Turmeric (Curcumin): Uses, Dosage, Benefits, Side Effects, More

For example, a review published August 2016 in the Journal of Medicinal Food reveals that dosage ranged from 100 to 2,000 mg (that's 0.1 to 2 g) ... Diet&NutritionTurmeric(Curcumin):ACompleteScientificGuideBy JessicaMigalaMedicallyReviewedby LynnGrieger,RDN,CDCESReviewed:May28,2020Turmericanditsactiveingredientcurcuminmayhelpreduceinflammation,amongotherhealthbenefits.ThinkstockThesedays,turmericiseverywhere.Youmayseethosebeautifulyellowturmericlattesbeingwhippedupincoffeeshops,turmericpoachedeggsforbrunch,andturmericbeingaddedtosmoothiesandchocolatebars.Andwhileit’sobviousthatitsbrightyellowhueisgorgeous,let’stakeastepbackandmakesenseofwhat'sbehindthisingredient'sstayingpower.AnOverviewontheUsesofTurmericTurmericisanherbplantthatgrowsinIndiaandCentralAmerica.Youmostlikelyknowitbestforitsnear-ubiquityinIndiancuisine,accordingtotheNationalCenterforComplementaryandIntegrativeHealth,whichispartoftheNationalInstitutesofHealth(NIH).(1)Ifyou’reeatingturmeric(asopposedtotakingitasasupplement;moreonthatlater),you’llfindtherootintheproduceaisleatthegrocerystore—itlookssimilartoginger.Youcanalsobuyitgroundasaspice,whichissoldasturmeric,orasaspiceblend,likecurrypowder.TurmerichasalonghistoryinAyurvedicmedicinetotreathealthproblemslikepainandfatigue.(1)Infact,it’sbeenusedasaculinaryspiceandinreligiousceremoniesinSoutheastAsiafor4,000years,accordingtothebookHerbalMedicine:BiomolecularandClinicalAspects.(2)Givenitssuperfoodstatusoflate,peopleuseturmericasamodern-daynaturalmedicineforreducinginflammationandtreatingdisease.CommonQuestions&AnswersWhatarethehealthbenefitsofturmeric?Turmericcontainsanti-inflammatoryandantioxidantproperties,whichmayofferhealthbenefits.Earlystudiessayturmericmayhelpkeepyourheart,joints,andbrainhealthy.Itmayalsoplayaroleinprotectingagainstcanceranddiabetes,thoughmoreresearchisneeded.Canturmerichelpyouloseweight?Possibly.Somestudiessuggestcurcumin,themainactiveingredientinturmeric,mayboostweightlossbynearly5percentifyoutake800milligrams(mg)with8mgpiperine—acompoundinblackpepper—twicedailyfor30days.Butbeforetakinganysupplement,talktoyourdoctor.Whatarethesideeffectsofturmeric?Therearen'tmany.Butsomepeoplehavereporteddiarrhea,headache,skinrash,andyellowstoolatdosesrangingfrom500to12,000mg.Turmericmayalsointeractwithcertaindrugs,suchasbloodthinners,antidepressants,chemotherapytreatments,andhypoglycemicdiabetesmedication.Isitsafetotaketurmericeveryday?Therearenolong-termstudiestoshowwhetherit’ssafetotaketurmericsupplementseveryday.Studiessuggestitissafeatsmalldoses,butbeawarethathighdosesorlong-termusemaycauseGIissuesinsomepeople.Turmericmayalsointerferewithcertainmedicationandhealthconditions.Howmuchturmericshouldyoutakeaday?There’snostandardturmericdosage,butinonestudy,1,000mgrelievedarthritissymptoms,while1.4gramsofturmericextracthelpedlowertriglyceridesand“bad”LDLcholesterollevelsinpeoplewithhighcholesterol.Talkwithyourhealthcareteamtofindtherightdosageforyou.Curcuminvs.Turmeric:What’stheDifference?Turmericiscomprisedof100compounds.