Turmeric: Benefits, Side Effects and Safety

Turmeric is a bright yellow spice. It comes from a plant in the ginger family. People have cooked with it and used it as medicine for hundreds of years. Today it is sold as a supplement, most often for joint pain.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric grows in India and Southeast Asia. The part used is the root. It is dried and ground into a yellow powder. That powder is what gives curry its color.

Turmeric contains a group of natural compounds called curcuminoids. The best known one is curcumin. Most turmeric supplements are made to be high in curcumin.

Turmeric has a long history in Chinese, Ayurvedic, Islamic and Thai medicine. It was used for upset stomach, colds, skin problems, sore joints and liver trouble.

What are the benefits of turmeric?

Turmeric is sold today for a long list of reasons. The most common ones are:

• Joint pain from osteoarthritis
• Fatty liver disease
• High cholesterol
• Low mood
• Allergies and itchy skin

A cream form is also sold for sore joints.

Being sold for something is not the same as being proven to work for it. The next section covers what the research actually found.

What does the research say?

Turmeric has been studied a lot. Most of that work looks at fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis and high cholesterol.

Even so, we still do not know if turmeric helps any health problem. The evidence is not strong enough to say for sure.

Part of the problem is that studies are hard to compare. Supplements differ in how much curcumin they hold. Many also add black pepper extract, called piperine. Piperine helps the body take in more curcumin.

Here is where things stand:

• Knee osteoarthritis. Early results look promising. People reported less pain and stiffness, and better movement. But the studies were not high quality, so this is not settled.
• Turmeric cream for knee pain. It is not clear that it helps at all.
• Fatty liver disease. Early work suggests turmeric may improve some measures. Which ones is still unclear.
• Sore mouth during cancer care. Turmeric taken by mouth, or used as a mouthwash, may ease this. The research is early.
• Everything else. There is not enough evidence to say.

What are the side effects of turmeric?

Ordinary turmeric supplements are likely safe for most adults for about two to three months. Common side effects are:

• Feeling sick or throwing up
• Heartburn or acid reflux
• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea or constipation

Turmeric cream can cause hives or itching.

There is a more serious concern with high absorption products. Some supplements are built so your body soaks up far more curcumin. Liver damage has been reported in people taking those.

Stop taking turmeric and call your doctor if you notice unusual tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, dark urine, or yellow skin or eyes.

How much turmeric do people take?

There is no standard dose. NCCIH does not list one, and products vary widely in how much curcumin they contain. Two bottles on the same shelf can be very different.

The safety research covers ordinary turmeric supplements taken for up to two or three months. It does not tell us much about taking it longer than that.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist what amount makes sense for you, and bring the bottle with you so they can read the label.

Does turmeric interact with any medications?

NCCIH warns that some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. It does not name specific medicines for turmeric.

We are not going to list interactions we cannot source. You may see other websites name particular drugs. Treat those with care unless they say where the information came from.

What to do instead is simple. Tell your doctor and your pharmacist that you take turmeric, or that you are thinking about it. Your pharmacist can check it against everything else you take. That check is free and takes a minute.

Who should not take turmeric?

Talk to your doctor before taking turmeric supplements if any of these apply to you:

• You are pregnant. Turmeric supplements may not be safe in pregnancy.
• You are breastfeeding. Little is known about taking more turmeric than you would get from food.
• You have liver problems. This matters most with high absorption curcumin products.
• You take prescription medicine. Check with your pharmacist first.

Cooking with turmeric is a different matter. The amounts used in food are small.

Common questions about turmeric

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