Turmeric

Also called

Indian Saffron

Regional names

Haldi

Traditional names

Haridra, Jiang Huang (姜黄)

Older scientific names

Curcuma domestica Valeton, Amomum curcuma Jacq.

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

• Turmeric has historically been used in Chinese, Indian (including Ayurvedic), Islamic and Thai traditional medicine for indigestion, the common cold, skin infections, arthritis, stomach pain and liver disease. It has also been used in some Indian religious ceremonies.[1]

• In Ayurvedic practice, turmeric (Haridra) has been used for digestive problems, arthritis, skin diseases and inflammation. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, turmeric (Jiang Huang) has been used to "promote blood circulation", "resolve blood stasis" and relieve pain, often for conditions involving "stagnation" and swelling.[4]

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

• In lab tests on cartilage cells and tissue, curcumin (turmeric's best-known natural compound) reduced chemical signals that drive inflammation, slowed the enzymes that break down cartilage, and helped protect cartilage cells from damage.[5]

  Technical detail: inhibits NF-κB activation; reduces COX-2, IL-6, IL-8 and PGE2; suppresses matrix metalloproteinase synthesis; counteracts IL-1β cytotoxicity in chondrocytes; stimulates anti-apoptotic factors; in vitro on chondrocytes and cartilage explants.

• In lab research, curcumin switched on the body's own antioxidant defenses and affected genetic signals linked to cancer.[4]

  Technical detail: activates Nrf2, inducing heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx); modulates microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in cancer-related signaling pathways.

Research in people

• Several research reviews show early positive evidence that turmeric or curcumin taken by mouth may help knee arthritis (pain, stiffness, strength and movement), but better-quality studies are needed. It's unclear whether curcumin ointment on the skin helps knee pain. Early research suggests turmeric or curcumin by mouth might improve some measures of fatty liver disease not caused by alcohol (NAFLD), and, by mouth or as a mouthwash, mouth sores caused by cancer treatment. Overall, there isn't enough evidence to say for certain that turmeric or curcumin helps with any health condition.[1]

  Technical detail: oral mucositis.

• A review that combined 15 trials with 1,670 people found curcumin-type compounds reduced knee arthritis pain more than placebo, by an amount large enough to matter to patients, and improved scores for pain, stiffness and function. Side effects were no more common than with placebo, and less common than with standard painkillers such as ibuprofen (NSAIDs). The authors concluded these compounds help pain and function in the short term, but advised cautious use until better-quality evidence is available.[6]

  Technical detail: randomized controlled trials of curcuminoids; VAS pain WMD −1.77 (95% CI −2.44 to −1.09); WOMAC total WMD −10.47 (95% CI −15.65 to −5.3).

• A 2025 review of 10 trials of curcumin (turmeric's best-known compound) for PMS and period pain found that 6 reported significantly fewer symptoms. The authors say curcumin shows promise, but more research is needed to find the right dose and length of use, and to check possible effects on iron levels.[7]

  Technical detail: randomized controlled trials using the Premenstrual Syndrome Screening Tool (PSST) and visual analog scales; associations with inflammatory markers and vitamin D status.

• The US National Cancer Institute says there isn't enough evidence to know whether curcumin products can prevent or treat cancer. Early, small trials have found:

  • Possible early signs of bowel polyps: fewer in people taking curcumin, but not clearly different from people who didn't take it
  • White patches inside the mouth (oral leukoplakia): in a trial of 223 people, a curcumin product improved the patches more than a dummy pill, and the improvement lasted at 6 months
  • Fatty liver disease not caused by alcohol: in a trial of 102 people, curcumin lowered weight measures and improved liver scans and blood tests
  • Alongside cancer treatment: mixed results in adrenal gland, breast, prostate, pancreatic and bowel cancers
  • Side effects of cancer treatment: a curcumin mouthwash or capsule delayed and eased mouth sores, and a small study found a turmeric cream reduced skin damage from radiation

  The US Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved curcumin to treat cancer or any other condition.[2]

  Technical detail: aberrant crypt foci; adrenocortical carcinoma; oral mucositis; radiation dermatitis; NAFLD (body mass index and waist circumference fell). A pooled analysis of 4 randomized controlled trials (228 people) found similar liver results.

• In a 2008 trial, 25 people with advanced pancreatic cancer took 8 g of curcumin by mouth every day. Of the 21 who could be assessed, 2 showed some response: one person's cancer stayed stable for more than 18 months, and another had a brief but large tumour shrinkage. No side effects were seen, but very little curcumin reached the blood, suggesting it's poorly absorbed.[8]

  Technical detail: phase II; one patient had a 73% tumour regression; plasma curcumin peaked at 22–41 ng/mL.

• In a 2019 trial, 28 people with bowel cancer that had spread were randomly given standard chemotherapy (FOLFOX) alone or with 2 g of curcumin a day. Adding curcumin was safe, with similar side effects in both groups. People taking curcumin lived longer on average (502 days versus 200), and the cancer took longer to grow, though that difference wasn't clear. Quality of life and nerve damage didn't differ. This was a small, early-stage trial.[9]

  Technical detail: randomized open-label phase IIa; overall survival HR 0.34 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.82); progression-free survival HR 0.57 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.36).