Smarter Nutrition Curcumin Review (2023) – Scam Alert?

It's time for my Smarter Nutrition Curcumin review – a pretty unusual turmeric supplement:

• original formula
• 2 trademark ingredients
• many positive opinions

So is this product as great as it seems? Or it's just another overrated supplement?

It costs nothing less than $40/ bottle (which is a huge price for a turmeric product).

For this reason – it has all chances to be a scam.

Well, I analyzed all of its aspects – so here's the truth behind (with video).

Note: This review is based on my opinion + research on Smarter Curcumin.

Review Summary

Full Name: Smarter Curcumin by Smarter Nutrition

Product Type: Joint Pain Supplement (its #1 indication)

Since it's a turmeric product – it also works for general/brain health, immunity, etc.

Best Actual Price: Around $40

Cheapest Place To Buy: Probably Amazon

Designed For: In terms of joint pain – it works best for inflammation:

• rheumatoid/psoriatic arthritis
• other forms of auto-immune arthritis
• swollen joints
• fibromyalgia and chronic pain

It also helps with general health problems (lack of energy, immunity booster, etc.).

Additionally – turmeric is an antioxidant and anti-aging herb.

My Rating: 8 out of 10

Recommended?: Only if you afford it.

It's a great product overall – but a bit too expensive.

That's why I prefer a $15 cheaper alternative that is strong enough for most cases of joint pain.

What I Liked About It

• Excellent ingredients and high dosages
• Superior absorption (compared to most curcumin products)
• Pills come as softgels, not capsules
• Reputable company behind
• Many positive reviews and praises
• Available in several retailers/sellers

What I Didn't Like About It

• Quite expensive for most budget types (but not overpriced)
• Causes stomach pain quite often if taken on an empty stomach
• Could be too strong for minor problem

#1 – What It Is & Claims

Before I get into my product analysis – let me give you some general facts about it.

1. Claims

According to its website – this supplement has “the most active curcumin available”:

• 250x more potent than regular curcumin
• 92% better absorption

Now – let's take it step by step.

Curcumin is actually the extract from turmeric – which is the best herb for inflammation.

However, curcumin has a major absorption problem in general:

• very poorly absorbed by the human body
• over 50% is eliminated immediately

For this reason – most brands combine curcumin with BioPerine (black pepper extract):

• this increases curcumin's absorption (up to 2000%)
• it also decreases the quantity that is eliminated immediately

Now – these are general facts.

When it comes to Smarter Curcumin – it uses a totally different technology:

1. Instead of BioPerine, it contains oily substances.
2. Curcumin gets absorbed a lot better as an oily extract.
3. It also has a superior form (C3 Reduct) with a stronger effect.

For this reason, it claims to have the best curcumin on the market.

2. Company Behind

Smarter Curcumin's producer is called Smarter Nutrition.

It's a highly trusted brand with a lot of high quality products.

Actually:

• each of its products is called “Smarter” (Curcumin, Enzymes, Sleep, etc.)
• each has a superior formula than most similar products 

So in terms of reputation – Smarter Nutrition is highly praised.

#2 – Formula (10 out of 10)

Honestly, Smarter Curcumin might have the best formula among turmeric supplements.

I'm speaking in terms of value:

• very high quality ingredients
• stronger curcumin extract
• better absorption (due to oily composition)

For this reason – this supplement has several advantages over its competitors.

1. Contains a stronger form of curcumin.
2. Gets absorbed faster and easier.
3. Uses 2 trademark ingredients (improved versions of original substances).

Now – Smarter Curcumin's formula is based on 4 compounds.

So let's take a closer look at each.

1. Curcumin C3 Reduct®

This is actually a special form of curcumin.

That's because it contains 95% tetra-hydro curcuminoids.

Now – regular curcumin contains regular curcuminoides (curcumin extract).

On the other hand, Smarter Curcumin contains 95% tetra-hydro curcuminoids – which:

• are a more active type [1]
• have a much better absorption

Basically – Curcumin C3 Reduct® is the #1 responsible for Smarter Curcumin's potency.

2. Black Seed Cumin Oil

This ingredient is meant to increase the supplement's absorption:

• contains essential fatty acids
• creates an oily base for curcumin

Basically – it improves curcumin's absorption through its oily consistency.

Additionally – this black see cumin oil also decreases inflammation. [2]

3. Ginger Root Extract

Ginger seems to help with digestion support.

