Supplement Glossary

Absorption is the uptake of a substance from the gut into the blood – how it works, what it depends on and why it is so low for curcumin.

Activated osteoarthritis is a flare of joint wear in which the joint also becomes inflamed, with swelling, warmth and pain at rest.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a plant-based essential omega-3 fatty acid that the body converts to EPA and DHA only to a limited extent.

An animal study tests compounds in animals, usually mice or rats – what it can show, where it falls short and why it does not automatically apply to humans.

Anticoagulants (“blood thinners”) slow blood clotting or stop platelets clumping, and can interact with curcumin and turmeric.

Antioxidants are substances that neutralise reactive oxygen compounds and can help protect cell components from oxidative damage.

Ayurveda is India's traditional system of medicine, in which turmeric has been used for thousands of years – origin, meaning and scientific context.

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a growth factor for nerve cells. What it does and what studies on curcumin show.

Bile acids are made in the liver and make fats digestible – their role, their cycle and why they matter for fat-soluble compounds such as curcumin.

Bioavailability describes what share of a compound actually reaches the bloodstream. For curcumin it is naturally very low.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood marker of inflammatory activity. What it measures, what levels mean and how it is used in curcumin studies.

Cartilage is the smooth, elastic tissue covering joint surfaces and absorbing impact. Learn how it is built and why it recovers so poorly.

A certificate of analysis (COA) documents the lab testing of a batch for content and contaminants. How to read one and what makes it meaningful.

Choleretic means a substance stimulates the production and flow of bile. What this means for turmeric and curcumin, and when caution applies.

Curcumin is the yellow main active compound of the turmeric root: well studied, but fat-soluble and hard for the body to absorb.

Curcuminoids are the yellow active compounds of turmeric root: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

Cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) are enzymes that make prostaglandins and so mediate pain and inflammation. How they work and why NSAIDs inhibit them.

CYP3A4 is an enzyme in the liver and gut that breaks down a large share of all medicines and can be inhibited by piperine.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid and a key building block of the brain and retina.

In a double-blind study, neither participants nor investigators know who receives the active substance and who gets the placebo. Why that matters.

Interactions are mutual influences between medicines, supplements or foods that can change how they work and how well they are tolerated.

Dyspepsia describes upper abdominal complaints such as fullness and early satiety, often called indigestion or functional stomach trouble.

EFSA is the European Food Safety Authority, which assesses food additives, nutrients and health claims scientifically.

The endothelium is the thin inner cell layer of all blood vessels. It controls vessel width and blood flow. Learn what it does and what curcumin studies found.

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty sea fish and algae oil.

Essential fatty acids cannot be made by the body, so you have to get them from food.

Essential oils are volatile aroma compounds of the plant; in turmeric powder they shape smell and taste and are largely absent from many curcumin extracts.

In ethanol extraction, curcuminoids are dissolved out of the turmeric root with alcohol; it is a common method for making turmeric extracts.

Evidence describes how strong the scientific support for a claim is, from cell experiments to meta-analyses.

Fasting blood glucose is the blood sugar level after at least eight hours without food – normal values, meaning and what studies on curcumin show.

The first-pass effect is the breakdown of a compound in the gut wall and liver before it reaches the general circulation.

Fish oil comes from fatty sea fish and is the classic source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.

Food supplements are foods that add nutrients or other substances in dosed form to complement the normal diet.

Gallstones are solid deposits in the gallbladder or bile ducts; with turmeric and curcumin they are a reason to talk to a doctor first.

Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining that can be acute or chronic and has a range of possible causes.

Ghee is clarified butter and is regarded in Ayurveda as a carrier for active substances – what it is and why it pairs with turmeric.

Gingerols are the pungent compounds in fresh ginger; drying turns some into shogaols. What they are and what studies investigated.

Glucuronidation is a detoxification step in which the body attaches glucuronic acid to a compound so it dissolves in water and can be excreted.

GRAS stands for “Generally Recognized As Safe” and is a US classification for substances regarded as safe in food.

The half-life is the time it takes for half of a substance to be broken down or eliminated from the body.

Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic are unwanted contaminants. Why they matter for turmeric powder.

