Compound or practice · Supplement
Curcumin (Turmeric)
A genuine anti-inflammatory for joints and mood — if you solve its terrible absorption; ignore the cancer-cure hype.
- Overall grade
- Grade B
- Last revised
- 3
- graded outcomes
- 0
- references listed
A structured monograph in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the monograph's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
2 at grade B · 2 at grade C — 4 graded rows
What is known
Each outcome with its grade (how strong the evidence is, A to D), the size of the effect where the entry records one, and how often studies agree.
- Osteoarthritis painEvidence grade B
NSAID-comparable in trials
Moderatemixed
- Depressive symptomsEvidence grade C
Modest adjunct
Smallmixed
- Metabolic markersEvidence grade C
Small improvements
Smallmixed
Conditions
How the entry reads its effect on diagnosed conditions: the direction first, then the grade. Never a substitute for the person who treats you.
- Osteoarthritis ImprovesEvidence grade BBioavailable formsGrade B
What is uncertain
Read off the same rows as above. Nothing here is added that the entry does not itself record.
- Thin evidence: Depressive symptoms (grade C); Metabolic markers (grade C).
- Studies disagree: Osteoarthritis pain (mixed agreement).
- Caution with Anticoagulants (warfarin): Mild antiplatelet action — additive bleeding risk.
Interactions
Documented pairings with supplements and medicines. A medicine on this list is a conversation for whoever prescribes it.
Anticoagulants (warfarin)Caution
Mild antiplatelet action — additive bleeding risk.
PiperineWorks together
Piperine multiplies curcumin uptake ~20× — the classic pairing.
Omega-3Works together
Complementary anti-inflammatory pathways for joints.
The evidence in words
What it is
Curcumin is the main polyphenol in turmeric. On its own it absorbs abysmally, so effective products pair it with piperine, phospholipids, or nanoparticle formulations.
How it works
Curcumin dampens NF-κB and other inflammatory signaling and has antioxidant activity, which underlies its joint and metabolic effects.
What the evidence shows
Decent evidence for reducing osteoarthritis pain (comparable to NSAIDs in some trials) and for modest antidepressant and metabolic effects, all contingent on using a bioavailable formulation. The sprawling anti-cancer literature is overwhelmingly preclinical and does not justify supplement claims.
How to use it
500–1,000 mg/day of curcuminoids from an absorption-enhanced product (with piperine, or a phospholipid/nano form). Plain turmeric powder is largely wasted.
Safety & interactions
Well tolerated; high doses can cause GI upset. It has mild antiplatelet action (additive with anticoagulants) and, via piperine, can raise levels of other drugs. piperine — Piperine multiplies curcumin uptake ~20× — the classic pairing. Omega-3 — Complementary anti-inflammatory pathways for joints. warfarin — Mild antiplatelet action — additive bleeding risk.
Bottom line
One of the better anti-inflammatory botanicals for joints and mood — but only in a bioavailable form. Skip if you're on blood thinners without clearing it.
How it is used
As the entry records it, from the studies it summarises. Not a recommendation for you — doses that suit a trial population may not suit you.
- Standard
- 500–1,000 mg curcuminoids in an absorption-enhanced form.
Goes with
- Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)Complementary anti-inflammatory pathways for joints.Evidence grade A
Related reading
Entries that share this one's tags or conditions.
- Curcumin (Turmeric) for Depressive symptomsEvidence grade C — Modest adjunctEvidence grade C
- Curcumin (Turmeric) for Metabolic markersEvidence grade C — Small improvementsEvidence grade C
- Curcumin (Turmeric) for OsteoarthritisEvidence grade B — Bioavailable formsEvidence grade B
- Curcumin (Turmeric) for Osteoarthritis painEvidence grade B — NSAID-comparable in trialsEvidence grade B
Sources
This entry lists no references of its own.
Last revised . A grade is this entry's reading of the evidence, not medical advice.