Full profile
| Also known as | Longvida, Curcuminoids |
|---|---|
| Best for | Working memory support · Mood support |
| Evidence grade | Grade C — Limited — early or small human trials |
| Studied dose range | 400 mg/day of Longvida (delivering roughly 80 mg curcuminoids). |
| Time to effect | Some acute mood effects; working-memory benefit studied over 4 weeks. |
| Best form | Longvida or an equivalent lipidated/phospholipid-complexed curcumin — plain turmeric powder has poor bioavailability. |
Evidence, honestly graded
Cox 2015 and a 2020 follow-up found modest working-memory and mood/fatigue benefits with the Longvida lipidated formulation versus placebo. Downgraded from B to C on 2026-07-11: both trials are the same research group (Swinburne) using Longvida material — internal, same-group replication, not the independent cross-sponsor replication a B requires — and the studied population skews 50+ rather than a broad healthy-adult range.
See the full grading rubric — study type, replication, population match, and dose adequacy — in The Evidence Standard.
Side effects
- Generally well tolerated
- Mild GI upset in some users
Who should avoid it or check first
- Gallbladder disease without clinician guidance
- Scheduled for surgery (theoretical bleeding risk)
Interactions
- Theoretical antiplatelet effect — caution with anticoagulants — discuss with a clinician
Stacks well with
What to look for on a label
- Specify the bioavailability-enhanced form (e.g. Longvida) and its curcuminoid delivery — plain turmeric extract does not match the studied material.
References
- Cox 2015, J Psychopharmacology — Longvida curcumin RCT. Healthy older adults; acute and 4-week dosing improved working memory and mood/fatigue measures versus placebo. PMID 25277322. Educational, not a product claim.
- Cox 2020 — Longvida curcumin follow-up. Same research group; broadly replicated the working-memory and mood signal in an older-adult sample. PMID 32512782. Internal (same-group) replication — noted as the honest caveat behind the B grade rather than A.
Grades and studied doses are our conservative reading of the human research, shown for education. They are not product claims, and a studied dose is not a recommended dose.
Revision history
Every change to this ingredient's evidence status, dated and explained. The full cross-library log lives at Evidence Updates.
- 2026-07-11Grade changeGrade B → Grade C
Downgraded from B to C. The cognition signal comes from a small number of trials with a specific bioavailable form; the broader, independent replication needed for a B is not there yet.
See how Curcumin (lipidated) compares on grade, dose, and goal in the Evidence Explorer.
