Roll Call

“Curcumin?”Here!turmeric extract

Plant

Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.

As a supplement

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.

The main active compound in turmeric, the yellow spice.

Why it’s used

Taken for joint and general health, most often for arthritis.

What the evidence is for

easing osteoarthritis joint pain.

What the evidence says

For osteoarthritis, early trials are encouraging but not conclusive, and the NIH says there isn’t enough evidence to conclude curcumin is beneficial for any health purpose. Products vary widely in how much curcumin they contain and how well it is absorbed, and some highly bioavailable formulations have been linked to rare liver injury.

Context

Curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own, which is why products differ so much and are often combined with black pepper. The cited NIH source states no standard studied dose, so no studied range is claimed here.

Rumors

  1. Easing osteoarthritis joint pain.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: adults with knee osteoarthritis.

    Measured as an outcome.