Is "Theracurmin nature's ibuprofen"?

Saw this Facebook post, by iHerb featuring Dr Michael Murray . He was giving his take on natural medication, and said that "Theracurmin is nature's ibuprofen".

Did a bit of digging, and yes – the claim does seems to have a good basis.

First of all, what is theracurmin? In short, theracurmin is processed version of turmeric / curcumin that your body can absorb better. So it's pretty natural, but you can't just get theracurmin directly from any "normal" food.

Next, what does theracurmin do?

This study (a systematic review) examined the efficacy of curcuma longa (Theracurmin is a specific formulation of this) in relieving pain. It found that curcuma longa supplementation had similar effects to medication like Ibuprofen in reducing pain.

Another study (an umbrella review) found that curcumin supplementation had similar pain relieving effects to medications like Ibuprofen, but was more favourable for gastrointestinal and cardiovascular issues.

The catch is that the effects of curcumin (formulations like Theracurmin) only materialise after a few weeks of supplementation.

So if you have a headache, you can pop an Ibuprofen, but a Theracurmin pill won't help.

But if you have chronic pain from arthritis or something, then regular Theracurmin supplements may help.