Curcumin, the main active compound in turmeric, has been tested in human trials for conditions from arthritis and type 2 diabetes to depression, fatty liver disease and multiple sclerosis. We gather that research by condition and explain it plainly, including where the evidence is thin.
Pick an area to see the conditions researchers have looked at, and what they measured.
Multiple sclerosis, dementia, depression, migraine.
Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis.
Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure.
Asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, COVID-19.
PCOS, endometriosis, menopause, male infertility.
Ulcerative colitis, fatty liver, kidney disease.
Laboratory studies only, and what they can't tell us.
Research interest is not proof of benefit. Nothing on this site is a treatment recommendation.
Ordinary curcumin dissolves poorly and is broken down fast, so very little reaches the blood in its active form. Two trials can give the same dose and deliver very different amounts. That's why the formulation used in a study matters as much as the dose.
Our articles are written by nutrition scientist Dr. Conor Kerley, who lives with MS and asthma, two of the conditions in our research index.
Best vitamins & supplements for arthritis: what does the science say?
Inflammation drives joint disease. Dr. Kerley reviews the clinical findings and explains why absorption decides whether a supplement can work at all.
Read the article →Search 30 conditions across seven body systems, from multiple sclerosis to fatty liver disease.
Browse the conditionsJoin the newsletter for plain-English breakdowns of new curcumin studies, condition by condition.