Tens of thousands of supplements currently on the market can be overwhelming, often providing only temporary solutions or worse – some could even be harmful.

Fish oil, vitamin D, creatine, probiotics, greens powders and multivitamins can all play an integral part in improving our health, athletic performance and body composition.

There’s another group of supplements which offer equally significant and research-backed advantages, but are far less known and utilized.

Ready to explore these foods further, I spent several hours at Examine.com – an expertly-curated site which compiles and analyzes research about hundreds of supplements and foods, as well as answers questions related to nutrition and health.

This database compiles over 50,000 research papers. Editors meticulously curate this information in order to make it accessible, creating an invaluable resource for anyone with an interest in nutrition or health.

Though I consider myself knowledgeable, browsing this site gave me new knowledge about some incredible, yet lesser known supplements that I felt compelled to share with my colleagues.

Surprising Supplement #1: Curcumin Curcumin is the yellow pigment found in turmeric and curry spices and has long been studied due to its various health benefits.