Turmeric

Integrative Medicine
Developing Your Personal Care Plan
Integrative Medicine at Home Membership Program
Therapies, Classes & Workshops
About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products
About Mind-Body Therapies
Our Research & Clinical Trials
Multimedia

Turmeric

Share
Print
Share
Print
Turmeric

Common Names

  • Indian saffron
  • Curcumin
  • Jiang huang

Jump to:

For Patients & Caregivers

Tell your healthcare providers about any dietary supplements you’re taking, such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and natural or home remedies. This will help them manage your care and keep you safe.

What is it?

Turmeric is a plant that’s common in South Asia but is grown around the world. The underground part of the stem is a spice that has been used in cooking for hundreds of years. It’s available as a dietary supplement for arthritis, and for cancer prevention.

The active substance in turmeric is curcumin. Curcumin is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your cells from damage. Curcumin can also reduce swelling and pain.

What is it used for?
  • To prevent cancer
  • To treat infections
  • To reduce inflammation (swelling and redness)
  • To treat joint pain

Turmeric also has other uses that haven’t been studied by doctors to see if they work.

It’s generally safe to use turmeric in food and tea. However, talk with your healthcare providers before taking supplements or higher amounts of turmeric. Herbal supplements are stronger than the herbs you would use in cooking.

Turmeric can also interact with some medications and affect how they work. For more information, read the “What else do I need to know?” section below.

What are the side effects?

Side effects of using turmeric may include:

  • Skin rash
  • Hives
What else do I need to know?
  • Talk with your healthcare providers about using turmeric and foods that contain turmeric if you’re getting chemotherapy. In lab experiments, turmeric stopped some chemotherapy medications from working against breast cancer cells.
  • Talk with your healthcare providers about using turmeric and foods that contain turmeric if you have gastrointestinal problems, or if you have a family history of kidney stones. Taking turmeric supplements may put you at a higher risk of getting kidney stones.

Don’t take turmeric supplements if:

  • You’re taking aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), or Acetaminophen (Tylenol®). Turmeric may lessen the effects of these medications.
  • You’re taking indomethacin (Indocin®). Turmeric may lessen its effects.
  • You’re taking warfarin (Coumadin®) or other blood thinners. Turmeric may increase your risk of bleeding.
  • You’re taking chemotherapy medications such as camptothecin (Camptosar®), mechlorethamine (Mustargen®), doxorubicin (Adriamycin®, Rubex®), or cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan®, Neosar®). Turmeric may lessen the effects of these medications.
  • You’re taking tacrolimus (Prograf®). Curcumin supplements may increase side effects.
Back to top

For Healthcare Professionals

Scientific Name
Curcuma longa, Curcuma domestica
Clinical Summary

Turmeric is a plant prevalent in South Asia, and is now cultivated in tropical areas around the world. The rhizome is used as a spice in regional cuisines, and as a coloring agent in food and cosmetics for its yellow-orange color. It is also used in traditional medicine for improving circulation and digestion. Turmeric extracts are marketed as dietary supplements to improve memory, for arthritis, and for cancer prevention.

The active constituents are turmerone oil and water-soluble curcuminoids, among which curcumin has been the focus of research. In vitro studies suggest that it acts as a weak phytoestrogen (1), and exhibits neuroprotective (2), choleretic (3), anti-inflammatory (4), immunomodulatory (5), anti-proliferative (3), and chemopreventive effects (6) (7) (8). Curcumin, its analogs, and liposomal formulations have also produced chemosensitizing (9) (10) (11) and radiosensitizing effects (12) (13).

Turmeric and its active constituents have been investigated for their therapeutic activities. A clinical trial showed that it may be effective against major depressive disorder  (62), and epidemiological data suggest improved cognitive performance in elderly Asians who consumed turmeric in the form of curry powder (14). However, there were no benefits from curcumin supplementation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (15). Turmeric may also help alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome  (16) or quiescent ulcerative colitis (17), but in a double-blind randomized trial of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, there was no reduction in lower intestinal tract adenomas with long-term use of curcumin versus placebo  (70).

In other studies, turmeric extract was found to be safe and equally effective as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee (18); to decrease arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (77) ; and may also benefit children and adolescents with asthma (78).

