Turmeric and Curcumin

Our assessments of evidence for each medical benefit fall into one of these categories:

• Strong evidence: consistent, significant effects in several large (or at least one very large) well designed clinical studies or at least two meta-analysesa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of clinical studies of moderate or better quality (or one large meta-analysis) finding similar results
• Good evidence: significant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies ( randomized controlled trialsa study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds)
• Modest evidence: significant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observationala type of study in which individuals are observed or certain outcomes are measured, but no attempt is made to affect the outcome (for example, no treatment is given); an example is a study that records people’s diets, but doesn’t try to alter their diets, and looks for patterns of disease or other outcomes related to different foods studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis
• Preliminary evidence: significant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect
• Weak evidence: one or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects
• Insufficient evidence: preclinical evidence only OR clinical studies with such poor or unclear methodology that no conclusion can be drawn OR conflicting findings across clinical studies with no preponderance of evidence in one direction; conflicting evidence occurs when studies find conflicting effects (positive effect vs no effect or negative effect) with the same treatment and the same general study population (same cancer type, for example)

Learn more about how we research and rate therapies and practices in How We Rate Therapies ›

• Considerably less unintentional weight loss related to oral mucositis inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract, usually as an adverse effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for cancer among people with head and neck cancer treated with curcumin compared to controls in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 6 RCTsrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects³⁸Zhang L, Tang G, Wei Z. Prophylactic and therapeutic effects of curcumin on treatment-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition and Cancer. 2021;73(5):740-749.
• Less change in body weight related to oral mucositis among people undergoing treatment for head and neck cancers treated with a turmeric gargle compared to povidone-iodine in a mid-sized RCT³⁹Rao S, Dinkar C, Vaishnav LK, Rao P, Rai MP, Fayad R, Baliga MS. The Indian spice turmeric delays and mitigates radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer: an investigational study. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2014 May;13(3):201-10.
• Better body weight among people undergoing colorectal cancer surgery treated with 360 mg oral curcumin 3 times day between 10 and 30 days before surgery compared to a similar treatment with no active curcumin in a mid-sized RCT⁴⁰He ZY, Shi CB et al. Upregulation of p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer by administration of curcumin. Cancer Investigation. 2011 Mar;29(3):208-13.

• A weak trendan apparent change due to a therapy, close to but not achieving full statistical significance (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently toward less fatigue among women with advanced or metastatic breast cancer treated with paclitaxel and 300 mg intravenous solution curcumin once per week compared to paclitaxel and placebo in a mid-sized RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁴¹Saghatelyan T, Tananyan A et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced, metastatic breast cancer: a comparative, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2020 Apr 18;70:153218.

• No evidence of an effect on bowel symptoms during radiotherapy among men with localized prostate cancer treated with 3 grams of curcumin with each meal beginning 1 week before radiotherapy and continuing to the end of treatment compared to placebo in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁴²Hejazi J, Rastmanesh R, Taleban F, Molana S, Ehtejab G. A pilot clinical trial of radioprotective effects of curcumin supplementation in patients with prostate cancer. Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy. 2013;5(10):320–324.