Hepatotoxicity means a substance can damage the liver. What the term means, how to read liver values and what is known about curcumin.

HPLC separates the components of a sample and measures how much of each is present, a standard method in quality control.

In vitro refers to experiments in the lab on cells or molecules outside a living organism; results cannot be transferred directly to humans.

Inflammatory markers are blood values such as CRP, interleukin-6 or TNF-α that indicate inflammation – what they measure and what they do not tell you.

Interleukin-6 is a messenger of the immune system that drives inflammatory responses and is frequently measured as an inflammatory marker in studies.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder with abdominal pain and altered bowel habits, without an identifiable organic cause.

Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) is wear and tear of the knee joint. Here is what happens in the joint and what studies on curcumin looked at.

Lipophilic means fat-loving: such compounds dissolve well in fat and oil but barely in water, as curcumin does.

Liver enzymes such as ALT and AST are blood values that hint at strain on liver cells and play a role in supplement safety.

Magnesium bisglycinate is magnesium bound to two molecules of the amino acid glycine, often considered well tolerated.

A meta-analysis statistically combines the results of several individual studies to give a more robust overall estimate.

Micelles are tiny spheres of surfactant molecules that can carry fat-soluble compounds such as curcumin in water.

Morning stiffness is the stiffness felt in joints after waking up or after rest – a typical symptom of osteoarthritis.

NF-κB is a protein complex that switches on genes for inflammation and immune response in cells. What it does and what is studied about curcumin.

NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and diclofenac, with possible stomach, kidney and cardiovascular risks.

Osteoarthritis is wear of the joint cartilage with inflammatory reactions: causes, typical symptoms and what studies on curcumin investigated.

Oxalate (oxalic acid) is a natural plant compound that can form crystals with calcium. Why it matters for kidney stones and turmeric.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and the body's own defence systems – explained simply, with markers and what studies found.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a transport protein that pumps foreign substances out of cells – important for absorption of compounds and for drug interactions.

Pharmacokinetics describes how a compound is absorbed, distributed, broken down and excreted: in short, what the body does to the substance.

Phospholipids are fat-like molecules that form cell membranes and occur in lecithin; with curcumin they form phytosomes.

A phytosome is a complex of a plant compound and phospholipids designed to improve absorption in the gut.

Piperine is the pungent compound of black pepper. It blocks breakdown pathways in liver and gut and raises curcumin absorption – with risks for medication.

A placebo is a dummy treatment without an active ingredient, used in studies as a comparison to separate real effects from expectation.

Platelet aggregation is the clumping of blood platelets – the first step of blood clotting and the target of many blood thinners.

Plant compounds with antioxidant properties, found e.g. in berries, cocoa and turmeric.

Polysorbate 80 (E 433) is an emulsifier that disperses fat-soluble substances in water and is used in some curcumin products.

Pullulan is a plant-based capsule material that a fungus makes from starch, a vegan alternative to gelatine.

A randomised controlled trial assigns participants to groups by chance and compares them: the standard for reliable evidence.

Silent inflammation is a subtle, chronic inflammatory process without clear symptoms. What lies behind it and what can be measured.

A standardised extract contains a defined share of the active compound, for example 95 % curcuminoids, regardless of the harvest.

Study participants (subjects) are volunteers in scientific studies, often healthy; patients have the condition under study. Why the distinction matters.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme made by the body that neutralises aggressive superoxide radicals, part of the cells' own protection systems.

A systematic review evaluates all studies on one question using fixed rules. Learn how it works and how to judge its findings.

Triglycerides are the main blood fats and energy stores of the body; fasting values below 150 mg/dl are considered normal.

Turmeric extract is a concentrated extract of the turmeric root with a high curcuminoid content: how it differs from powder, how it is made, quality markers.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. What it is and what studies on curcumin investigated.

Vitamin K2 (MK-7) is a long-lived form of vitamin K made by bacteria and often combined with vitamin D3.

The WOMAC index is a standardised questionnaire that measures pain, stiffness and physical function in osteoarthritis of the knee and hip.

γ-Cyclodextrin is a ring-shaped sugar molecule of eight glucose units that can enclose fat-soluble compounds such as curcumin.