It is not known whether curcumin supplementation increases cholesterol levels, as available data are mixed (19) (20). In a study of postmenopausal women, consumption of curcumin, along with aerobic exercise training, was shown to improve vascular endothelial function (61). Findings of a systematic review suggest that turmeric or curcumin supplementation may benefit patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease by positively affecting serum concentrations of liver enzymes (75). Preliminary data showed benefits of combining curcumin with antipsychotics for controlling symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia (79).

Turmeric has also been studied in cancer patients. Oral curcumin administered to colorectal cancer patients during the pre-surgery waiting period improved cachexia and the general health (21). In a phase II trial of oral curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, no treatment-related toxic effects were observed, and clinically relevant biological activity was seen in two patients despite limited absorption (22). Other preliminary results suggest turmeric supplementation during capecitabine treatment may reduce rates of hand-foot syndrome  (71). In another study, supplementation with a blend of green tea, pomegranate, broccoli and curcumin resulted in a reduction in the rate of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) increase among men with prostate cancer following a PSA relapse post-radical treatment (65).

In early phase studies, curcumin combined with docetaxel (23) and gemcitabine (24) (25) was found to be safe, but required a high dose of curcumin to achieve systemic effect (23) (25). Also, in a study of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, curcumin was reported to be a safe and tolerable adjunct to FOLFOX chemotherapy (72). 

Preliminary data suggest effectiveness of a topical turmeric-based cream for reduction of radiotherapy-induced dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer (64); and of topical application of turmeric or curcumin for controlling signs and symptoms of oral mucositis (76). Curcumin, combined with hydroxytyrosol and omega-3 fatty acids, was also useful in reducing inflammation and pain in early breast cancer patients with aromatase-induced musculoskeletal symptoms (80).

Curcumin is known to interfere with cytochrome P450 enzymes (26) (27) and may interact with chemotherapy drugs like cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin (28). Overall, the development of turmeric for clinical use needs further investigation due to its inherent poor absorption, rapid metabolism, complex mechanistic profile, and largely preclinical data.

Food Sources

Turmeric is a major ingredient in curry powder, a spice mix commonly used in South Asian cuisine.

Purported Uses
  • Cancer prevention
  • Infections
  • Inflammation
  • Kidney stones
  • Stomach and intestinal gas
Mechanism of Action

The hepatoprotective effects of curcumin, the most researched active constituent in turmeric, may occur via MMP-13 induction and TGF-alpha inhibition (30), as well as anti-apoptotic/anti-necrotic mechanisms (31). However, it has also been shown to inhibit cell-cycle progression during normal liver regeneration (3).

A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials revealed that curcumin is effective in decreasing the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, a key mediator in many inflammatory diseases (68). In vitro and animal studies of lung models point to antiproliferative and modulatory mechanisms involving inhibition of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 Stat3 pathway (32), matrix metalloproteinase, and vascular endothelial growth factor (33); caspase- and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis (34) (35); and cyclin-dependent kinase downregulation (35). Curcumin also appears to have synergistic effects with isoflavones, suppressing the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) production in prostate cells through anti-androgen effects (36).

Studies done on breast cancer show that curcumin may inhibit chemotherapy-induced apoptosis via inhibition of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (28). Data also suggest that curcumin induces apoptosis in human colon cancer cells independent of p21 expression (39). Curcumin’s antitumor actions appear to be due to its interactions with arachidonate metabolism and its in vivo antiangiogenic properties (14). Another possible chemopreventive mechanism may be via binding and activating the vitamin D receptor (VDR), thereby protecting the small intestine and colon where VDRs are expressed and vitamin D is known to serve an anticancer function (38). Curcumin also inhibited growth of uterine leiomyosarcoma cells by targeting the AKT-mTOR (RAC-alpha serine-threonine-protein kinase; mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway (37). Curcumin may inhibit bladder cancer progression by downregulating the expression of beta-catenin, high levels of which are associated with several cancers (69).

Another study found that CRM1, an important nuclear exportin, is a cellular target of curcumin; and that the inhibition of nuclear traffic by curcumin may be responsible for its many biological effects (63).

Contraindications

Patients with gastrointestinal disorders and those predisposed to kidney stone formation (50) should consult their physicians before using turmeric supplements.