It also has an anti-inflammatory effect (but a lot weaker than turmeric). [3]

4. AstraGin®

This is actually a blend of 2 herbs:

1. Panax notoginseng
2. Astragalus membranaceus

In terms of effect – this blend also increases the absorption of curcumin.

Conclusion

Smarter Curcumin's formula is excellent.

If you ask me – it's one of the best formulas among turmeric products (if not the very best):

• superior form of curcumin
• easier absorption
• strong ingredients overall

So in terms of compounds, there's nothing I can criticize about this supplement.

My only observation is that for most people – regular curcumin works just as well.

So there's no point paying extra for a more professional product (like this one).

#3 – How To Use It (9 out of 10)

Coming up – here are a few things about how you should take this supplement.

1. The Pills

First of all – how do the pills look like?

Well, Smarter Curcumin is again smarter than most supplements even at this chapter.

Instead of the usual gelatin pills – it uses softgels:

• about the same dimensions
• easier to swallow in general
• you can take them even without water
• soft consistency

So if you're sick of those regular capsules – you're probably going to love these softgels.

Though they're not smaller, you might feel like they're easier to swallow.

2. The Schedule

That's not the best part about Smarter Curcumin.

The supplement doesn't require only 1 pills per day, but 2:

1. You can take both together or separately.
2. I personally recommend spacing them out.
3. Make sure to take them with water, though.

It's true that softgels can be swallowed without water, in some cases.

But it's safer to have some water as well – especially until you get used to it.

Other than that – 2 pills per day is quite decent, if you ask me.

#4 – Results (8 out of 10)

Smarter Curcumin is a quality product – even its reviews say so.

For this reason – I will try to analyze its customer opinions, in order to get a better idea about how it works.

Note: I only considered authentic reviews from Amazon (in order to avoid fake/promotional reviews).

1. Positive Opinions

Smarter Curcumin has a huge number of 5 stars reviews on Amazon.

Its average is 4.7 stars from almost 3000 reviews.

Honestly – that's an incredible number (in the good way).

So it's the best proof that this supplement is as effective as it claims.

Here's what most people praise it for:

1. Some claim it's the best curcumin they have tried.
2. Others say it's really helpful against pain.
3. A few also mention it helps with stiffness.

Overall – most users are people suffering from arthritis and chronic pain.

In those cases, Smarter Curcumin seems to help tremendously.

But it's not everything perfect about it.

2. Negative Opinions

As usual – there are enough people who didn't like this supplement.

Most of them are complaining about:

1. No effect after several bottles
2. Side effects (especially stomach pain)
3. High price
4. No refunds accepted

Now – it's obvious that a product cannot work for 100% of its users.

For this reason, Smarter Curcumin might not work for some.

And apparently – there's quite a bunch of people who didn't experience any relief from it.

So before purchasing the product, consider this possibility.

As for its price – I totally agree that it's extremely expensive, but at least its value is worth it.

Conclusion

Smarter Curcumin has over 80% positive reviews.

That tells a lot about its high quality, if you ask me.

However – it also has enough unsatisfied customers (especially in terms of price).

For this reason, it's probably not my #1 recommended curcumin supplement.

Instead – I recommend a brand that is a lot cheaper and seems to work really well too.

#5 – Side Effects (7 out of 10)

Among Smarts Curcumin's negative reviews – about 40% are related to side effects:

1. Stomach cramps
2. Increased blood pressure
3. Heartburn
4. Rashes and itching

Now – out of these side effects, stomach pain is by far the most common.

To be honest, turmeric cause stomach pain itself.

That's because it irritates an empty stomach.

For this reason – most likely, people experiencing stomach pain took the pills before food.

Honestly – even if the label recommends this, I advise you to take the AFTER FOOD.

Since turmeric causes stomach pain itself – all supplements based on it will.

But taking the pills on a full stomach will reduce or even cancel the effect.

Other than that, Smarter Curcumin doesn't seem to cause many side effects.

#6 – Price (4 out of 10)

As a joint supplement – Smarter Curcumin is a bit expensive.

But as a turmeric supplement – it's very expensive.

So this is probably one of its biggest downsides, if you ask me. 

1. The Exact Price

Smarter Curcumin costs about the same in all sellers/retailers:

1. Standard price is $39.95 per bottle.
2. This is a monthly supply.
3. Amazon also offers free shipping for it.
4. On its official website, shipping is free on orders over $125.

Honestly – $40 per month is way too much.