(2)Theonemosttalkedaboutiscurcumin,theactivecompoundthat’screditedwithmostofturmeric'shealthbenefits.Whileturmericgetsitsbrightyellowhuefromcurcumin,this compoundmakesuponlyabout5percentofthespice,accordingtoanarticlepublishedinJanuary2017inthe JournalofMedicinalChemistry.(3)Mostofthebenefitsofturmericarecreditedtocurcumin(moreonthislater).LearnMoreAbouttheDifferenceBetweenTurmericand CurcuminMostRecentinDiet&NutritionDoesCoconutWaterCountasFluid?Why'HealthyCoke'Isn'tGoodforYou—Plus7SparklingWaterCombosThatAre5Expert-TestedWaystoEnjoyCottageCheeseEvenifYouHateItTakingTooManySupplements?Here'sHowtoTell,andWhyItCanBeRiskyTurmericNutritionFactsIntermsofnutrition,1teaspoon(tsp)ofthegroundspicehas9calories.Moresurprisingisthatitofferssomeprotein—0.3grams(g)—andfiber(0.7g),impressivegivenhowmuchispresentinasmallamount,notes theU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture's MyPlate guidelines.With1.65milligrams(mg)ofiron,italsoprovidesabout9percentofthedailyvalueforthisnutrient.(4)Thatsaid,it’slikelythatyou’reeatingfarlessthan1tspatasitting.Atspmaybeaddedtoanentirerecipe,forinstance.WhatAretheProposedBenefitsofTurmeric?Turmericismorethanjustabright,flavorfulspice;it’salsoloadedwithpotentialhealthbenefits.Manyofitsperkshavebeencreditedtocurcumin,theprimaryplantcompoundthatgivesturmericitsboldyellowcolor,accordingtoareviewpublishedOctober2017inthejournalFoods.(5)Hereareseveralwaysturmericandcurcuminmaybenefityourhealth:EaseArthritisPain Curcumincontainsanti-inflammatoryproperties,makingitapotentiallyeffectivetreatmentforinflammatoryconditionssuchasarthritis.Forexample,asmallpaststudyfoundthatparticipantswithrheumatoidarthritiswhotooka500mgcurcuminsupplementtwicedailyforeightweekssawgreaterimprovementsinjointtendernessandswellingcomparedwithpatientswhotookaprescriptionanti-inflammatoryoracombinationofthetwotreatments.(6)ReduceDepressionSymptoms Depressionhasbeenlinkedwithlowerlevelsofbrain-derivedneurotrophicfactor(BDNF),aproteininthebrainandspinalcordthatregulatescommunicationbetweennervecells.Inrats,curcumineffectivelyincreasedlevelsofBDNFoverthecourseof10days,accordingtoastudypublishedinBehaviouralBrainResearch.(7)Inhumanswithmajordepressivedisorder,thosewhotook1,000mgofcurcumindailyforsixweekssawsimilarimprovementstothosewhotookanantidepressantoracombinationofthetwotreatments,accordingtoasmallApril2014studypublishedinPhytotherapyResearch.(8)ContributetoTreatingDiabetes Thankstoturmeric’santi-inflammatoryeffects,it’salsoapromisingtreatmentforinflammatoryconditions,includingdiabetes.AstudypublishedJuly2019inNutrition&Metabolismfoundthatfeedingcurcuminsupplementstoobesemicewithtype2diabeteshelpedlowerbloodinsulinlevelsafter16weeks.(9) Curcuminmayalsohelppreventtype2diabetesbyimprovinginsulinresistance,loweringhighbloodsugar,andreducinghighcholesterol,accordingtoareviewinEvidence-BasedComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine.(10)MoreonSupplementsvs.FoodANewStudySuggestsSupplementsMayNotOffertheSameNutrientBenefitsasFoodAidWeightLoss It’sunclearwhetherturmericcanactuallyhelpyouloseweight,butpreliminaryresearchsuggestsitmayenhanceyourefforts.Inonestudyof44peopleandpublishedinNovember2015intheEuropeanReviewforMedicalandPharmacologicalSciences,peoplewithmetabolicsyndrome(aconditioncharacterizedbyobesity,highbloodpressure,highbloodtriglycerides,insulinresistance,andlowlevelsofHDL“good”cholesterol)wholostnearly2percentoftheirbodyweightaddedan800mgcurcuminsupplementtotheirdailydiet.(11)After30days,thisgrouplostcloseto5percentoftheirbodyweight,helpingthemreducetheirbodyfatbymorethan8percent.(Researchershadadded8mgofpiperine,theactivecompoundinblackpepper,tothesupplement;piperinehelpsthebodyabsorbmoreofthecurcumin.)ComplementCancerTreatment It’sunclearwhetherturmericcanpreventcancergrowthinhumans,accordingtotheAmericanCancerSociety.(12)Yetthisspicemayofferpotential,thankstoitsantioxidantandanti-inflammatoryproperties,accordingtoapastreview.Authorsofpastresearchnotethatturmeric(curcuminspecifically)maypreventtumorsfromformingandbecomingcancerous,thoughmoreresearchinhumansisneeded.(13)SupportSkinHealth Turmericisananti-inflammatory,antimicrobial,andantioxidant-richspice,makingitpotentiallyeffectivefortreatingskinconditionslikeacne,eczema,andpsoriasis,thoughmorestudiesareneeded.Duetoitspoorbioavailability,itlikelywouldn’tbeastandalonetreatmentforskindisordersbutrathercomplementexistingtreatments,writetheauthorsofanarticlepublishedinSeptember2019inNutrients.(14)LearnMoreAboutthePotentialBenefitsofTurmericEvenMorePotentialTurmericUsesCanTurmericHelpAsthma?CanTurmericHelpManageMultipleSclerosis?IsTurmericGoodforAlzheimer’sDisease?CanTurmericEaseUlcerativeColitisSymptoms?TurmericSideEffectsAccordingtotheNationalCenterforComplementaryandIntegrativeHealth(NCCIH),turmericisgenerallysafe,thoughconsumingitinhighdosesoroverlongperiodsoftimemayupsetyourstomach.(1)Asmall,paststudyof24peoplefoundthattaking500to12,000mgofcurcuminwasassociatedwithvarioussideeffects,includingdiarrhea,skinrash,yellowstool,andheadache.(15)MoreonSupplementsTurmericInteractionsAnotherpossibleinteraction:Thespicecanenhancetheeffectofbloodthinners,possiblyincreasingbleedingrisk,soifyou’reonthemedication CoumadinorJantoven(warfarin),yourdoctorneedstoknowifyoualsouseturmeric,accordingtoOregonStateUniversity.(16)Pastresearch showsthatcurcuminhasanticoagulantpropertiesofitsown,socombiningthetwocancompoundthiseffect.(17)Ifyou’retakingdiabetesmedication toloweryourbloodsugar,turmericmaymagnifytheseeffects,puttingyouatriskoflowbloodsugar,accordingtoPennStateHershey.(18)Talktoyourdoctorbeforetakingturmericorcurcumintotreatdiabetes.Infact,aSeptember2017reviewintheJournalofEthnopharmacologywarnsthatcurcuminandturmericmayinteractwithavarietyofmedications,includingantidepressants,antibiotics,antihistamines,cardiacmedications,andchemotherapytreatments.