Do Turmeric (Curcumin) Supplements Work?

One of our editors spiced things up by trying turmeric supplements for 30 days.

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As a former health coach who has spent several decades immersed in wellness, I’ve taken many supplements over the years—including turmeric. Turmeric is a brightly-colored spice typically used in Indian cuisine, but you can also take it as a supplement.

Turmeric has many potential benefits due to curcumin, a chemical compound within the spice that has anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation occurs when your immune system responds to potentially harmful substances in the body. Short-term, this can lead to symptoms like redness or swelling. Over time, it can lead to symptoms like joint pain, depression or anxiety, and insomnia.

But will taking a turmeric supplement really lead to a noticeable difference in your health?

To answer this question, I tried taking turmeric pills for 30 days to see if it could help reduce symptoms of three health conditions I live with: asthma, anxiety, and psoriasis. My results were mixed, but I was pleasantly surprised by one shift in particular.

Turmeric is a relatively safe supplement. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), taking up to 4,000 to 8,000 milligrams of curcumin daily is “generally recognized as safe.”

You might benefit from turmeric if you, like me, have an inflammatory condition, anxiety, arthritis, or an autoimmune condition like psoriasis.

However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that the health benefits of turmeric are still uncertain, and there are some potential risks. For example:

You should always consult your healthcare provider before taking supplements, especially if you take other medications or supplements. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can help you make sure your medications won't interact with one another.

Jamie Wolff

I decided to try a turmeric supplement for 30 days to see if it would improve the symptoms of three health conditions I live with: asthma, anxiety, and psoriasis.

Turmeric might help reduce symptoms of these three conditions, all of which I’ve tried to manage over the past few years.

Research studies in these areas were relatively small, and most studies were conducted on animals or in vitro (human cells in Petri dishes). However, the results are promising, especially for someone (like myself) who has tried a long list of treatments with underwhelming success.

My goals were as follows:

Asthma: A chronic lung condition that causes inflamed and narrowed airways, which makes breathing difficult

Anxiety: A mental health condition characterized by excessive worrying

Psoriasis: An autoimmune skin condition that causes inflamed patches

I chose Thorne’s Curcumin Phytosome. I always do research before trying new supplements, and Thorne is a well-respected brand whose products I've used in the past.

I also chose Thorne’s turmeric supplement because:

Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't regulate supplements, you want to look for brands that submit their products for third-party testing. "It's important to choose reputable brands that undergo third-party testing to ensure quality and purity," said Crystal Scott, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

It might be worth noting that Thorne’s Curcumin Phytosome does not contain black pepper, which can help the body absorb curcumin. "Turmeric has been shown to be significantly more bioavailable when paired with black pepper," Shauna McQueen, RD, a registered dietitian and whole person health strategist, told me. However, Thorne's supplement contains a phospholipid (type of fat molecule) derived from sunflower, which helps absorption.

I decided to take my turmeric every morning after breakfast. Each capsule contains 1,000 milligrams (mg) of curcumin, which is higher than other curcumin supplements. The directions suggested taking one to two capsules daily. I tend to have a sensitive stomach, so I erred on the side of caution and decided on one capsule per day.

Jamie Wolff

Each week, I documented results by:

Here are my notes:

All in all, I would call my results “mixed.” I didn’t have any side effects even though I have a sensitive stomach, so that was a plus.

Here's a summary of my results for each goal:

Interestingly, my psoriasis didn’t improve even though I felt less stressed overall. This speaks to some of the challenges of this 30-day trial.

Determining a supplement’s effectiveness always comes with challenges. Here were some of mine.

I only took 1,000 mg of the Thorne supplement. Perhaps taking 2,000 mg—as the packaging suggested—would have made more of a difference.

I only recorded my results for 30 days, which might not be enough time to notice significant changes. It can take several months to see the results of a supplement. Perhaps I'll see more shifts if I keep taking turmeric for a few more months.

My results are anecdotal. In other words, I relied on my own experience and perspective, which is likely not 100% objective or accurate.

First of all, I didn’t have a metric system by which to quantify changes. For the psoriasis, I took photos and made general observations that it looked the same or slightly worse based on new spots I found. For the asthma and anxiety, I simply wrote down whether or not I had any significant "episodes." I didn't document any objectively measurable changes.

I was also likely influenced by cognitive bias. Cognitive bias is an error in thinking based on personal beliefs and experiences. In my case, I'm inclined toward believing in holistic wellness approaches, and I have a lot of experience working in that space. Therefore, I'm slightly biased that turmeric can help.

The placebo effect is a phenomenon that occurs when you experience positive changes—like fewer symptoms—even though you don’t receive any treatment. You might feel better because you expect to feel better. In my case, simply knowing that turmeric can help reduce symptoms of anxiety might have contributed to my reduced anxiety.

There are simply too many factors to determine a direct correlation between turmeric and my symptoms. I’ll break it down by goal:

Do turmeric supplements work? I don't have a definitive answer. I did experience less anxiety, and taking the supplement didn't lead to any negative side effects. However, I also only took it for 30 days, and I took the lower end of the dosage recommendations.

I will likely continue taking the Thorne supplement for a few months, especially as symptoms of psoriasis and asthma can increase during colder, drier months. If it seems to work, I'll have one more tool in my toolkit. If not, I'll keep trying other options. Sometimes, you need to try many treatment approaches before finding a combination that works for you.

Always consult with a healthcare provider before trying any supplements, and do your research to help ensure safety and quality.

Jamie Wolff, MA is an editor at Health with a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling and expressive therapies. Research shows that turmeric can help reduce inflammation, so Jamie wanted to see if taking a supplement would help reduce symptoms of her chronic illnesses.

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