I personally could not afford such a high amount (especially when so many turmeric products cost under $30).

The supplement is definitely worth $40 in terms of formula.

But most people could get the same effect from regular turmeric formulas.

That's why I wouldn't really recommend Smarter Curcumin.

If you afford paying so much per month – it's totally fine.

But if you're not, I strongly recommend other alternatives. that work pretty much the same.

2. Competitors' Price

I will only compare Smarter Curcumin with my #1 recommended turmeric supplement (Turmeric Plus):

1. SC's standard price is $40 per bottle.
2. TP normally costs $24 per bottle.
3. Both products offer a discount for larger quantities.
4. SC comes as cheap as $25 per bottle.
5. TP is available for even $16 per bottle (lowest price I know).

So in terms of price, Turmeric Plus is a better option.

That's why it's my top recommended turmeric supplement.

Now – in terms of value, Smarter Curcumin is definitely above.

But the point is – unless you have a severe inflammation, you don't need such a powerful product.

Any regular turmeric formula would do (as long as it has a high absorption).

And Turmeric Plus meets this criteria.

That's why it's a potent alternative to Smarter Curcumin for most people.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Smarter Curcumin is way too pricey for a regular budget.

I'm not saying it's an overpriced product – far from that.

But I personally could not afford it on a monthly basis.

Besides – most people don't even need such a strong formula:

• regular turmeric products would do
• you can find many options under $30

So that's the main reason why I wouldn't recommend Smarter Curcumin.

Not as a top choice, at least.

#7 – Availability (9 out of 10)

Since Smarter Nutrition is a pretty famous brand – all their products are easily accessible.

And Smarter Curcumin makes no exception:

1. Sold on its official website.
2. Also available on Amazon.
3. You can find it on Ebay, Walmart and other retailers too.

Now – my top recommendation remains Amazon:

• free shipping for all orders
• often discounts
• faster and safer refunds

Basically – Amazon will refund you without many questions, which I can't guarantee about Smarter Nutrition.

For this reason, I would pick Amazon.

Other retailers like Ebay and Walmart either have higher prices or they're not as safe.

#8 – Smarter Curcumin In 3 Conclusions

Here's how I would sum up my opinion on Smarter Curcumin (in 3 ideas).

1. Amazing Formula

At this chapter – Smarter Curcumin is among my favorite turmeric products:

• original formula
• superior forms of ingredients (especially curcumin)
• higher absorption rate

Besides –  2 of its ingredients are trademark compounds.

This means they have an improved version than the original substance.

So to be honest – this supplement has a great overall formula.

2. Really Works

In terms of customer satisfaction – this product rocks:

• over 80% positive reviews
• an average of 4.7 stars
• many praises regarding its anti-inflammatory effect

Don't imagine it doesn't have any complaints.

There are plenty of them, actually.

But compared to the positive opinions – they're not as numerous.

3. Quite Hard To Afford

As you might expect – Smarter Curcumin is quite pricey:

• one bottle costs $40
• that's only a monthly supply

Now – I'm not saying it's overpriced at all.

Considering its ingredients/value, it's totally worth $40.

All I'm saying is that, in many cases – such a strong product isn't necessary.

A $25 regular turmeric formula would decrease the pain just as well.

So unless you have a severe pain, I don't think it's worth going for a strong product like this one.

#9 – My Video Review

My Verdict – Worth Or Not?

Short answer: It depends.

If you afford it – it's a great product in terms of formula:

1. Strong and high quality ingredients.
2. Superior absorption.
3. Many positive reviews.

However –  I don't recommend it due to its high price.

Besides, most people's inflammation could be solved with regular turmeric supplements.

There's no need for more (unless you have a severe problem that doesn't respond to regular turmeric).

Plus – regular turmeric supplements cost under $30.

Instead of paying $40 on Smarter Curcumin, I recommend those instead.

My personal favorite is a product called Turmeric Plus:

• best price on the market (up to $16 per bottle)
• high quality ingredients
• great dosages
• many positive reviews

As for Smarter Curcumin, don't get me wrong – it's a great supplement.

If you don't care about any $15 extra, go for it.

But I personally recommend the cheaper alternative (especially at first).

If your body reacts well to regular dosages – why start with higher ones?

References:

1 – https://jeccr.biomedcentral.com/-articles/10.1186/s13046-019-1368-8

2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC4884216/

3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/-pmc/articles/PMC3665023/