Turmeric has gone from curry staple to daily supplement for joint comfort and inflammation support. Paired with federally legal CBD, the two have a one-two punch for wellness and achy joints.
Most of our readers already know that Turmeric’s key active compound is curcumin, one of a group of antioxidant curcuminoids found in the turmeric root. What far fewer people realize is this: standard turmeric and plain curcumin are very poorly bioavailable. In other words, you can swallow a decent dose, but only a tiny amount makes it into your bloodstream in an active form. The antioxidant won’t work if it is not in your bloodstream, circulating to your cells.
Understanding this bioavailability problem helps you choose forms that are more likely to deliver. At Laura’s Mercantile, we strive to be science-based, so here is the science behind the supplement:
Three issues drive the bioavailability challenge:
1. Curcumin does not dissolve well in water, and your digestive tract is mostly a water-based environment. Undissolved particles simply pass through rather than moving into the bloodstream.
2. It crosses the gut wall inefficiently. Even the fraction that dissolves has trouble passing through the intestinal lining because the molecules are big and don’t dissolve in the water-based environment.
3. The body clears the spice very quickly. The small amount that does get into intestinal cells or the liver is rapidly metabolized— enzymes modify curcumin and tag it for excretion—so blood levels stay very low and do not last long.
Strategies to make turmeric bioavailable
Pepper: In a landmark human study, 2,000 mg of curcumin taken alone produced only trace levels in the blood. The same dose taken with 20 mg of piperine increased curcumin bioavailability by about 20fold (around 2,000%). How piperine helps: It slows down some of the enzymes in the gut and liver that normally break curcumin down quickly. It modestly enhances transport across the intestinal wall. The result: far higher curcumin exposure from the same dose. So when you see a curcumin + black pepper extract capsule, you can think of it as a “same curcumin, better entry and slower exit” system, backed by classic pharmacokinetic data.
At Laura’s Mercantile, we use this strategy in our Ease Gummies. Each gummy has a pinch of black pepper, and the CBD in the gummy is dissolved in coconut oil. Both of these strategies improve bioavailability.
Myceliated turmeric: Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) mushroom mycelium is grown on turmeric root. Turkey tail mycelium grows throughout the turmeric substrate. As it grows, it produces immune-active betaglucans and other polysaccharides, and it can transform components of the turmeric through a fermentation-like process. The finished ingredient is a co-grown matrix of turmeric compounds, mushroom mycelium, and its fermented substrate. In the lab, this shows immune-modulating effects and in animal studies, demonstrates changes in cytokines and other immune markers.
Laura’s Mercantile’s stand-alone turmeric uses this strategy for bioavailability. Check out our high-quality Turmeric!
Mt. Folly Belt and Suspenders: Myceliated Turmeric and CBD dissolved in coconut oil.
Our most popular bundles, now on sale, pair fat-soluble CBD, which is mixed with coconut oil, and then match it with myceliated turmeric. Check out our CBD Bundles!
Mt. Folly CBD is diluted to the right concentration and mixed in organic coconut oil
Taken together, turmeric and our fullspectrum CBD suspended in light tasteless oil make a smart bundle, because the healthy fats in coconut oil help your body absorb turmeric’s fatsoluble active compounds more efficiently. And since the turmeric is mycelliated with turkey tail mushrooms, it is a “Belt and Suspender” approach to bioavailability.