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If you are looking to improve your health overall, turmeric is one surprising place that you might turn. The spice is common as a flavoring for curries and as a coloring agent in general, but it’s easy to be unaware of turmeric health benefits – which is a bit of a shame.
In this post, I’m going to show you why you should be aware of turmeric and how it can help you to improve your health.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a plant native to southern India and Indonesia, and it belongs to the ginger family.
The plant is harvested for its rhizomes and this is the form of the plant that people are the most familiar with. Turmeric has had a long history and has played an important role in different cultures for more than 5,000 years, particularly in Eastern cultures.
When they are not being used fresh, the turmeric rhizomes are boiled and dried, after which they are ground down to form a yellow-orange powder. This powder is a spice and is most frequently used in curries (particularly in Indian cuisine). As such, it is extensively used in South Asian cooking.
The powder can also be used as a dye ingredient and is used to color yellow mustard condiments.
The flavor of turmeric is warm, peppery and a little bitter – which is a key reason why it is so prevalent in curries. Traditionally, turmeric has had only limited popularity in Western cultures, particularly as curries are not a common Western dish.
However, growing interest in the potential health benefits of the spice has led to increased use (1). Plus, dishes from other cultures have also become more popular in general.
Indeed, turmeric has been used as a traditional medicine for more than 2,000 years, and research is beginning to suggest that there is a scientific basis for this use (2).
Turmeric and Curcumin
From a health standpoint, the most important group of chemicals in turmeric are the curcuminoids. These are natural phenols and are responsible for the yellow color of turmeric.
Of these compounds, the most extensively studied is curcumin and curcumin is highly active within turmeric (3). This compound makes up between 2% to 5% of turmeric (4).
Curcumin is the major source of turmeric’s yellow pigment and it is chemically similar to pigments in other plants (like in grapes, fruit juices and green tea). Interestingly, curcumin is also found in ginger, but in much lower quantities. As with many other natural phenols, curcumin also has significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Absorption and Bioavailability
Despite the potential health benefits of curcumin, issues with the compound make it difficult to use in drugs.
A key reason for this is that curcumin is poorly soluble in water. The poor solubility of curcumin makes it difficult to get a therapeutic level of curcumin into the bloodstream. Additionally, even within the body, curcumin continues to be poorly absorbed, including low absorption in the gut.
Furthermore, the compound is rapidly metabolized and eliminated from the body, although some formulations are more effective than others at staying in the body (5). Likewise, unmodified curcumin is not bioavailable to the brain, which reduces its potential health benefits (6).
Because of these issues, the most realistic way to get a therapeutic level of curcumin in the bloodstream is to use curcumin extract. It is simply not practical to consume turmeric in large enough quantities to get the desired health benefits from curcumin.
This issue has resulted in an emphasis on developing curcumin derivatives that are more soluble and hence more bioavailable.
This process of derivative synthesis may ultimately result in compounds that are more biologically potent than curcumin is itself.
To understand these derivatives, it is important to look at the difference between absorption and bioavailability. Both of these areas are important, but improving one doesn’t necessarily mean that the other is improved.
For example, some biological processes act to ‘tag’ curcumin. Doing so can interfere with how bioavailable the curcumin is, which contributes to the curcumin being rapidly removed from the body.
This process also affects how bioavailable the curcumin is to some parts of the body.
One formulation (the Sabinsa C3 complex) attempts to improve bioavailability by using piperine to inhibit a process known as glucuronidation. This process is part of the way that the body removes metabolized drugs and toxins. By inhibiting the process, the formulation has the potential to reduce how quickly curcumin is cleared from the body (7).
Other approaches to improving the effectiveness of curcumin include making it more soluble or placing it in a capsule to protect it from the process of hydrolysis. This latter approach would also help to control where the curcumin was absorbed (8).
One study compared absorption of curcumin across four formulations. The authors found that the highest absorption came from a formulation that included a hydrophilic carrier, natural antioxidants and cellulosic derivatives (9).
This particular formulation was absorbed 45.9-fold higher than the unformulated curcumin mixture.
This suggests that formulations of curcumin may be critical for getting adequate levels of the chemical in the blood and for ensuring sufficient bioavailability.
There have also been some indications that co-supplementation might play a role in increasing the bioavailability of curcumin (10). One particularly common recommendation is the use of piperine (from black pepper) (11).
As new solutions to the issue of bioavailability continue to be developed, it is very possible that curcumin may start to be considered in a therapeutic role (12).
There are challenges in the absorption and bioavailability of curcumin, which can make formulations desirable
Turmeric Itself
The majority of studies on health benefits have focused on the impact of curcumin specifically and curcumin does play a strong role in turmeric health benefits. However, traditionally turmeric itself has been used to treat a wide range of health problems. These include blood disorders, infectious diseases and gastric issues.