• Less severe oral mucositis after radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy among people with head and neck cancer treated with topical turmeric or curcumin (3 studies), but no evidence of an effect from oral turmeric or curcumin (2 studies) or on incidence after radiotherapy (3 studies) or radiochemotherapy (2 studies) in meta-analyses of RCTs⁴³Dharman S, G M, Shanmugasundaram K, Sampath RK. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of curcumin/turmeric for the prevention and amelioration of radiotherapy/radiochemotherapy induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2021 Jun 1;22(6):1671-1684.
• Less severe oral mucositis, but no evidence of an effect on incidence, among people with head and neck cancer using curcumin as a preventive treatment compared to controls or to in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 6 RCTsrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁴⁴Zhang L, Tang G, Wei Z. Prophylactic and therapeutic effects of curcumin on treatment-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition and Cancer. 2021;73(5):740-749.
• Less severe oral mucositis among people with head and neck cancer treated with curcumin compared to chlorhexidine in a meta-analysis of 6 RCTs⁴⁵Zhang L, Tang G, Wei Z. Prophylactic and therapeutic effects of curcumin on treatment-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition and Cancer. 2021;73(5):740-749.
• Lower grade of mucositis and less related pain, intensity of redness (erythema), and ulcerative area during chemo/radiotherapy among people with cancer treated with turmeric/curcumin applied topically as a gel or as a mouthwash in a systematic review of 4 RCTs and a controlled triala study design in which people are assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatment; assignment is not random, and so this is not as strong a study design as a randomized controlled trial, but still stronger than an uncontrolled trial⁴⁶Normando AGC, Menêses AG et al. Effects of turmeric and curcumin on oral mucositis: a systematic review. Phytotherapy Research. 2019;33(5):1318-1329.
• Similar risk of severe radiation-induced oral mucositis, but greater delay in onset among people with head and neck cancer treated with 0.1% curcumin mouthwash freshly prepared using nanoparticles compared to 0.15% benzydamine mouthwash in a small RCT⁴⁷Shah S, Rath H, Sharma G, Senapati SN, Mishra E. Effectiveness of curcumin mouthwash on radiation-induced oral mucositis among head and neck cancer patients: a triple-blind, pilot randomised controlled trial. Indian Journal of Dental Research. 2020 Sep-Oct;31(5):718-727.
• Less oral mucositis among symptomatic people with cancer treated with Indian turmeric powder and honey compared to controls in a small controlled trial⁴⁸Francis M, Williams S. Effectiveness of Indian turmeric powder with honey as complementary therapy on oral mucositis: a nursing perspective among cancer patients in Mysore. Nursing Journal of India. 2014 Nov-Dec;105(6):258-60.

Preliminary evidence of less burning and intolerance to spicy food among people with a precancerous oral submucous condition treated with either curcumin or turmeric

• Less burning sensation and intolerance of spicy food among people with oral submucous fibrosis treated with either curcumin capsules or turmeric oil compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCT⁴⁹Das AD, Balan A, Sreelatha KT. Comparative study of the efficacy of curcumin and turmeric oil as chemopreventive agents in oral submucous fibrosis: a clinical and histopathological evaluation. Journal of Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology. 2010;22:88-92.

• Apparently less pain, but without statistical assessment, among people with oral submucous fibrosis treated with either curcumin capsules or turmeric oil compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁵⁰Das AD, Balan A, Sreelatha KT. Comparative study of the efficacy of curcumin and turmeric oil as chemopreventive agents in oral submucous fibrosis: a clinical and histopathological evaluation. Journal of Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology. 2010;22:88-92.
• Lower pain scores among people with oral leukoplakia, submucous fibrosis, or lichen planus treated with 1 gram curcumin caplets (900 mg curcumin, 80 mg desmethoxycurcumin, and 20 mg bisdesmethoxycurcumin) compared to baseline in a mid-sized uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁵¹Rai B, Kaur J, Jacobs R, Singh J. Possible action mechanism for curcumin in pre-cancerous lesions based on serum and salivary markers of oxidative stress. Journal of Oral Science. 2010 Jun;52(2):251-6.

• Better quality of life during chemotherapy among people with solid tumors treated with 900 mg bioavailability-enhanced curcuminoids per day equivalent to 180 mg per day of curcuminoids compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁵²Panahi Y, Saadat A, Beiraghdar F, Sahebkar A. Adjuvant therapy with bioavailability-boosted curcuminoids suppresses systemic inflammation and improves quality of life in patients with solid tumors: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Phytotherapy Research. 2014 Oct;28(10):1461-7.
• No evidence of an effect on health-related quality of life during intermittent androgen deprivation among men with prostate cancer treated with 1440 mg per day oral curcumin for 6 months compared to placebo in a small RCT⁵³Choi YH, Han DH et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the role of curcumin in prostate cancer patients with intermittent androgen deprivation. Prostate. 2019 May;79(6):614-621.

• No evidence of an effect on sexual function among men with localized prostate cancer treated with 3 grams of curcumin with each meal beginning one week before radiotherapy and continuing to the end of treatment compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁵⁴Hejazi J, Rastmanesh R, Taleban F, Molana S, Ehtejab G. A pilot clinical trial of radioprotective effects of curcumin supplementation in patients with prostate cancer. Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy. 2013;5(10):320–324.