Adverse Reactions

Possible gastrointestinal discomfort  (18)

Case Reports

  • Allergic dermatitis: Associated with the use of curcumin (52).
  • Contact urticaria: Two cases, one of which was an occupational exposure, associated with use of curcumin powder (53).
  • Paclitaxel toxicity/Acute toxic hepatitis: In a 67-year-old lung cancer patient, related to a possible interaction with turmeric and contaminated chlorella which were taken during active cancer treatment (73). Although other supplements were also being taken, increased paclitaxel plasma concentrations were attributed to potential CYP 2C9 and 3A4 inhibition of turmeric as among the causes.
Herb-Drug Interactions

Anticoagulants / Antiplatelets: Preclinical studies (54) (55) and a case report (66) suggest that turmeric can increase risk of bleeding.
Camptothecin: Turmeric inhibits camptothecin-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cell lines in vitro (28). Clinical relevance is not known.
Mechlorethamine: Turmeric inhibits mechlorethamine-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cell lines in vitro (28). Clinical relevance is not known.
Paclitaxel: In a recent case report, a lung cancer patient suffered liver toxicity while undergoing active treatment with paclitaxel. Although he was taking multiple supplements, one of which was tainted, turmeric was thought to be among the likely causes (73).
Doxorubicin: Turmeric inhibits doxorubicin-induced apoptosis of breast cancer cell lines in vitro (28). Clinical relevance is not known.
Cyclophosphamide: Dietary turmeric inhibits cyclophosphamide-induced tumor regression in animal studies (28). Clinical relevance is not known.
Norfloxacin: Pretreatment with curcumin resulted in increased plasma elimination half-life, thereby reducing the dosage of norfloxacin in animal model (56). Clinical relevance is not known.
Amphotericin B: Curcumin enhanced the effect, and decreased the toxicity of amphotericin B, in vitro (57). Clinical relevance is not known.
Drugs metabolized by the CYP3A4 enzyme: Curcumin inhibits cytochrome 3A4 enzyme, altering the metabolism of some prescription drugs (26). But according to conflicting data, short-term use of curcumin did not result in a clinically relevant interaction in healthy volunteers (67).
Drugs metabolized by the CYP1A2 enzyme: Curcumin inhibits cytochrome 1A2 enzyme, affecting the metabolism of certain prescription medicines, in vitro. Clinical relevance is not known (27).
Drugs metabolized by the CYP2A6 enzyme: Curcumin enhances cytochrome 2A6 enzyme, and can affect the metabolism of certain prescription drugs (27). Clinical relevance is not known.
Drugs metabolized by the CYP2D6 enzyme: Curcumin inhibits cytochrome 2D6 activity and has the potential to interact with CYP2D6 substrates (74). Clinical relevance is not known.
Celiprolol and Midazolam: Curcumin was shown to downregulate intestinal P-gp levels, thereby increasing the concentrations of celiprolol and midazolam in a murine model (48). Clinical relevance is not known.
Verapamil: Curcumin inhibited intestinal P-gp expression and function, thereby increasing concentrations of verapamil, in vitro (47). Clinical relevance is not known.
Tacrolimus: Pretreatment with turmeric increases the plasma levels of tacrolimus in a murine model (59). Clinical relevance is not known.
Acetaminophen: The cytotoxic effects of curcumin increased significantly in the presence of acetaminophen in vitro (60). Clinical relevance is not known.
Ibuprofen: The cytotoxic effects of curcumin increased significantly in the presence of ibuprofen (60). Clinical relevance is not known.
Aspirin: The cytotoxic effects of curcumin increased significantly in the presence of aspirin (60). Clinical relevance is not known.

Herb Lab Interactions

Curcumin can interfere with thioflavin T assays due to its strong absorptive and fluorescent properties (58).