(19)Checkwithyourdoctorifyou’retakinganyofthesemedications.Womenwhoarepregnantorbreastfeedingmaysafelyeatfoodswithturmeric,butshouldavoidtakingthespiceinsupplementform.(18)LearnMoreAboutthePotentialSideEffectsofTurmericHowMuchDoYouKnowAboutTurmeric?Reviewed:May28,2020StartQuizTurmericDosageTurmericandspiceslikecinnamonandgingerhavebeengenerallyrecognizedassafebytheFoodandDrugAdministration.(20)Soaddingthisbrightyellowspicetoyourfoodprobablywon’tcauseanynegativeeffects.Takingturmericorcurcumininsupplementform,however,can.Thisisbecausesupplementscontainasignificantlyhigherconcentrationofcurcuminandothercurcuminoidsthanyou’dfindingroundturmeric.Takingasupplementwith0.5gofturmericextractprovides400mgofcurcuminoids,while0.5gofgroundturmericonlycontains15mgofcurcuminoids,accordingtothird-partysupplementtestingagencyConsumerLab.(21)Withthatinmind,takingupto12g(12,000mg)ofcurcumindailyislikelysafe,accordingtoaNovember2015reviewinCriticalReviewsinFoodScienceandNutrition.(22)Thatsaid,thedosageusedinresearchstudiesisusuallylowerthan12g,whichsuggestsyoumayseebenefitsatalowerdose.Forexample,areviewpublishedAugust2016intheJournalofMedicinalFoodrevealsthatdosagerangedfrom100to2,000mg(that’s0.1to2g)perday,withdosestypicallytaken500mg(0.5g)atatime.(23)Keepinmindthatturmericorcurcuminmayinteractwiththemedicationsmentionedearlier.MoreonAddingTurmerictoMealsTurmericandBlackPepperUnfortunately,it’shardforyourbodytoabsorbenoughturmerictoseepositiveeffects.Thegoodnewsiscombiningitwithanotherspice,blackpepper(Pipernigrum),mayenhanceitsstrengthinthebody.Apaststudyrevealsthatcombining20mgofpiperine,themainingredientofblackpepper,and2gofcurcuminincreasesthebioavailability,ortheamountofcurcuminthatcanbeabsorbedbythebody,byasmuchas2,000percent.(24)AccordingtoanAugust2014reviewpublishedinMedicinal&AromaticPlants,piperineincreasesthebioavailabilityofmanynutrients,mainlybypreventingenzymesfrombreakingdownfoodsandothersubstances.(25)Ifyouplanonusingturmericorcurcuminforhealthpurposes,besuretofindasupplementthatcontainspiperine.LearnMoreAbouttheBenefitsofCombiningTurmericandBlackPepperMostPopularinDietandNutritionWhatAretheBestLow-CarbFruitstoEatonaKetoDiet?TheTop8NaturalHangoverRemedies10BestFoodSourcesofZincOntheCarnivoreDiet,PeopleAreEatingOnlyMeat:Here’sWhattoKnowHowtoSelectandStoreTurmericfortheBestQualityThereareseveralwaysyoucanbuyturmeric:AsaRoot Findthisintherefrigeratedsectionoftheproduceaisleatmanygroceryandspecialtystores,aswellasonline.Itlookslikeasquigglyroot,similartoginger.Scrapeoffthepeelwithaspoonbeforeusing.Freshturmericshouldberefrigeratedinanairtightcontainer,andwillkeepuptoaweek.