Preliminary evidence of less radiation dermatitis among people with cancer treated with with oral curcumin or topical turmeric

• Slightly less radiation dermatitis during radiotherapy among people with cancer treated with with oral curcumin compared to controls in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of 2 controlled trialsa study design in which people are assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatment; assignment is not random, and so this is not as strong a study design as a randomized controlled trial, but still stronger than an uncontrolled trial with very low-certainty evidence⁵⁵Ginex PK, Backler C et al. Radiodermatitis in patients with cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2020 Nov 1;47(6):E225-E236.
• Lower incidence of and less severe radiation dermatitis during radiotherapy among people with head and neck cancer treated with topical application of a cream containing turmeric and sandalwood oil within the irradiated field five times a day compared to placebo (commercial baby oil) in a small RCT⁵⁶Palatty PL, Azmidah A et al. Topical application of a sandal wood oil and turmeric based cream prevents radiodermatitis in head and neck cancer patients undergoing external beam radiotherapy: a pilot study. British Journal of Radiology. 2014 Jun;87(1038):20130490.

Weak evidence of less odor and itching among people with external cancerous lesions treated with turmeric and curcumin

• Less odor and itching among people with external cancerous lesions with an ethanol extract of turmeric and an ointment of curcumin compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled studya study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁵⁷Kuttan R, Sudheeran PC, Josph CD. Turmeric and curcumin as topical agents in cancer therapy. Tumori. 1987 Feb 28;73(1):29-31.

Urinary symptoms: preliminary evidence of less severe urinary symptoms, including urination frequency, during radiotherapy among men with prostate cancer treated with curcumin

• Less severe urinary symptoms during radiotherapy, including urination frequency, among men with localized prostate cancer treated with 3 grams of curcumin with each meal beginning one week before radiotherapy and continuing to the end of treatment compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁵⁸Hejazi J, Rastmanesh R, Taleban F, Molana S, Ehtejab G. A pilot clinical trial of radioprotective effects of curcumin supplementation in patients with prostate cancer. Journal of Cancer Science and Therapy. 2013;5(10):320–324.

Anxiety: preliminary evidence of less anxiety among people with major depressive disorder treated with curcumin

• Fewer symptoms of anxiety among people with major depressive disorder (not specific to people with cancer) treated with curcumin compared to controls in a meta-analysisa statistical analysis that combines the results of two or more research studies; the results of smaller research studies addressing the same or similar questions can be analyzed as though they are one bigger, more powerful study of controlled trialsa study design in which people are assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatment; assignment is not random, and so this is not as strong a study design as a randomized controlled trial, but still stronger than an uncontrolled trial⁵⁹Fuar-Poli L, Vozza L et al. Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysis. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2020;60(15):2643-2653.

Bone and joint symptoms: preliminary evidence of better measures of osteoarthritis and physical performance among people with osteoarthritis treated with Meriva

• Better measures of osteoarthritis and physical performance among people with osteoarthritis treated with Meriva, a proprietary curcumin-phosphatidylcholine phytosome complex, compared to controls in a mid-sized controlled trial⁶⁰Belcaro G, Cesarone MR et al. Efficacy and safety of Meriva®, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, during extended administration in osteoarthritis patients. Alternative Medicine Review. 2010 Dec;15(4):337-44.

Depression: modest evidence of lower depression scores or fewer symptoms among people with depression treated with curcumin

• Less depression but not fewer symptoms of depression among people with either depression or depressive symptoms treated with curcumin compared to controls in a meta-analysis of 10 controlled trials of low quality⁶¹Wang Z, Zhang Q, Huang H, Liu Z. The efficacy and acceptability of curcumin for the treatment of depression or depressive symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2021 Mar 1;282:242-251.
• Fewer symptoms of depression among people with major depressive disorder treated with curcumin compared to controls in a meta-analysis of 9 controlled trials of low quality⁶²Fuar-Poli L, Vozza L et al. Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysis. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2020;60(15):2643-2653.
• Lower depression scores among people with depression treated with curcumin compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a meta-analysis of 6 controlled trials of very low quality⁶³Ng QX, Koh SSH, Chan HW, Ho CYX. Clinical use of curcumin in depression: a meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 2017 Jun 1;18(6):503-508.
• Fewer symptoms of depression among people with major depressive disorders treated with curcumin in a meta-analysis of 6 controlled trials⁶⁴Al-Karawi D, Mamoori DAA, Tayyar Y. The role of curcumin administration in patients with major depressive disorder: mini meta-analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy Research. 2016 Feb;30(2):175-83.