Dosage (OneMSK Only)
References
  1. Bachmeier BE, Mirisola V, Romeo F, et al. Reference profile correlation reveals estrogen-like trancriptional activity of Curcumin. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2010;26(3):471-482.
  2. Cemil B, Topuz K, Demircan MN, et al. Curcumin improves early functional results after experimental spinal cord injury. Acta Neurochir (Wien). Sep 2010;152(9):1583-1590; discussion 1590.
  3. Seehofer D, Schirmeier A, Bengmark S, et al. Inhibitory effect of curcumin on early liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy in rats. J Surg Res. Aug 2009;155(2):195-200.
  4. Yun JM, Jialal I, Devaraj S. Epigenetic regulation of high glucose-induced proinflammatory cytokine production in monocytes by curcumin. J Nutr Biochem. May 2011;22(5):450-458.
  5. Jantan I, Bukhari SN, Lajis NH, et al. Effects of diarylpentanoid analogues of curcumin on chemiluminescence and chemotactic activities of phagocytes. J Pharm Pharmacol. Mar 2012;64(3):404-412.
  6. Chang KW, Hung PS, Lin IY, et al. Curcumin upregulates insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) and C/EBPalpha during oral cancer suppression. Int J Cancer. Jul 1 2010;127(1):9-20.
  7. Siwak DR, Shishodia S, Aggarwal BB, et al. Curcumin-induced antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in melanoma cells are associated with suppression of IkappaB kinase and nuclear factor kappaB activity and are independent of the B-Raf/mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase pathway and the Akt pathway. Cancer. Aug 15 2005;104(4):879-890.
  8. Uddin S, Hussain AR, Manogaran PS, et al. Curcumin suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in primary effusion lymphoma. Oncogene. Oct 27 2005;24(47):7022-7030.
  9. Kunnumakkara AB, Guha S, Krishnan S, et al. Curcumin potentiates antitumor activity of gemcitabine in an orthotopic model of pancreatic cancer through suppression of proliferation, angiogenesis, and inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB-regulated gene products. Cancer Res. Apr 15 2007;67(8):3853-3861.
  10. Selvendiran K, Ahmed S, Dayton A, et al. HO-3867, a curcumin analog, sensitizes cisplatin-resistant ovarian carcinoma, leading to therapeutic synergy through STAT3 inhibition. Cancer Biol Ther. Nov 1 2011;12(9):837-845.
  11. Sreekanth CN, Bava SV, Sreekumar E, et al. Molecular evidences for the chemosensitizing efficacy of liposomal curcumin in paclitaxel chemotherapy in mouse models of cervical cancer. Oncogene. Jul 14 2011;30(28):3139-3152.
  12. Qiao Q, Jiang Y, Li G. Curcumin improves the antitumor effect of X-ray irradiation by blocking the NF-kappaB pathway: an in-vitro study of lymphoma. Anticancer Drugs. Jan 23 2012.
  13. Kunnumakkara AB, Diagaradjane P, Guha S, et al. Curcumin sensitizes human colorectal cancer xenografts in nude mice to gamma-radiation by targeting nuclear factor-kappaB-regulated gene products. Clin Cancer Res. Apr 1 2008;14(7):2128-2136.
  14. Ng TP, Chiam PC, Lee T, et al. Curry consumption and cognitive function in the elderly. Am J Epidemiol. Nov 1 2006;164(9):898-906.
  15. Baum L, Lam CW, Cheung SK, et al. Six-month randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot clinical trial of curcumin in patients with Alzheimer disease. J Clin Psychopharmacol. Feb 2008;28(1):110-113.
  16. Bundy R, Walker AF, Middleton RW, et al. Turmeric extract may improve irritable bowel syndrome symptomatology in otherwise healthy adults: a pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. Dec 2004;10(6):1015-1018.
  17. Hanai H, Iida T, Takeuchi K, et al. Curcumin maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clinical Gastroenterol Hepatol. Dec 2006;4(12):1502-1506.
  18. Kuptniratsaikul V, Dajpratham P, Taechaarpornkul W, et al. Efficacy and safety of Curcuma domestica extracts compared with ibuprofen in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a multicenter study. Clin Interv Aging. 2014 Mar 20;9:451-8.