(26)AsaTea Youcanmakewhat’scalled“goldenmilk”bywhiskingtogetherabout1tspofturmericwithotherspices(suchascinnamonandblackpepper)intowarmedmilkandyoursweetenerofchoice.Youcanalsobuyturmericteainteabagform,availablefrombrandslike TheRepublicofTea and SwansonOrganic.AsaSpice Lookforturmericasagroundspiceinyourspiceaisleatthegrocerystore.Turmericisalsothemaincomponentofcurrypowder.Keepspicejarsinacool,darkplacetopreventspoilage.Mostcompaniesincludethe“bestby”dates,andthat’swhenyoushouldaimtousethemby.It’sbesttobuylargecontainersofturmericonlywhenyouknowyou’regoingtouseallofitbythelisteddate.Lookforitinthebulksectionofaco-oporspecialtystore,soyoucanbuyjustasmuchasyou’regoingtouse.Supplements Formorepotency,youmayoptforaturmericorcurcuminsupplement,availableathealthfoodstores,grocerystores,andonline.Theseareavailableinformulationslikesoftgelsandcapsules.MoreonAnti-InflammatoryFoodsHowtoCookWithTurmericinYourHomeKitchenYoucanuseturmericinavarietyofrecipes:Ricedishes,likepaellaFrittatasAddedtopoachingwatertocookaneggInasmoothie(blendthefreshrootorpowderedspice)InIndiancurriesIngoldenmilkora“turmericlatte”AddedtosoupsAspartofaspicerubforfishorpoultryDustedonvegetablesbeforeroastingTomakeacurrychickensaladTozestuphomemadesaladdressingAnotherwaytoenjoyturmeric?Inawarm,comfortingmugoftea.LearnMoreAboutHowtoAddTurmerictoYourTeaEditorialSourcesandFact-CheckingTurmeric. NationalCenterforComplementaryandIntegrativeHealth.December16,2016.PrasadS,AggarwalBB.Turmeric,theGoldenSpice. HerbalMedicine:BiomolecularandClinicalAspects.2nd Edition.2011.NelsonKM,DahlinJL,BissonJ,etal.TheEssentialMedicinalChemistryofCurcumin. JournalofMedicinalChemistry.January2017.Spices,Turmeric,Ground. U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture.April2018.HewlingsSJ,KalmanDS.Curcumin:AReviewofItsEffectsonHumanHealth. Foods.October2017.ChandranB,GoelA.ARandomizedPilotStudytoAssesstheEfficacyandSafetyofCurcumininPatientsWithActiveRheumatoidArthritis.PhytotherapyResearch.January2012.HurleyLL,AkinfiresoyeL,NwuliaE,etal.Antidepressant-LikeEffectsofCurcumininWKYRatModelofDepressionIsAssociatedWithanIncreaseinHippocampalBDNF.BehaviouralBrainResearch.February2013.SanmukhaniJ,SatodiaV,TrivediJ,etal.EfficacyandSafetyofCurcumininMajorDepressiveDisorder:ARandomizedControlledTrial.PhytotherapyResearch.April2014.KimY,RouseM,Gonzalez-MariscalI,etal.DietaryCurcuminEnhancesInsulinClearanceinDiet-InducedObeseMiceviaRegulationofHepaticPI3K-AKTAxisandIDE,andPreservationofIsletIntegrity.Nutrition&Metabolism.July2019.ZhangDW,FuM,GaoSH,etal.CurcuminandDiabetes:ASystematicReview.Evidence-BasedComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine.November2013.DiPierroF,BressanA,RanaldiD,etal.PotentialRoleofBioavailableCurcumininWeightLossandOmentalAdiposeTissueDecrease:PreliminaryDataofaRandomized,ControlledTrialinOverweightPeopleWithMetabolicSyndrome.PreliminaryStudy.EuropeanReviewforMedicalandPharmacologicalSciences.November2015.CommonQuestionsAboutDietandCancer. AmericanCancerSociety.February5,2016.AggarwalBB,KumarA,BhartiAC.AnticancerPotentialofCurcumin:PreclinicalandClinicalStudies.AnticancerResearch.January–February2003.VollonoL,FalconiM,GazianoR,etal.PotentialofCurcumininSkinDisorders.Nutrients.September2019.LaoCD,RuffinMT,NormolleD,etal.DoseEscalationofaCurcuminoidFormulation.BMCComplementaryMedicineandTherapies.March2006.Curcumin:Summary.OregonStateUniversity.March2016.KimDC,KuSK,BaeJS.AnticoagulantActivitiesofCurcuminandItsDerivative.BMBReports.April2012.Turmeric.PennStateHershey.January2017.BahramsoltaniR,RahimiR,FarzaeiMH.PharmacokineticInteractionsofCurcuminoids