Meriva (curcumin formulation), soy lecithin, and microcrystalline cellulose: preliminary evidence of widespread symptom relief during chemotherapy or radiotherapy among people treated with Meriva (curcumin formulation), soy lecithin and microcrystalline cellulose

• Medical benefits during chemotherapy or radiotherapy starting at least 1 month after any surgery among people with clinically significant side effects treated with 500 mg Meriva (100 mg curcuminoids), 200 mg soy lecithin and 200 mg microcrystalline cellulose compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a mid-sized RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects of reasonably good quality:⁶⁵Belcaro G, Hosoi M et al. A controlled study of a lecithinized delivery system of curcumin (Meriva®) to alleviate the adverse effects of cancer treatment. Phytotherapy Research. 2014 Mar; 28:444-50.
  • Fewer medications needed for side effects
  • Substantially less fatigue
  • Substantially less pain at the treatment site during radiotherapy
  • Substantially less weakness during chemotherapy
  • Substantially less damage to epithelial surfaces (skin, mouth, urothelium, and pharyngeal and bowel mucosa) and substantially less swelling/edema of lower limbs during chemotherapy
  • Substantially less damage to the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bowel; slightly less sore esophagus; and substantially less soreness and ulceration in the mouth and throat and fewer swallowing problems
  • Moderately less neutropeniaan abnormally low number of neutrophils in the blood, leading to increased susceptibility to infection
  • Moderately less weight loss
  • Moderately fewer cardiac side effects
  • Moderately to substantially less nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
  • Fewer blood infections (sepsis) during chemotherapy
  • Slightly less cognitive alteration

MB-6: fermented soybean extract, green tea extract, Antrodia camphorata mycelia, spirulina, grape seed extract, and curcumin extract: preliminary evidence of fewer serious side effects and during treatment with leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin among people with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with MB-6

• Lower incidence of adverse events of grade 4 or higher, and lower occurrence of increased serum creatinine (an indicator of kidney function) during treatment with leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin among people with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with MB-6 compared to placebo in a small RCT⁶⁶Chen WT, Yang TS et al. Effectiveness of a novel herbal agent MB-6 as a potential adjunct to 5-fluoracil-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer. Nutrition Research. 2014 Jul;34(7):585-94.

Hydroxytyrosol, omega-3 fatty acids, and curcumin: weak evidence of less pain during treatment predominantly with aromatase inhibitors among people treated with this combination

• Lower pain scores during treatment predominantly with aromatase inhibitors among postmenopausal women with breast cancer with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) treated with hydroxytyrosol, omega-3 fatty acids, and curcumin for one month compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group against which to judge outcomes; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁶⁷Martínez N, Herrera M et al. A combination of hydroxytyrosol, omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin improves pain and inflammation among early stage breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant hormonal therapy: results of a pilot study. Clinical and Translational Oncology. 2019;21(4):489-498.

Indian gooseberry (amla), holy basil (tulsi), and curcumin: weak evidence of less severe oral mucositis during chemo/radiotherapy among people treated with this preparation

• A weak trendan apparent change due to a therapy, close to but not achieving full statistical significance (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently toward less severe oral mucositis during chemo/radiotherapy among people treated with a preparation of zinc oxide, amla, tulsi and curcumin at 1% therapeutic concentrations for five weeks compared to 5% zinc oxide alone, and significantly less severe compared to standard treatment in a small RCT⁶⁸Chaitanya N, Badam R et al. Efficacy of improvised topical zinc (1%) ora-base on oral mucositis during cancer chemo-radiation-a randomized study. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology (Tokyo). 2020;66(2):93-97.

Also see separate reviews of products containing turmeric:
Pomi-T, a blend of pomegranate extracts, green tea extracts, turmeric, and broccoli extracts: Pomi-T ›
Zyflamend, a blend of rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, green tea, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and baikal skullcap: Zyflamend ›

• Lesion response (histologic improvement of precancerous lesions) in 1 of 2 people with resected bladder cancer treated with oral curcumin up to 8,000 mg/day for 3 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁶⁹Cheng AL, Hsu CH et al. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Research. 2001 Jul;21(4B):2895-900.