  19. Pungcharoenkul K, Thongnopnua P. Effect of different curcuminoid supplement dosages on total in vivo antioxidant capacity and cholesterol levels of healthy human subjects. Phytother Res. Nov 2011;25(11):1721-1726.
  20. Baum L, Cheung SK, Mok VC, et al. Curcumin effects on blood lipid profile in a 6-month human study. Pharmacol Res. Dec 2007;56(6):509-514.
  21. He ZY, Shi CB, Wen H, et al. Upregulation of p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer by administration of curcumin. Cancer Invest. Mar 2011;29(3):208-213.
  22. Dhillon N, Aggarwal BB, Newman RA, et al. Phase II trial of curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Clin Cancer Res. Jul 15 2008;14(14):4491-4499.
  23. Bayet-Robert M, Kwiatkowski F, Leheurteur M, et al. Phase I dose escalation trial of docetaxel plus curcumin in patients with advanced and metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Biol Ther. Jan 2010;9(1):8-14.
  24. Kanai M, Yoshimura K, Asada M, et al. A phase I/II study of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy plus curcumin for patients with gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. Jul 2011;68(1):157-164.
  25. Epelbaum R, Schaffer M, Vizel B, et al. Curcumin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2010;62(8):1137-1141.
  26. Zhang W, Lim LY. Effects of spice constituents on P-glycoprotein-mediated transport and CYP3A4-mediated metabolism in vitro. Drug Metab Dispos. Jul 2008;36(7):1283-1290.
  27. Chen Y, Liu WH, Chen BL, et al. Plant polyphenol curcumin significantly affects CYP1A2 and CYP2A6 activity in healthy, male Chinese volunteers. Ann Pharmacother. Jun 2010;44(6):1038-1045.
  28. Somasundaram S, Edmund NA, Moore DT, et al. Dietary curcumin inhibits chemotherapy-induced apoptosis in models of human breast cancer. Cancer Res. Jul 1 2002;62(13):3868-3875.
  29. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 1996.
  30. Morsy MA, Abdalla AM, Mahmoud AM, et al. Protective effects of curcumin, alpha-lipoic acid, and N-acetylcysteine against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats. J Physiol Biochem. Oct 11 2011.
  31. Bulku E, Stohs SJ, Cicero L, et al. Curcumin exposure modulates multiple pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways to antagonize acetaminophen-induced toxicity. Curr Neurovasc Res. Feb 1 2012;9(1):58-71.
  32. Alexandrow MG, Song LJ, Altiok S, et al. Curcumin: a novel Stat3 pathway inhibitor for chemoprevention of lung cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev. Dec 7 2011.
  33. Lin SS, Lai KC, Hsu SC, et al. Curcumin inhibits the migration and invasion of human A549 lung cancer cells through the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Cancer Lett. Nov 28 2009;285(2):127-133.
  34. Chen QY, Lu GH, Wu YQ, et al. Curcumin induces mitochondria pathway mediated cell apoptosis in A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Oncol Rep. May 2010;23(5):1285-1292.
  35. Wu SH, Hang LW, Yang JS, et al. Curcumin induces apoptosis in human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells through ER stress and caspase cascade- and mitochondria-dependent pathways. Anticancer Res. Jun 2010;30(6):2125-2133.
  36. Ide H, Tokiwa S, Sakamaki K, et al. Combined inhibitory effects of soy isoflavones and curcumin on the production of prostate-specific antigen. Prostate. Jul 1 2010;70(10):1127-1133.
  37. Wong TF, Takeda T, Li B, et al. Curcumin disrupts uterine leiomyosarcoma cells through AKT-mTOR pathway inhibition. Gynecol Oncol. Jul 2011;122(1):141-148.
  38. Bartik L, Whitfield GK, Kaczmarska M, et al. Curcumin: a novel nutritionally derived ligand of the vitamin D receptor with implications for colon cancer chemoprevention. J Nutr Biochem. Dec 2010;21(12):1153-1161.
  39. Watson JL, Hill R, Lee PW, et al. Curcumin induces apoptosis in HCT-116 human colon cancer cells in a p21-independent manner. Exp Mol Pathol. Jun 2008;84(3):230-233.
  40. Yang KY, Lin LC, Tseng TY, et al. Oral bioavailability of curcumin in rat and the herbal analysis from Curcuma longa by LC-MS/MS. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci. Jun 15 2007;853(1-2):183-189.
