Turmeric Dosage: How Much Should You Take Per Day?

Turmeric vs Curcumin HealthConditionsDiscoverPlanConnectShopSubscribeNutritionHealthyEatingMealPrepVitamins&SupplementsLifestyleDietsWeightManagementConditionsProductsNutritionEvidenceBasedTurmericDosage:HowMuchShouldYouTakePerDay?WrittenbyMakaylaMeixnerMS,RDNonJune11,2018BenefitsDosageWhoShouldn'tTakeItAdverseEffectsBuyingtheRightKindBottomLineYoumayknowturmericprimarilyasaspice,butit’salsousedinAyurvedicmedicine,aholisticapproachtohealththatoriginatedinIndiaover3,000yearsago(1).Turmericsupplementsarenowwidelyavailableformedicinaluse,butknowinghowmuchtotakecanbeconfusing.Here’salookattheusesandbenefitsofturmeric,effectivedosesandsafetyconcerns.UsesandBenefitsShareonPinterestCurcumin,apotentplantchemicalinturmeric,isbelievedtohavepowerfulanti-inflammatoryeffects(2,3).Manystudiesindicatethatchronic,low-gradeinflammationmaybeakeyfactorindevelopingconditionslikeheartdisease,diabetes,Alzheimer’sdiseaseandcancer(4,5,6,7).Intest-tubeandanimalstudies,curcuminhasbeenshowntoblockcertainbiologicalpathwaysleadingtoinflammation(8).Theeffectsofturmericandcurcuminhavealsobeeninvestigatedbyrandomizedcontrolledtrials(RCTs),thegoldstandardofresearch.Whilesomewereinconclusive,manyproducedsignificantresults.Forinstance,severalstudiesfoundthatturmericmayreducekneepainandimprovefunctioninpeoplewithosteoarthritis—oneevensuggestsitmayworkaswellasibuprofenforreducingpain(9,10,11).InanotherRCT,120overweightindividualstookturmericsupplementsforthreemonths.Onaverage,totalcholesterolwasreducedby32%,“bad”LDLcholesterolby42%andtriglyceridesby39%(12).Turmericmayalsoimprovequalityoflifeforpeoplewithchronickidneydiseasewhoareexperiencingitchyskin.InoneRCT,thosetakingturmerichaddecreasedmarkersofinflammationandreportedlessitching(13).Thoughlessconclusive,otherRCTsindicateturmericmayplayabeneficialroleinheartdisease,diabetesprevention,surgeryrecoveryandirritablebowelsyndrome(14,15,16,17).SummaryTurmericcontainscurcumin,apotentplantchemicalwithantioxidantandanti-inflammatoryproperties.Manysuggestedbenefitsofturmericaresupportedbyevidencefromrandomizedcontrolledtrials—thegoldstandardofresearch.EffectiveDosesStudiestypicallyusedosesof500–2,000mgofturmericperday,oftenintheformofanextractwithacurcuminconcentrationthatismuchhigherthantheamountsnaturallyoccurringinfoods.Forinstance,theaverageIndiandietprovidesaround2,000–2,500mgofturmeric(60–100mgofcurcumin)perday.Thesameamountinextractformmaypackupto1,900–2,375mgofcurcumin(18).Inotherwords,turmericspicescontainaround3%curcumin,comparedto95%curcumininextracts(19).Nonetheless,turmericmaystillhavebenefitswhenusedasaspice.Oneobservationalstudyinolderadultspositivelyassociatedcurryconsumptionwithcognitivehealth(20).Whilethereisnoofficialconsensusoneffectiveturmericorcurcumindoses,thefollowinghavebeenusedinresearchwithpromisingresults(9,12,13):Forosteoarthritis:500mgofturmericextracttwicedailyfor2–3months.Forhighcholesterol:700mgofturmericextracttwicedailyfor3months.Foritchyskin:500mgofturmericthreetimesdailyfor2months.Highdosesofturmericandcurcuminarenotrecommendedlong-termsinceresearchconfirmingtheirsafetyislacking.However,theWorldHealthOrganization(WHO)hasdetermined1.4mgperpound(0–3mg/kg)ofbodyweightanacceptabledailyintake(18).Keepinmind,allherbalsupplementsshouldbeusedwithcaution.Alwaysnotifyyourhealthcareproviderofanysupplementsyou’retaking,includingturmericandcurcumin.SummaryResearchindicatesthatturmericdosesof500–2,000mgperdaymaybeeffective.However,highdosesarenotrecommendedlong-term.WhoShouldNotTakeIt?Althoughturmericisbelievedtobesafeformostindividuals,certainpeoplemayhavetoavoidit.Theseconditionswarrantextremecaution:Pregnancyandbreastfeeding:Thereisnotenoughresearchtodetermineifturmericsupplementsaresafeforpregnantorbreastfeedingwomen.Gallbladderdisease:Turmericmaycausethegallbladdertocontract,worseningsymptoms(21).Kidneystones:It’shighinoxalate,whichcanbindwithcalciumandcausekidneystonesformation(22).Bleedingdisorders:Itmayslowtheabilityofyourbloodtoclot,whichcanworsenbleedingproblems(23).Diabetes:Itmaycausebloodsugarlevelstodroptoolow(24).Iron-deficiency:Itmayinterferewithironabsorption(25