• No evidence of an effect on the number or size of polyps among people with familial adenomatous polyposis treated with 1,500 mg pure oral curcumin twice per day for 12 weeks compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁷⁰Cruz-Correa M, Hylind LM et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in treatment of intestinal adenomas in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. Gastroenterology. 2018 Sep;155(3):668-673.
• 40% fewer ACF among people who smoke and had 8 or more ACF on screening colonoscopy treated with oral curcumin 4 grams, but not with 2 grams, per day for 30 days compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group against which to judge outcomes; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁷¹Carroll RE, Benya RV et al. Phase IIa clinical trial of curcumin for the prevention of colorectal neoplasia. Cancer Prevention Research (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). 2011 Mar;4(3):354-64.

• Lesion response (histologic improvement of precancerous lesions) in 1 of 6 people with intestinal metaplasia of the stomach treated with oral curcumin up to 8,000 mg/day for 3 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁷²Cheng AL, Hsu CH et al. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Research. 2001 Jul;21(4B):2895-900.

• Lesion response (histologic improvement of precancerous lesions) in 1 of 4 people with cervical intraepithelial neoplasm treated with oral curcumin up to 8,000 mg/day  for 3 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁷³Cheng AL, Hsu CH et al. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Research. 2001 Jul;21(4B):2895-900.

• Better clinical scores indicating tissue change to a lower pre-malignant grade among people with oral submucous fibrosis with either curcumin capsules or turmeric oil compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁷⁴Das AD, Balan A, Sreelatha KT. Comparative study of the efficacy of curcumin and turmeric oil as chemopreventive agents in oral submucous fibrosis: a clinical and histopathological evaluation. Journal of Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology. 2010;22:88-92.
• Improvement of precancerous lesions in 1 of 7 people with oral precancerous tissue (leukoplakia) treated with oral curcumin up to 8,000 mg/day for 3 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁷⁵Cheng AL, Hsu CH et al. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Research. 2001 Jul;21(4B):2895-900.
• No evidence of an effect on symptoms or clinical signs among people with oral lichen planus—an inflammatory condition in the mouth that may increase risk of developing mouth cancer—treated with 2000 mg curcuminoids per day (planned for 7 weeks but terminated early) compared to baseline in a mid-sized RCT; the researchers concluded that a higher dose and/or longer duration of curcuminoids should be considered in a subsequent trial⁷⁶Chainani-Wu N, Silverman S Jr et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of curcuminoids in oral lichen planus. Phytomedicine. 2007 Aug;14(7-8):437-46.
• Fewer micronuclei—a precursor to and markera chemical or substance, such as certain proteins or genetic material, that are associated with the presence of cancer or a change in status or prognosis; these markers can be detected in blood, urine, or tissue. Tumor markers are not direct measures of clinical outcomes such as survival or metastasis, and if a therapy or treatment shows an impact only on tumor markers, we cannot surmise that it will affect survival. of cancer development—among people with submucous fibrosis treated with alcoholic extracts of turmeric, turmeric oil, or turmeric oleoresin for three months, with the greatest reduction with turmeric oleoresin, compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled trial⁷⁷Hastak K, Lubri N et al. Effect of turmeric oil and turmeric oleoresin on cytogenetic damage in patients suffering from oral submucous fibrosis. Cancer Letters. 1997 Jun 24;116(2):265-9.
• Smaller lesions among people with oral leukoplakia, submucous fibrosis, or lichen planus, plus greater mouth opening among those with submucous fibrosis, treated with 1 g caplets of 900 mg curcumin, 80 mg desmethoxycurcumin, and 20 mg bisdesmethoxycurcumin compared to baseline in a mid-sized uncontrolled trial⁷⁸Rai B, Kaur J, Jacobs R, Singh J. Possible action mechanism for curcumin in pre-cancerous lesions based on serum and salivary markers of oxidative stress. Journal of Oral Science. 2010 Jun;52(2):251-6.

• Lower urinary excretion of mutagens among people who smoke chronically, but not among people who don’t smoke, treated with 1.5 grams of turmeric per day for 30 days compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled studya study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁷⁹Polasa K, Raghuram TC, Krishna TP, Krishnaswamy K. Effect of turmeric on urinary mutagens in smokers. Mutagenesis. 1992 Mar;7(2):107-9.

