipped out the cumin to create your own blend. 

But wait one second. Curcumin is not the same thing as the spice cumin. Curcumin is actually the active ingredient in the spice turmeric. Yes, it is confusing. 

So, can curcumin or turmeric help our health? We spoke with Ilisa Nussbaum, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at Yale Children's Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut to find out everything you need to know about the difference between these two things, and how they can impact our health. 

What is curcumin? 

To understand curcumin, we first need to understand polyphenols. Polyphenols are compounds found in many plant foods, and they generally act as antioxidants, which can help protect the plants (and subsequently, those who eat the plants) from cell damage. 

Nussbaum explains, “Curcumin is a polyphenol, and it is the active component of turmeric. It actually gives turmeric that beautiful golden color that everyone loves. It's a root of a plant and it's botanically related to ginger.” 

More:Turmeric has many purported health benefits. Does science back any of them up?

Are turmeric and curcumin the same thing? 

While curcumin is found inside of turmeric, they are not the same thing. Turmeric will contain other active ingredients like demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. That’s a mouthful! 

What does curcumin do for the body?

Curcumin's (and turmeric’s) claim to fame is its effect on inflammation. Nussbaum says, “(Curcumin) has been shown to have tons of antioxidant properties and lots of anti-inflammation properties. It has been studied and shown to help with things like colitis and arthritis. Any disease that has some inflammation component to it.” 

Although there can be some benefits, there are also some drawbacks. The Micronutrient Information Center at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University says that the therapeutic potential for curcumin may be limited by poor bioavailability, or the ability to be absorbed by the body, particularly as an oral supplement. 

Nussbaum also articulated some of her concerns, “The risk that you're running with curcumin, and I have seen this happen in people that are taking the curcumin supplements because it's so condensed and so concentrated that it can cause kidney stones. And it can interfere with some medications.” She further emphasizes, “So if you're someone that's taking curcumin supplements, it's really important to talk to your physician and find out if it is going to interfere with any medications that you're on, particularly chemotherapy medications and blood thinners.” 

Dietary supplements:What are dietary supplements and how can they lead to better health?