WithConventionalDrugs:AReview.JournalofEthnopharmacology.September2017.CodeofFederalRegulationsTitle21.U.S.FoodandDrugAdministration.April2019.TurmericSpicevs.TurmericSupplements.ConsumerLab.KocaadamB,SanlierN.Curcumin,AnActiveComponentofTurmeric(Curcumalonga)andItsEffectsonHealth.CriticalReviewsinFoodScienceandNutrition.September2017.DailyJW,YangM,ParkS.EfficacyofTurmericExtractsandCurcuminforAlleviatingtheSymptomsofJointArthritis:ASystematicReviewandMeta-AnalysisofRandomizedControlledTrials.JournalofMedicinalFood.August2016.ShobaG,JoyD,JosephT,etal.InfluenceofPiperineonthePharmacokineticsofCurcumininAnimalsandHumanVolunteers.PlantaMedica.May1998.DamanhouriZ,AhmadA.AReviewonTherapeuticPotentialofPipernigrumL.(BlackPepper):TheKingofSpices.Medicinal&AromaticPlants.August2014.What’stheDifferenceBetweenFreshandDriedTurmeric? TheKitchn.May6,2014.ShowLessNEWSLETTERSSignupforourDietandNutritionNewsletter!EnteryouremailSubscribeBysubscribingyouagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.TheLatestinDiet&NutritionDoesCoconutWaterCountasFluid?Thistropicaldrinkbecamepopularamongathletesforitsnaturalelectrolytes,butdoesithydrateyouthesameway—orbetter—thanplainwater?Here...ByKellyKennedy,RDNJune27,2022Why'HealthyCoke'Isn'tGoodforYou—Plus7SparklingWaterCombosThatAreNutritionexpertsdebunktheclaimsaboutthisvinegar-and-seltzercomboandoffertastier,healthiermixers.ByLeahGrothJune24,20225Expert-TestedWaystoEnjoyCottageCheeseEvenifYouHateItIt'snotaspopularasyogurt,butcottagecheeseisjustashealthy.ByKellyKennedy,RDNJune24,2022CanOliveOilShotsReallyImproveYourSkinandReduceBloating?Doesashotofextra-virginoliveoiladaykeepthedoctoraway?Here,expertsweighin.ByHilaryI.LebowJune23,2022MultivitaminsandSupplementsMayNotPreventHeartDisease,CancerStudieshaven’tfoundthatmultivitaminsreducetheriskofprematuredeathingeneralorfatalitiesfromcancerorheartdiseaseinparticular,according...ByLisaRapaportJune22,2022The8HealthiestIceCreamToppingsYou’veNeverTriedByKellyKennedy,RDNJune16,20227HealthyHerbsYouShouldBeCookingWithSmallbutflavorful,herbspackalotofnutritionalbenefitsyoudon’twanttomiss.ByMatthewKadey,RDJune16,2022AreMultivitaminsReallyAnyGoodforYourHealth?Americansspend$8billionayearonthesesupplements,butareweactuallybenefitingfromthem?Seewhatexpertssay.ByKarenAnsel,RDNJune16,2022WhatArePersonalizedVitamins,andDoYouNeedThem?CustomsupplementsformulatedonthebasisofDNAorbloodtestsaretrending—butdotheydeliverresults?ByMoiraLawlerJune16,20225SimplePlant-BasedSwapsforMeatEatersPlant-basedeatingoffersahostofhealthandenvironmentalbenefits.Here’showtodipyourtoesintothiswayofeating.ByMoiraLawlerJune14,2022MostHelpfulCranberries101:Nutrition,Benefits,Uses,SideEffects,andMore6CitrusRecipesThatWillHelpSupportYourImmuneSystemThe10HealthiestIngredientsinIndianFood