Comparison
Curcumin (Turmeric) vs Apigenin
Curcumin (Turmeric)
Yellow pigment of turmeric root. Powerful anti-inflammatory with cognitive and mood benefits.
Apigenin
Flavonoid found in chamomile, parsley, and celery. Popularized by Dr. Andrew Huberman for sleep and CD38 inhibition.
| Field | Curcumin (Turmeric) | Apigenin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | neuroprotective | neuroprotective |
| Dose range | 500–2000mg | 50–100mg |
| Half-life | — | — |
| Onset | — | — |
| Evidence | EVIDENCEB | EVIDENCEB |
| Safety | ●●●●● | ●●●●● |
| Legal (US) | USOTC | USOTC |
| PubMed refs | 14000 | 400 |
The comparison in plain English
Auto-generated from dataCurcumin (Turmeric) and Apigenin are both in the neuroprotective category respectively. Curcumin (Turmeric) Yellow pigment of turmeric root. Apigenin Flavonoid found in chamomile, parsley, and celery.
Bottom line
Curcumin (Turmeric) (evidence B, safety 5/5) matches the evidence base of Apigenin (evidence B, safety 5/5). Curcumin (Turmeric) has the slightly cleaner safety profile. For users new to either, the higher-evidence option is the safer first try.
Choose Curcumin (Turmeric) if
Curcumin (Turmeric) is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Inhibits NF-κB transcription factor activation, suppressing dozens of downstream pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β)) and the dose range (500–2000mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is —h.
Choose Apigenin if
Apigenin is the better fit when your goal aligns with its mechanism (Partial agonist at GABA-A receptors at the benzodiazepine binding site, producing mild anxiolytic and sleep-promoting effects without the dependence profile of pharmaceutical benzodiazepines) and the dose range (50–100mg) suits your protocol. Half-life is —h.