Turmeric and Curcumin

Turmeric and curcumin are used as if they were the same product, and they are not. NCCIH describes turmeric as a plant in the ginger family, grown commercially in Southeast Asia and India, whose rhizome is used in cooking and cosmetics. Curcumin is a major component of that rhizome and the one that gives turmeric its yellow colour. Nearly all of the health interest attaches to curcumin and the other curcuminoids rather than to the spice as a whole.

Is curcumin the same as turmeric?

No. Turmeric is the plant and the spice made from its rhizome. Curcumin is one compound inside it.

NCCIH states that the health effects people look for are commonly attributed to curcuminoids, a group that includes curcumin. A jar of turmeric powder and a capsule standardised to curcuminoids are therefore not equivalent, and an amount stated for one does not describe the other.

NCCIH does not give a figure for how much curcumin turmeric contains, so this entry does not state one either.

What is turmeric curcumin good for?

NCCIH’s assessments, condition by condition:

• Knee osteoarthritis. Initial evidence for oral turmeric and curcumin is positive for knee pain, stiffness and joint function. NCCIH qualifies this directly: higher-quality evidence is needed to reach definitive conclusions. The effects of topical curcumin are unclear.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Initial research suggests it might improve some measures, but NCCIH says it is unclear which measures are consistently improved.
• Oral mucositis. Initial research suggests it might improve symptoms related to cancer therapy.
• Everything else. NCCIH states there is not enough evidence to conclude whether oral turmeric or curcumin has beneficial effects on other health conditions.

Only the osteoarthritis line carries a positive signal, and NCCIH hedges it in the same sentence.

Why do labels mention black pepper?

Curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own. NCCIH notes that combining curcumin with piperine, a compound from black pepper, is one way to improve its bioavailability, and that oral curcumin products often contain substances from other plants, piperine among them.

NCCIH also states plainly that oral curcumin products vary in how much curcumin they actually contain. The amount on the front of a package is not a reliable guide to what is in it.

What are the side effects of turmeric and curcumin?

NCCIH reports that conventionally formulated oral turmeric is likely safe in the recommended amounts for up to two or three months. Reported effects include nausea and vomiting, acid reflux, stomach upset, diarrhoea and constipation. Topical use can cause hives or itching.

The more serious signal concerns the enhanced-absorption products. NCCIH states that liver damage has been reported in some people who have consumed these bioavailable formulations, and lists fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine and jaundice as symptoms to watch for. This is the one place where the higher-absorption forms and the ordinary spice diverge sharply, and it is worth reading before choosing a product on absorption claims alone.

Who is advised against it?

NCCIH states that the use of turmeric supplements during pregnancy may be unsafe, and that whether it is safe while breastfeeding is not known.

On medicines, NCCIH’s guidance is general rather than specific: it advises anyone taking any type of medicine to talk with their health care provider before using any herbal product, because some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways. It does not name individual drugs on this page, so neither does this entry.