  41. Garcea G, Berry DP, Jones DJ, et al. Consumption of the putative chemopreventive agent curcumin by cancer patients: assessment of curcumin levels in the colorectum and their pharmacodynamic consequences. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. Jan 2005;14(1):120-125.
  42. Bishnoi M, Chopra K, Rongzhu L, et al. Protective effect of curcumin and its combination with piperine (bioavailability enhancer) against haloperidol-associated neurotoxicity: cellular and neurochemical evidence. Neurotox Res. Oct 2011;20(3):215-225.
  43. Tsai YM, Chien CF, Lin LC, et al. Curcumin and its nano-formulation: the kinetics of tissue distribution and blood-brain barrier penetration. Int J Pharm. Sep 15 2011;416(1):331-338.
  44. Orr WS, Denbo JW, Saab KR, et al. Liposome-encapsulated curcumin suppresses neuroblastoma growth through nuclear factor-kappa B inhibition. Surgery. Jan 26 2012.
  45. Asai A, Miyazawa T. Occurrence of orally administered curcuminoid as glucuronide and glucuronide/sulfate conjugates in rat plasma. Life Sci. Oct 27 2000;67(23):2785-2793.
  46. Ravindranath V, Chandrasekhara N. Absorption and tissue distribution of curcumin in rats. Toxicology. 1980;16(3):259-265.
  47. Hou XL, Takahashi K, Tanaka K, et al. Curcuma drugs and curcumin regulate the expression and function of P-gp in Caco-2 cells in completely opposite ways. Int J Pharm. Jun 24 2008;358(1-2):224-229.
  48. Zhang W, Tan TM, Lim LY. Impact of curcumin-induced changes in P-glycoprotein and CYP3A expression on the pharmacokinetics of peroral celiprolol and midazolam in rats. Drug Metab Dispos. Jan 2007;35(1):110-115.
  49. Appiah-Opong R, Commandeur JN, van Vugt-Lussenburg B, et al. Inhibition of human recombinant cytochrome P450s by curcumin and curcumin decomposition products. Toxicology. Jun 3 2007;235(1-2):83-91.
  50. Tang M, Larson-Meyer DE, Liebman M. Effect of cinnamon and turmeric on urinary oxalate excretion, plasma lipids, and plasma glucose in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. May 2008;87(5):1262-1267.
  51. Ulbricht CE, Basch, EM. Natual Standard Herb & Supplement Reference: Evidence-Based Clinical Reviews St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby; 2005.
  52. Lamb SR, Wilkinson SM. Contact allergy to tetrahydrocurcumin. Contact Dermatitis. Apr 2003;48(4):227.
  53. Liddle M, Hull C, Liu C, et al. Contact urticaria from curcumin. Dermatitis. Dec 2006;17(4):196-197.
  54. Prakash P, Misra A, Surin WR, et al. Anti-platelet effects of Curcuma oil in experimental models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion and thrombosis. Thromb Res. Feb 2011;127(2):111-118.
  55. Jantan I, Raweh SM, Sirat HM, et al. Inhibitory effect of compounds from Zingiberaceae species on human platelet aggregation. Phytomedicine. Apr 2008;15(4):306-309.
  56. Pavithra BH, Prakash N, Jayakumar K. Modification of pharmacokinetics of norfloxacin following oral administration of curcumin in rabbits. J Vet Sci. Dec 2009;10(4):293-297.
  57. Kudva AK, Manoj, MN, Swamy, BM, et al. Complexation of amphotericin B and curcumin with serum albumins: solubility and effect on erythrocyte membrane damage. J Exp Pharmacol. 2011;2011(3):1-6.
  58. Hudson SA, Ecroyd H, Kee TW, et al. The thioflavin T fluorescence assay for amyloid fibril detection can be biased by the presence of exogenous compounds. FEBS J. Oct 2009;276(20):5960-5972.
  59. Egashira K, Sasaki H, Higuchi S, Ieiri I. Food-drug interaction of tacrolimus with pomelo, ginger, and turmeric juice in rats. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. 2012 Apr 25;27(2):242-7.
  60. Choi HA, Kim MR, Park KA, Hong J. Interaction of over-the-counter drugs with curcumin: influence on stability and bioactivities in intestinal cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Oct 24;60(42):10578-84.
  61. Akazawa N, Choi Y, Miyaki A, et al. Curcumin ingestion and exercise training improve vascular endothelial function in postmenopausal women. Nutr Res. 2012 Oct;32(10):795-9.
  62. Sanmukhani J, Satodia V, Trivedi J, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2014 Apr;28(4):579-85.
