Verified Supplement Data

Third-Party Tested Turmeric and Curcumin Supplements

Buy Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength: it is on both NSF/ANSI 173 and USP Verified, which set lead limits, and it gives 950 mg of curcuminoids a day for $0.83. Only 3 of the 7 brands we checked are on a testing list.

By Erin Rose Updated October 31, 2026 How we score

Our recommendation

Buy Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength

Two capsules a day give about the 1,000 mg of curcuminoids the joint trials used. It is tied for our top score (9.0), and it costs less a day than the other two on a list.

Buy on Amazon · $40.37
  • Take medicines, or get drug tested? Thorne Curcumin Phytosome has no black pepper extract and is on NSF/ANSI 173 and NSF Certified for Sport, at $1.20 a day.

Which turmeric supplements are third-party tested? (3)

An outside program checked each of these and lists it by name. Tap a badge to see the listing.

  1. Our pick

    Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength

    NSF/ANSI 173USP Verified

    950 mg of curcuminoids in 2 capsules · 95% extract (C3 Complex). Has black pepper extract to help absorption.

    $0.83 a day

    Buy on Amazon · $40.37

  2. Nature Made Extra Strength Turmeric

    USP Verified

    950 mg of curcuminoids in 2 capsules · 95% extract. Has black pepper extract. Sold by Amazon.

    $1.04 a day

    Buy on Amazon · $31.29

  3. No black pepper extract

    Thorne Curcumin Phytosome

    NSF Certified for SportNSF/ANSI 173

    1,000 mg of Meriva in 2 capsules · Meriva phytosome. Gives about 200 mg of curcumin, the amount Meriva’s own studies used. Also on NSF Certified for Sport, so it is tested for banned substances too.

    $1.20 a day

    Buy on Amazon · $36.00

A day = the label’s daily serving, with the amount in each row. Costs are each brand’s list price, checked October 18, 2026. Amazon’s price can differ. We count a listing only when it names the same product.

NSF/ANSI 173 also lists Momentous Turmeric Ultra, Irwin Naturals Whole-Body Turmeric Extra, Designs for Health Curcumin Complex, Nutrilite Organics Turmeric (sold through Amway) and up&up Turmeric 500 mg (Target). We do not link those. NSF list read from its August 25, 2026 snapshot.

What lead tests found in turmeric

Lead is the known problem with turmeric, and most products pass. Consumer Reports tested 13 turmeric supplements in 2019. One, CVS Health Turmeric Curcumin, was above its lead limit. Eleven met its criteria. ConsumerLab’s 2023 review of 19 products said, “One product was also found to be contaminated with lead.”

Root powder is where the lead shows up. ConsumerLab’s lead Q&A says lead was found mainly in products made with turmeric root powder, not extract. In a 2018 study by University of Arizona and Vanderbilt researchers, 35 turmeric supplements bought in Tucson stores were tested. Lead was found in 34 of them, averaging 0.12 ppm. Products with turmeric root averaged 2.5 times more lead, and one product was over the 1 ppm limit USP uses. So buy a 95% curcuminoid extract that prints its curcuminoid amount, and check that it is on a list.

The lists do not print a lead number for each product. A listing means the product met the program’s limits.

Not on any testing list (4)

We also checked these 4. We did not find them on NSF Certified for Sport, NSF/ANSI 173, USP Verified, Informed Sport and Informed Choice. That does not mean they are bad, only that no public list checks them. The two cheapest, at $0.56 and $0.57 a day, have no public listing, so we found no outside check of them for lead.

  1. NOW Turmeric Curcumin 95%

    Not on a public list

    1,260 mg of curcuminoids in 2 capsules · 95% extract. The lowest cost a day here, at a higher dose.

    $0.56 a day

    Check price

  2. Sports Research Turmeric Curcumin C3

    Not on a public list

    950 mg of curcuminoids in 2 softgels · 95% extract (C3 Complex). The label says one to three softgels a day; two give 950 mg.

    $0.57 a day

    Check price

  3. Qunol Turmeric 2400 mg

    Not on a public list

    About 2,137 mg of curcuminoids in 3 capsules · 95% extract. Three capsules a day.

    $0.83 a day

    Check price

  4. NatureWise Turmeric 2250 mg

    Not on a public list

    475 mg of curcuminoids in 3 capsules · mostly ground root. Ground root has little curcumin, and it is where lead has been found.

    $0.72 a day

    Check price

What does each program check?

What each program means for a turmeric supplement, in our words.
ProgramWhat it tells you
NSF Certified for SportChecks the label and tests each certified lot for banned substances. It is the program athletes use.
NSF/ANSI 173Checks that what the label says is in the bottle, and that lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium stay under set limits. It does not screen for banned substances.
USP VerifiedChecks that the bottle holds the ingredients on the label in the stated amounts, and that heavy metals such as lead stay under set limits.

How to check your own bottle

  1. Look for the USP Verified mark or the NSF mark on the bottle.
  2. Search NSF’s list or USP’s list for the exact product name.
  3. Read the Supplement Facts for curcuminoids in mg. Skip labels that only say “turmeric” or list mostly root powder.
  4. Aim for about 950 to 1,000 mg of curcuminoids in a day’s serving. See the dosage guide.

Comparing on more than testing? See the best turmeric and curcumin supplement, or how the absorption forms compare.

This page compares products. It is not medical advice. Ask your doctor before starting curcumin if you have liver disease or take a blood thinner.

Questions

Which turmeric supplements are tested for lead?

Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength, Nature Made Extra Strength Turmeric and Thorne Curcumin Phytosome are each on a public list that sets lead limits. The lists do not print the lead number for each product, so a listing means the product met the limits, not that it has zero lead.

Is turmeric root powder or a curcumin extract safer for lead?

Extract. ConsumerLab says lead was found mainly in products made with turmeric root powder, not extract, and a 2018 University of Arizona and Vanderbilt study found 2.5 times more lead on average in products that contain root. Pick a 95% curcuminoid extract that prints the curcuminoid amount.

Is Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength worth it?

Yes, if you want a tested product at a fair price. It costs $0.83 a day, less than Nature Made ($1.04) and Thorne ($1.20), and both of its listings name this product.

Is NatureWise turmeric NSF certified?

NSF lists one NatureWise product, Organic Turmeric Curcumin 2250 mg Plus Organic Ginger. It is not the NatureWise capsule we link, so we count ours as not on a list. Check the exact product name on NSF’s list.

Is curcumin safe?

For most people, yes. Stomach upset is the most common problem, and rare liver injury has been reported. Skip it if you are pregnant, and ask your doctor first if you have liver disease or take a blood thinner (NCCIH).

Sources

  1. Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports Tests: Turmeric and Echinacea. Oct 30, 2019. consumerreports.org
  2. ConsumerLab. Best Turmeric and Curcumin Supplements and Spices, June 29, 2023, and its lead Q&A (June 2020). consumerlab.com
  3. Skiba MB, et al. Curcuminoid content and safety-related markers of quality of turmeric dietary supplements sold in an urban retail marketplace in the United States. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018. PMID 29808963
  4. NCCIH. Turmeric. nccih.nih.gov
  5. USP Verified, NSF/ANSI 173 and NSF Certified for Sport: each program’s own list, searched by product name. NSF/ANSI 173 is the list as of its August 25, 2026 snapshot; Youtheory Turmeric Extra Strength rechecked on NSF’s site October 31, 2026.