Indeed, modern research has supported the use of turmeric against a range of health problems and for supporting health overall. Many of these studies will be considered in detail later in this post.
Many of the health benefits of turmeric can be obtained through curcumin alone, but this is not the case for all of them. Like most plant-based products, turmeric is complex chemically and includes many different chemical components.
Some impacts of turmeric are entirely independent of curcumin (13). For example, curcumin-free turmeric has significant biological activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic functions (14). These activities must come from the turmeric itself as curcumin is not present.
The presence of turmeric oil in turmeric may also increase how bioavailable curcumin is (15).
Turmeric also contains a number of important nutrients that can help to promote health. In a serving of a tablespoon (roughly 6 g), the following nutrients are present in significant quantities:
- Manganese (26% of DV)
- Iron (16% of DV)
- Vitamin B6 (6% of DV)
- Potassium (5% of DV)
- Magnesium (3% of DV)
- Vitamin C (3% of DV)
There are many other nutrients also present in turmeric, including niacin and zinc (16).
Turmeric has many nutrients and may increase curcumin absorption
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Typically, natural remedies are not well researched, because it is challenging to identify their molecular targets or their active components. This can make it difficult to determine specifically what health benefits a given compound has or why it has those health benefits.
However, this is not the case with turmeric, as curcumin has been identified as a key component of the spice and has been associated with a wide range of potential health benefits (17).
Indeed, there have been more than 7,000 studies highlighting the benefits of curcumin and/or turmeric itself for health (18).
In some cases, the evidence for these turmeric health benefits is strong, but in other cases, much more research is needed to determine whether turmeric does offer significant benefits.
This section will consider the key health benefits that research has focused on and how much evidence there is supporting these benefits.
Often the health outcomes are specifically associated with curcumin, and often curcumin extract is used in the research rather than turmeric itself. However, there are a few cases where turmeric itself has been associated with health benefits, independent of curcumin.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Perhaps the most significant health impact of curcumin is its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is a biological response that occurs as the result of harmful stimuli.
The response is a protective one and inflammation aims to eliminate whatever caused the cell injury and start the process of repair. Because of this, inflammation can be a good thing in the body. However, inflammation is also a process that needs to be closely regulated. Too much inflammation contributes to many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and cancer (19).
There are also many disorders that result in abnormal levels of inflammation.
In fact, research suggests that low-level chronic inflammation may play a highly significant role in most prevalent diseases (20), including cancer (21) and atherosclerosis (22).
Likewise, inflammation can also cause significant pain and in many cases may not be providing significant therapeutic value. This is why one of the key types of pain relievers are NSAIDs – which stands for NonSteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs.
These drugs reduce pain and also act to reduce inflammation. This makes them particularly useful for treating long-term pain (23). NSAIDs are considered to be reasonably safe and are used very commonly.
However, they do actually have the potential for some significant side effects, such as stomach bleeding and strokes. Many other people find minor side effects when using NSAIDs. This makes finding alternatives to NSAIDs pretty desirable.
Compounds with anti-inflammatory properties can act in the same fashion as NSAIDs in regards to inflammation. Plus, many natural compounds have few to no side effects, compared with the artificially created NSAIDs.
Research has suggested that curcumin has potent anti-inflammatory properties and may be as effective as anti-inflammatory medication, particularly as it interacts with many components of the inflammatory pathways (24,25). Indeed, curcumin has been used as a traditional treatment for inflammatory conditions in India for a long time (26).
This activity has been linked to inhibiting NF-κB, which is a component of a key inflammatory pathway (27). Essentially, curcumin acts as an important way of fighting inflammation with the body at the molecular level.
Not only does it have the demonstrated ability to act as an anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin also has a high degree of safety (28).
Through its anti-inflammatory action, curcumin has been linked to the management of osteoarthritis and can potentially help to decrease pain associated with the disease (29).
Similar outcomes have been found for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (30) and there has been interest in the development of formulations specifically for treating these types of diseases (31).
Likewise, one study found curcumin supplementation (375 mg three times per day for 12 weeks) was effective at improving outcomes for patients with chronic anterior uveitis. This is an inflammatory disease that affects the eye and only has one other common form of treatment (32).
There is also growing interest in the use of curcumin for the treatment of digestive diseases, which are often associated with inflammation (33).
Curcumin can reduce the level of inflammation without significant side effects
As an Antioxidant
There has been growing interest in the antioxidant impacts of foods and the potential outcomes that antioxidants can have on health. Much like inflammation, oxidation is a biological process that plays many important roles within the body.
Despite this, oxidation can also be a damaging reaction, which is why animals and plants maintain complex systems to make sure too much oxidation does not occur. One of the key issues with oxidation is the production of free radicals.
Free radicals are highly reactive, which can make them very damaging to the body (34), particularly to DNA (35).