• Lesion response (histologic improvement of precancerous lesions) in 2 of 6 people with Bowen’s disease treated with oral curcumin up to 8,000 mg per day for 3 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁸⁰Cheng AL, Hsu CH et al. Phase I clinical trial of curcumin, a chemopreventive agent, in patients with high-risk or pre-malignant lesions. Anticancer Research. 2001 Jul;21(4B):2895-900.

• Lower indicators of disease progression among people with MGUS or smoldering myeloma treated with 4 g curcumin for 3 months compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁸¹Golombick T, Diamond T, Manoharan A, Ramakrishna R. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, smoldering multiple myeloma, and curcumin: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over 4g study and an open-label 8g extension study. American Journal of Hematology. 2012;87:455-60.
• Lower levels of abnormal proteins among people with MGUS with levels higher than 20 g/L treated with 4 grams oral curcumin per day compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁸²Golombick T, Diamond TH, Badmaev V, Manoharan A, Ramakrishna R. The potential role of curcumin in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undefined significance—its effect on paraproteinemia and the urinary N-telopeptide of type I collagen bone turnover marker. Clinical Cancer Research. 2009 Sep 15;15(18):5917-22.

• Lower PSA and a higher ratio of free and total PSA, but no change in prostate volume among people referred to a urology surgical unit treated with 2 tablets curcuma extract per day for 30 days compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁸³Fabiani A, Morosetti C, Filosa A, Principi E, Lepri L, Maurelli V, Fioretti F, Servi L. Effect on prostatic specific antigen by a short time treatment with a Curcuma extract: a real life experience and implications for prostate biopsy. Archivio Italiano di Urologia e Andrologia. 2018 Jun 30;90(2):107-111.

Isoflavones and curcumin: preliminary evidence of decreasing PSA levels among men with high PSA levels treated with isoflavones and curcumin

• Decreasing PSA levels among men with PSA of 10 or higher at baseline but without prostate cancer treated with a daily supplement of isoflavones and curcumin compared to placeboa pill, medicine, or procedure—thought to be both harmless and ineffective—prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient or as a sham treatment in a study to allow a comparison to a therapy of interest in a small RCTrandomized controlled trial, a study design in which people are randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group to compare the outcomes from different treatments; an RCT is considered a strong design for determining a therapy’s effects⁸⁴Ide H, Tokiwa S et al. Combined inhibitory effects of soy isoflavones and curcumin on the production of prostate-specific antigen. Prostate. 2010 Jul 1;70(10):1127-33.

Curcumin and quercetin: Weak evidence of fewer and smaller polyps among people with familial adenomatous polyposis treated with curcumin and quercetin

• 60% fewer polyps and 51% smaller size of polyps among people with familial adenomatous polyposis with prior colectomy treated with 480 mg curcumin and 20 mg quercetin orally 3 times a day for 6 months compared to baseline in a small uncontrolled triala study in which a therapy is used, but without a comparison group to judge outcomes against; an uncontrolled trial is considered a weak study design⁸⁵Cruz-Correa M, Shoskes DA et al. Combination treatment with curcumin and quercetin of adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2006 Aug;4(8):1035-8.

Curcumin and green tea extract: preliminary evidence of higher clinical response rate among people with oral potentially malignant disorders treated with both topical and systemic green tea extract and curcumin

• Higher clinical response rate among people with oral potentially malignant disorders treated with both 800 mg topical + systemic green tea extract per day and 950 mg topical + systemic curcumin per day for 3 months compared to either green tea extract or curcumin alone in a small RCT⁸⁶Neetha MC, Panchaksharappa MG, Pattabhiramasastry S, Shivaprasad NV, Venkatesh UG. Chemopreventive synergism between green tea extract and curcumin in patients with potentially malignant oral disorders: a double-blind, randomized preliminary study. Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice. 2020 May 1;21(5):521-531.

Also see separate reviews of products containing turmeric:

• Pomi-T, a blend of pomegranate extracts, green tea extracts, turmeric, and broccoli extracts: Pomi-T › 
• Zyflamend, a blend of rosemary, turmeric, ginger, holy basil, green tea, hu zhang, Chinese goldthread, barberry, oregano, and baikal skullcap: Zyflamend ›