My Liposomal D + K

Choosing a form is the easy part. These are the questions our naturopaths ask about any curcumin, whatever form it comes in.

A good fit if

• You're an adult wanting curcumin for mild joint aches and stiffness
• You'd rather take curcumin as a liquid than swallow capsules
• You're comfortable that liposomal curcumin only has absorption data so far, with no outcome trial of its own
• You want the form with the newest absorption figures, from one small single-dose study

Check with us first if

• You take any prescription medicine. Curcumin slows liver enzymes that clear many medicines, though results vary between studies.
• You take warfarin or another blood thinner, or have surgery coming up. Turmeric reduced platelet clumping in lab studies. There's no clinical trial either way.
• You're buying for someone aged 2 to 17. Daily curcumin is capped by age in Australia, and an adult product may go over it.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. Supplement doses have only been shown safe in animals, not in people.
• You already take another turmeric or curcumin product, including a joint or multi-herb formula. The daily total adds up.
• Your stomach upsets easily. Stomach upset is the main side effect reported.

• Liposomal curcumin (phospholipid encapsulation, usually a liquid). Best known for: The premium liquid option, with the newest absorption data for a single product in this group. Absorption: In an 18-person single-dose study, one nano-liposomal product reached about 23 times higher blood levels than plain curcumin; but in an independent comparison of 8 formulations, liposomes as a group didn't stand out. Typical use: No trial has yet tested this exact form by mouth for health outcomes. The well-known liposomal safety studies were given by drip in hospital, and don't apply to the liquid or capsule you swallow.
• Plain curcumin extract (about 95% curcuminoids). Best known for: The standard starting point. Most of the joint reviews pool it together with the enhanced forms. Absorption: Poor. Blood levels after 2 g on its own were undetectable or very low. Typical use: Higher-milligram capsules, around the doses used in the joint trials.
• Curcumin with black pepper (piperine). Best known for: The most common way to boost absorption. Absorption: Piperine slows how fast curcumin is cleared. A 1998 study reported a big rise; a 2021 comparison didn't repeat it. Typical use: Widely available. Piperine also slows a pathway many medicines rely on, so it comes with its own caution.
• BCM-95 / Curcugreen. Best known for: Pairing curcumin with turmeric's own essential oil instead of black pepper. Absorption: Came last against Theracurmin and Meriva in one small study linked to a product developer. Typical use: The choice without black pepper; its main knee trial wasn't blinded.
• Curcumin phytosome (Meriva). Best known for: The most clinical research of any brand, including an 8-month joint study. Absorption: Bound to lecithin; measured well above plain curcuminoids. Typical use: The curcumin number on the label looks low, because the lecithin complex does the work.
• Theracurmin (submicron particles, water-dispersible). Best known for: The smallest trial dose of any curcumin form, backed by a placebo-controlled knee trial. Absorption: Reached higher blood levels than BCM-95 and Meriva in one small study linked to a product developer; didn't stand out in an independent trial of 8 formulations. Typical use: Low-milligram capsules; compare them on milligrams of curcumin a day.

Reference values. None. Curcumin isn't a nutrient, so the NHMRC doesn't set a recommended intake for it.

Typical supplemental range. There's no trial of liposomal curcumin taken by mouth that measured a health outcome, so there's no typical dose to point to. The one absorption study used an amount that provided 400 mg of curcumin, compared with 2,000 mg of plain curcumin. Trials of plain curcumin for joints mostly use about 1,000 mg a day. Check the label for how many milligrams of curcumin each dose gives you, because the word "liposomal" tells you nothing about the amount.

Upper level. There's no NHMRC upper limit and no adult maximum in Australia's rules. For children, the daily amount is capped by age, and curcumin isn't allowed for children under 2 at all. The exact wording is in the Australian status section. A safety review found 6 g a day of plain curcumin was tolerated for 4 to 7 weeks.

Worth knowing. Absorption figures from different studies compare different things, at different doses, measured in different ways, so you can't line up one brand's number against another's. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Turmeric root, fresh or dried and ground: where curcumin comes from. It's a cooking spice across India, China, South-East Asia and beyond, and no reliable per-serve curcumin figure's been established from our sources
• Turmeric as a food and medicine colour: permitted in Australian medicines as a colour only. That's colouring, not a therapeutic amount
• The practical limit of food: the curcumin doses used in joint trials are far above anything cooking with turmeric gives you

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• It's for a child under 2. It isn't allowed at this age (items 1647 and 1650).
• It's for a child aged 2-17. Daily curcumin is capped at 36 mg (2-3 years), 48 mg (4-11 years) and 123 mg (12-17 years).
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding. Safety at supplement doses has only been shown in animals.
• You notice liver symptoms: yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, tummy pain or itching. The required label warning says to stop and see a doctor.
• Know about rare turmeric-linked liver injury. In 10 confirmed US cases, 5 people were hospitalised and 1 died; symptoms appeared 1 to 4 months after starting.
• You take prescription medicines. Curcumin slows CYP450 enzymes that clear many medicines, so herb-drug interactions should be considered.
• You take warfarin or antiplatelets, or have surgery coming up. Curcumin reduced platelet clumping in lab studies only.
• You have a sensitive stomach. Stomach upset is the main reported side effect.
• You already take other turmeric or curcumin products. Don't double up.
• Trials of liposomal curcumin given by drip showed dose-related blood cell changes at high doses. That was hospital IV use, not the liquid or capsule sold here, and doesn't apply to it.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before you start.