).Inaddition,turmericsupplementscaninteractwithcertainmedicationssuchasbloodthinnersanddiabetesmedications(24,26).However,turmericseemstobesafeunderthesecircumstancesintheamountstypicallyeateninfood.SummaryTurmericsupplementsareunsafeifyouarepregnant,breastfeedingorhavecertainconditions.Supplementscanalsointeractwithbloodthinnersanddiabetesmedications.However,turmericseemstobesafewhenusedasaspiceinfood.AdverseEffectsForshortperiodsoftime,dosesofupto8gramsperdayhavebeenusedinresearchwithoutanytoxiceffects.Still,sideeffectshavebeenreported.Themorecommonadverseeffectsincludeallergicreactions,stomachpain,diarrhea,constipation,nauseaandvomiting(27,28).Inonesevereinstance,anindividualtakinghighdosesof1,500–2,250mgtwicedailyexperiencedanabnormalheartrhythm(29).Morestudiesareneededtodeterminepossibleadditionaladverseeffectsassociatedwithlong-termuse.SummaryMinimaladverseeffectsoftakingturmericsupplementsshort-termhavebeenreported,butmorelong-termstudiesareneeded.ChoosingaSupplementExtractsarethemostpotentformofturmericsupplements.They’reconcentrated,packingupto95%ofcurcumin.Incontrast,powdersandspicescancontainaslittleas3%ofcurcuminoids(19).What’smore,extractsarelesslikelytobecontaminatedwithothersubstancessuchasheavymetals(19).Whateverformofturmericyouchoose,considercombiningyoursupplementwithblackpepper.Blackpeppercontainsthecompoundpiperine,whichhasbeenshowntoincreasecurcuminabsorptionby2,000%(19,30).And,asalways,makesureyoubuyfromareputablebrand.Considersupplementsthathavebeentestedbyathirdparty,suchasNSFInternational,InformedChoiceortheUSPharmacopeialConvention(USP).Thesecompaniesensureyouaregettingwhat’sonthelabelandthatyourproductisfreefromcontaminants.SummaryTurmericextractsarehighlyconcentratedwithcurcuminandlesslikelytobecontaminatedwithothersubstances.Allsupplementsshouldbeboughtfromareputablesource.TheBottomLineResearchsuggests500–2,000mgofturmericperdaymayhavepotentialbenefits,particularlyinextractform.Theexactdosemaydependonthemedicalcondition,forwhichyouseekhelp,thoughofficialdosingrecommendationsareunavailable.Theriskofsideeffectsisminimalbutturmericsupplementsareunsuitableforsomepeople.Aswithanysupplement,turmericshouldbeusedwithcautionandyoushoulddiscussitsusewithyourdoctor.FEEDBACK:WrittenbyMakaylaMeixnerMS,RDNonJune11,2018ReadthisnextTurmericvsCurcumin:WhichShouldYouTake?WrittenbySharonO'BrienMS,PGDipTurmericcontainsmanyplantsubstances,butcurcuministhemostpowerful.Thisarticlelooksatthebenefitsofandkeydifferencesbetweenturmeric…READMORECanYouUseTurmerictoHelpTreatDepression?MedicallyreviewedbyKarenCross,FNP,MSNTurmericcontainsanactivephytochemical,curcumin,whichisanantioxidantandanti-inflammatory.Researchhasfoundthatcurcuminhasthepotential…READMOREDoesTooMuchTurmericHaveSideEffects?WrittenbyAtliArnarsonBSc,PhDTurmericisapopularspicethatcontainscurcumin,apowerfulbioactivecompound.Thisarticleexploreswhetherithasanysideeffectsathighdoses.READMORE10ProvenHealthBenefitsofTurmericandCurcuminWrittenbyKrisGunnars,BScTurmericisatraditionalIndianspicewithapowerfulcompoundcalledcurcumin.Herearethetop10healthbenefitsofturmericandcurcumin.READMORECanYouUseCurcumintoTreatCancer?MedicallyreviewedbyAlanCarter,Pharm.D.Curcuminhasantioxidantproperties.Somehaveclaimedthatthespicecantreatchronicillnesses.Here’swhattheresearchsaysaboutcurcuminand…READMORE10SupplementsThatFightInflammationWrittenbyFranziskaSpritzlerInflammationisoneoftheleadingdriversofmanycommondiseases.Hereare10supplementsthatcanreduceinflammation,backedbyscience.READMORE13oftheMostAnti-InflammatoryFoodsYouCanEatWrittenbyLisaWartenberg,MFA,RD,LDandFranziskaSpritzlerThisarticlelists13foodsthathavepowerfulanti-inflammatoryeffectstohelplowerchronicinflammation.READMORETurmericforSkin:BenefitsandRisksMedicallyreviewedbyDebraSullivan,Ph.D.,MSN,R.N.,CNE,COIForhundredsofyears,peoplearoundtheworldhavebeenusingturmericforitshealingpropertiesandcosmeticbenefits.Researchshowsthatit'sa…READMORETheBestIndianDietPlanforWeightLossWrittenbyJillianKubala,MS,RDHereiseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutfollowinganIndiandietforweightloss,includingwhichfoodstoeat,whichfoodstoavoidandasample…READMORE