Glossary

Turmeric and curcumin terms, explained

Plain-language definitions of the words you’ll see on our labels, in research and across this site.

Bioactive Curcumin: Golden Tiger’s name for curcumin that is first made more soluble (bioavailable) and prepared with a patent-pending heat process, without black pepper or an oil carrier. Each can contains 100 mg.
Bioavailability: How much of a substance is absorbed and becomes available to the body. Curcumin on its own has low bioavailability because it dissolves poorly in water.
Black pepper extract (piperine): A compound from black pepper often added to turmeric supplements to slow curcumin’s breakdown. Golden Tiger does not use it.
Curcumin: The main active compound in turmeric root, a yellow polyphenol and the most studied of the curcuminoids.
Curcuminoids: The group of related compounds in turmeric: curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Together they make up roughly 2 to 6% of turmeric by weight.
Daily Value (DV): The reference amount used on Nutrition Facts labels. For Vitamin C, the Daily Value is 90 mg, so each can of Golden Tiger provides 100% DV.
Gingerol: The main pungent compound in fresh ginger, responsible for its warm bite. Golden Tiger uses organic ginger extract with naturally occurring gingerol.
Gut–skin axis: A research concept describing the two-way connection between the digestive system and the skin.
Heat solubilization: Heating curcumin in water to increase how much of it dissolves. Peer-reviewed research found it raised curcumin’s solubility about twelvefold, from 0.6 to 7.4 µg/mL, without degrading the compound.
Organic blue agave: A plant-based sweetener from the blue agave plant. Golden Tiger pairs it with organic stevia leaf extract to keep sugar at 4 g per can.
Structure/function statement: A statement describing how a nutrient or ingredient supports the body’s normal structure or function, such as “Vitamin C supports normal immune function.” In the US, these carry an FDA disclaimer.
Turmeric: The root (rhizome) of Curcuma longa, a plant in the ginger family, used in cooking and traditional practice for thousands of years.
USDA Organic: Certification under the USDA National Organic Program. Golden Tiger is certified organic by QAI.

Want the full picture? Read The Science or browse the blog.