  63. Niu M, Wu S, Mao L, Yang Y. CRM1 is a cellular target of curcumin: new insights for the myriad of biological effects of an ancient spice. Traffic. 2013 Oct;14(10):1042-52.
  64. Palatty PL, Azmidah A, Rao S, 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. Br J Radiol. 2014 Jun;87(1038):20130490.
  65. Thomas R, Williams M, Sharma H, Chaudry A, Bellamy P. A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial evaluating the effect of a polyphenol-rich whole food supplement on PSA progression in men with prostate cancer—the U.K. NCRN Pomi-T study. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2014 Jun;17(2):180-6.
  66. Daveluy A, Geniaux H, Thibaud L, et al. Probable interaction between an oral vitamin K antagonist and turmeric (Curcuma longa). Therapie. Nov-Dec 2014;69(6):519-520.
  67. Volak LP, Hanley MJ, Masse G, et al. Effect of a herbal extract containing curcumin and piperine on midazolam, flurbiprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Feb;75(2):450-62.
  68. Sahebkar A, Cicero AF, Simental-Mendía LE, Aggarwal BB, Gupta SC. Curcumin downregulates human tumor necrosis factor-α levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis ofrandomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2016 May;107:234-42.
  69. Shi J, Wang Y, Jia Z et al. Curcumin inhibits bladder cancer progression via regulation of β-catenin expression. Tumour Biol. 2017 Jul;39(7):1010428317702548.
  70. Cruz-Correa M, Hylind LM, Marrero JH, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Treatment of Intestinal Adenomas in Patients With Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. Gastroenterology. Sep 2018;155(3):668-673.
  71. Scontre VA, Martins JC, de Melo Sette CV, et al. Curcuma longa (Turmeric) for Prevention of Capecitabine-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome: A Pilot Study. J Diet Suppl. Sep 3 2018;15(5):606-612.
  72. Howells LM, Iwuji COO, Irving GRB, et al. Curcumin Combined with FOLFOX Chemotherapy Is Safe and Tolerable in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in a Randomized Phase IIa Trial. J Nutr. 2019 Jul 1;149(7):1133-1139.
  73. Costa ML, Rodrigues JA, Azevedo J, et al. Hepatotoxicity induced by paclitaxel interaction with turmeric in association with a microcystin from a contaminated dietary supplement. Toxicon. Aug 2018;150:207-211.
  74. Al-Jenoobi FI, Al-Thukair AA, Alam MA, et al. Effect of Curcuma longa on CYP2D6- and CYP3A4-mediated metabolism of dextromethorphan in human liver microsomes and healthy human subjects. Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet. Mar 2015;40(1):61-66.
  75. Goodarzi R, Sabzian K, Shishehbor F, Mansoori A. Does turmeric/curcumin supplementation improve serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2019 Mar;33(3):561-570.
  76. Normando AGC, de Menêses AG, de Toledo IP, et al. Effects of turmeric and curcumin on oral mucositis: A systematic review. Phytother Res. 2019 Mar 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6326. [Epub ahead of print]
  77. Srinivasan A, Selvarajan S, Kamalanathan S, Kadhiravan T, Prasanna Lakshmi NC, Adithan S. Effect of Curcuma longa on vascular function in native Tamilians with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized, double-blind, parallel arm, placebo-controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2019 Jul;33(7):1898-1911.
  78. Manarin G, Anderson D, Silva JME, Coppede JDS, Roxo-Junior P, Pereira AMS, Carmona F. Curcuma longa L. ameliorates asthma control in children and adolescents: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019 Jun 28;238:111882.
  79. Miodownik C, Lerner V, Kudkaeva N, et al. Curcumin as Add-On to Antipsychotic Treatment in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2019 Jul/Aug;42(4):117-122.
  80. Martínez N, Herrera M, Frías L, 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. Clin Transl Oncol. 2019 Apr;21(4):489-498.
Back to top
Back to top
Email your questions and comments to aboutherbs@mskcc.org.

Last Updated