Excessive levels of free radicals in the body lead to a phenomenon known as oxidative stress. Because of this, many studies focus directly on oxidative stress and ways to decrease levels of oxidative stress (36).
There are also valid concerns that high levels of oxidative stress may contribute to the development of diseases and to some components of the aging process (37).
Antioxidants, including curcumin, may help to protect against damage to DNA and other parts of the body (38). As an antioxidant, curcumin may help to protect the body against free radical damage (39,40,41,42).
Antioxidant assays have been able to successfully show that curcumin acts as an antioxidant and is also able to scavenge free radicals, an important task for health (43). Curcumin has also been shown to offer protective benefits to organs by promoting the expression of antioxidant enzymes (44).
One animal study looked at the role of curcumin in protecting against mercury toxicity. The authors found that curcumin had a protective effect and reduced parameters of oxidative stress (45). Similarly, another study found that curcumin was able to improve outcomes for rats exposed to doses of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (46).
Overall, curcumin is particularly effective as an antioxidant because it can block free radicals and also stimulates antioxidant mechanisms within the body (47).
Research has also indicated that the use of turmeric and black pepper during cooking can significantly decrease the level of lipid peroxidation. This is the process of oxidative damage to lipids and lower levels of lipid peroxidation are likely to be associated with increased health benefits (48).
Curcumin has strong antioxidant ability, helping to protect the body from damage by free radicals
Immune System Benefits
The immune system is an important component of the body, as it is critical for the way that the body responds to pathogens (disease-causing agents).
When a person has a strong immune system they are less likely to get sick and their body is better at fighting off any potential issues. In contrast, a weak immune system leaves a person vulnerable to disease and infection. This generally results in lower health overall.
This means that any approach that improves the immune system is better for overall levels of health.
Over the last two decades, research has indicated that curcumin plays a key role in the immune system.
For example, in low doses, curcumin has been linked to improvements in antibody responses (49).
Curcumin has also been linked to restoring key cells involved in the immune system (specifically T cells) and to increasing the level of immune system cells (50).
For example, one study found that turmeric could play a role in reducing the symptoms of food allergies by regulating the immune response (51,52). This function increases the strength of the immune system overall and makes curcumin an important compound (53).
Curcumin has the potential to strengthen the immune system by restoring T cells and increasing their number
Benefits to the Liver
Another key area where curcumin offers health benefits is in relation to the liver.
This is especially relevant for protecting the liver and helping to heal a diseased and damaged liver.
One animal study found that supplementation with thymoquinone and curcumin helped to prevent damage to the liver (54).
This impact was associated with the antioxidant role of curcumin as well as its ability to reduce inflammation.
In rats induced with diabetes, one study found that curcumin treatment was able to improve outcomes, helping the liver to return to normal (55), while a second study on this topic found a similar outcome (56).
This offers an indication that curcumin may be particularly relevant in patients with diabetes.
A clinical study looked at administering a fermented form of turmeric to participants who had markers for liver dysfunction or damage. The study found that the supplementation significantly reduced the presence of markers for liver damage, suggesting that the supplementation decreased liver damage overall (57).
Some research suggests that curcumin can help restore the liver following liver damage
Protection against Alzheimer’s Disease
Another important role of curcumin is that it potentially offers protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
The pathology of Alzheimer’s disease involves the development of amyloid-β plaques.
The mechanisms behind the development of these plaques are still not fully understood. However, curcumin has been associated with inhibiting the formation of key complexes that play a role in this development (58).
Likewise, the use of curcuminoids has been linked to increases in how fast the brain can clear out amyloid-β in animal models (59). Because of these two processes, curcumin can be considered an anti-amyloidogenic compound (60).
Some researchers argue that curcumin may play a key role in protecting against Alzheimer’s disease in a range of different ways.
One of the reasons for this is that Alzheimer’s disease development is linked to oxidative stress and inflammation (61). As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin has the potential to significantly protect against Alzheimer’s disease development.
This includes reducing the amount of oxidative damage (62), oxidative stress (63) and toxicity from the amyloid-β plaques (64).
Likewise, curcumin’s positive impact on the immune system may also help the body to clear out any developed amyloid-β plaques.
Additionally, as discussed previously, curcumin may play a direct role in protecting against the development of amyloid-β plaques (65).
One study found that the use of curcumin in an animal model significantly decreased the amount of stress from the plaques as well as inhibiting their formation (66).
Curcumin is so effective in this role because it has a lipophilic nature. This gives it the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and target the plaques.
Research also suggests that some formulations of curcumin may help in the clearance of amyloid-β plaques because of curcumin’s role in improving the immune system and helping to correct immune defects (67).
One reason for these effects might be the mechanism of metal chelation. Metals have the potential to induce the development of amyloid-β plaques. The process of metal chelation can help to remove metals and reduce the risk of plaque development.
