Turmeric shows up in everything from lattes to capsules, but its main active compound has a well-known limitation.
Curcumin, turmeric's primary active group of compounds, is metabolized quickly and absorbed poorly when taken on its own — much of it never reaches the bloodstream in meaningful amounts.
Formulators address this a few ways: pairing curcumin with piperine (black pepper extract) to slow its breakdown, using specialized extract forms, or combining it with fats, since curcumin is fat-soluble.
If a turmeric product doesn't address absorption in some way, it's worth asking how much of that turmeric is actually doing anything once swallowed.