Comparison
Curcumin vs Fisetin
Side-by-side of Curcumin and Fisetin. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Curcumin
Curcumin supplement guide: turmeric extract at 500-1000 mg/day, piperine and Meriva for absorption, evidence in joint inflammation and mood.
Fisetin
Fisetin is a flavonoid found in strawberries with senolytic activity in mouse models. Hickson 2019 confirmed senescent-cell clearance in human adipose tissue.
Effects at a glance
Curcumin
- •Reduces osteoarthritis knee pain comparable to ibuprofen at 1500 mg/day enhanced formulation
- •Modest antidepressant effect (SMD ~0.34) as monotherapy or SSRI adjunct in major depression
- •Standard curcumin has ~3% bioavailability; Meriva, BCM-95, Theracurmin shift absorption 5-30 fold
- •Inhibits NF-kB and COX-2; reduces hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha in chronic inflammation
- •Antiplatelet effect at higher doses; meaningful interaction with warfarin and DOACs
- •Iron chelation can contribute to deficiency in already-marginal patients
Fisetin
- •Flavonoid found in strawberries; most potent natural senolytic in screening assays (Yousefzadeh 2018)
- •Hickson 2019 confirmed reduced senescent-cell burden in human adipose tissue at 20 mg/kg pulsed for 2 days
- •Pulsed Mayo protocol (20 mg/kg/day x 2 days monthly) is the only dose with human biomarker evidence
- •Daily low-dose (100-500 mg) is mechanistically weaker but commonly used
- •Low oral bioavailability; with-fat dosing modestly improves absorption
- •Active cancer is a relative contraindication pending clearer polyphenol-treatment data
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Curcumin | Fisetin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | natural | supplement |
| Also known as | turmeric extract, diferuloylmethane | 3,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 7 | 2 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 500 | 500 |
| Dosing frequency | 1 to 2 times daily with meals | pulsed 2 days/month (Mayo protocol) or daily continuous (empirical) |
| Routes | oral | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 2 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 4 | 4 |
| Molecular weight | 368.38 | 286.24 |
| Molecular formula | C21H20O6 | C15H10O6 |
| Mechanism | Inhibits NF-kB transcription factor, COX-2, and lipoxygenase; activates AMPK and Nrf2; modulates JAK-STAT and PI3K-Akt kinase signaling. Pleiotropic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. | Senolytic via Bcl-2 family inhibition (Bcl-xL, Bcl-w); broad polyphenol with Nrf2 activation, mTOR inhibition at high concentrations, and antioxidant effects. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement (global) | OTC dietary supplement |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Culinary turmeric is safe; supplemental curcumin best avoided in pregnancy | Insufficient data |
| CAS | 458-37-7 | 528-48-3 |
| PubChem CID | 969516 | 5281614 |
| Wikidata | Q312266 | Q230614 |
Safety profile
Curcumin
Common side effects
- nausea
- diarrhea
- dyspepsia
- yellow stool (benign)
Contraindications
- active gallstones (curcumin stimulates gallbladder contraction)
- severe biliary obstruction
- scheduled elective surgery (discontinue 1-2 weeks prior)
Interactions
- warfarin and DOACs: additive antiplatelet and anticoagulant effects; meaningful bleeding risk at 1000+ mg/day(major)
- aspirin and NSAIDs: additive antiplatelet effect(moderate)
- tacrolimus and cyclosporine: CYP3A4 and P-gp modulation may alter drug levels(moderate)
- iron supplements: curcumin chelates iron; can contribute to deficiency in marginal patients(moderate)
- chemotherapy agents: potential interference with multiple agents; coordinate with oncology team(major)
Fisetin
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- headache (rare)
Contraindications
- active cancer (theoretical, polyphenol interactions)
- pregnancy and lactation (insufficient data)
- concurrent CYP3A4-sensitive medications
Interactions
- statins (CYP3A4 substrates): theoretical reduction in statin clearance at high fisetin doses(minor)
- warfarin: theoretical CYP-mediated interaction; monitor INR if combining(moderate)
- other senolytics (rapamycin, dasatinib + quercetin): additive senolytic effect; pairing is investigational(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Curcumin comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Fisetin is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Curcumin.
- → If your priority is joint health, pick Curcumin.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Fisetin.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Curcumin ~7 hr vs Fisetin ~2 hr). Curcumin reaches steady state faster; Fisetin is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: Curcumin. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Fisetin only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Curcumin and Fisetin?
Curcumin and Fisetin differ in category (natural vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Curcumin or Fisetin?
Curcumin half-life is 7 hours; Fisetin half-life is 2 hours.
Can you stack Curcumin with Fisetin?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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