Curcumin interacts with copper and iron within the body, suggesting that it may act as a chelating agent (68). It may also reduce the inflammatory responses that the amyloid-β plaques stimulate (69, 70).
There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which makes preventative approaches very important for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
There is growing evidence that curcumin may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and may also play a therapeutic role
Anti-Cancer Effects
Cancer is another major health issue that is difficult to combat, making prevention a key approach. Although there is less research on this topic, curcumin has been linked to decreased cancer risk.
In animal models, the use of curcumin has been linked to the prevention of tumor invasion and metastasis for a range of cancer types (71).
There is also growing interest in the potential for curcumin analogs to be developed with higher potential against cancer (72). For example, research in the pathway of ovarian cancer has suggested that both curcumin and formulations of curcumin may be effective as a component of cancer treatment (73).
Curcumin may prove to particularly important in this role in the future because of the long-term safety of curcumin and its minimal side effects, particularly compared to most cancer drugs (74). Additionally, research indicates that turmeric itself may be an effective tool for reducing the prevalence of oral mucositis, which is a highly significant side effect that can occur as the result of cancer treatment (75).
Research has also indicated that curcumin can reduce cell proliferation in gastric cancer (76) and may play a key role in the treatment of liver cancer (77).
Part of this role may come from its ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and stopping the cell cycle at a critical point (78).
Another interesting role of curcumin is in inhibiting an enzyme called carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1).
By inhibiting CBR1, curcumin can increase the efficiency of an anti-tumor drug called daunorubicin, making curcumin important as a potential complement to drug therapy for cancer (79).
Likewise, curcumin has been associated with inhibiting expression of COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2), which is an important enzyme in the development of colon cancer (80).
As a type of cancer treatment, curcumin is particularly interesting because it can help to enhance the immune system and restore its function. In contrast, all other types of cancer drugs decrease the strength of the immune system, making it harder for patients to fight off infection (81).
This means that turmeric may help to improve the way that the body itself can respond to cancer, while also potentially combating the cancer itself at some level (82). Even with the limitations of current research, this area is still a significant example of potential turmeric health benefits.
Curcumin can decrease the risk of cancer, the efficiency of treatment against cancer and turmeric can potentially decrease the risk of side effects from treatment
Mental Health and the Mind
Some research has suggested that curcumin can improve outcomes for some mental health issues, particularly for depression.
Finding effective treatments for depression has been an ongoing area of research, particularly as around 30% of patients with depression do not respond to the currently available drugs. Furthermore, the majority of depressed patients do not reach complete remission, even with drug therapy (83).
A randomized, double-blind study looked at the use of curcumin extract supplementation and depression.
The study analyzed outcomes from an earlier study that involved supplementation with 500 mg of the curcumin extract twice a day for a period of eight weeks among patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
The authors found that supplementation with curcumin influenced biomarkers in an antidepressant manner (84). This suggests that curcumin supplementation may be relevant for people suffering from depression.
Another study looked at curcumin supplementation in 60 patients with major depressive disorder. In this case, the level of curcumin supplementation was 1,000 mg.
The study noted that outcomes were improved for the patients who took curcumin compared to those who took the antidepressant fluoxetine.
However, the differences were not statistically significant (85). This offers an indication that curcumin has a similar effect to a prescription antidepressant, although the outcome of the study is relatively weak.
Likewise, supplementation with curcumin has been linked to decreased levels of depressive-like behaviors in studies on mice (86). This includes impacts on stress-induced behaviors, indicating that curcumin may decrease the impact that stress has on behavior (87).
In humans, this impact may be particularly important as stress is associated with many negative physical and psychological health impacts. Interestingly, despite the antidepressant impact of curcumin, the mechanism of this impact is not well understood (88). However, the dopamine and serotonin systems may be involved (89).
A second theory is that the protein BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor) may play a role in curcumin’s action against depression.
Antidepressants have been found to increase the level of BDNF in animal models, suggesting that BDNF may act as a marker for depression and research on humans has found similar conclusions (90). Furthermore, both antidepressants and curcumin have been linked to increases in BDNF levels (91).
Curcumin has also been linked with increases in levels of DHA. Deficiencies in DHA have been linked to multiple cognitive disorders, including anxiety disorders.
This type of deficiency is also relatively common, particularly in vegetarians who receive limited amounts through their diet.
This outcome has significant implications for human health and may potentially provide a way of reducing the likelihood of anxiety disorder development (92).
Turmeric itself, as well as curcumin, has also been linked to improvements in memory (93).
One study used a double-blind design to consider the impacts of supplementing with turmeric, cinnamon or both alongside a breakfast of white bread.
The authors found that among participants that took turmeric, working memory improved independently of other markers (94). Likewise, curcumin has been linked to improvements in cognition and neuron development (95).
Curcumin can act as an antidepressant and has also been linked to improvements in memory