Latest Research
- Curcumin was shown to be effective in treating severe anxiety in females who are obese. [1]
- Curcumin has been found to reduce symptoms of depression [2] [3] [4] [5]
- Research has shown that curcumin prevented cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease. [6]
- Curcumin at 400mg in persons with acute pain episodes was demonstrated to have a potency comparable to 1,000mg acetaminophen and 100mg nimesulide. [7] [8] [9] [10]
- Curcumin has been shown to increase blood flow with the potency being comparable to thrice weekly physical exercise. [11]
- Curcumin has been demonstrated to produce a significant increase of nitric oxide concentrations in the blood plasma. Nitric oxide plays a major role in blood pressure regulation, erectile dysfunction, immune response, inflammation, anti-thrombotic activity, and memory formation. [12]
- Curcumin supplementation thrice daily has been found to cause significant decreases in blood pressure in persons with nephritis. [13]
- Curcumin was found to be highly effective in reducing symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. [7] [8]
- Curcumin has been shown to preserve testosterone levels when coadministered with compounds that cause testosterone reductions and worsen parameters of sperm. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
- Curcumin has been demonstrated to provide protection against several types of cancer (colon, prostate, bladder). [20] [21] [22] [23]
- Curcumin has been shown to promote longevity, especially with regular ingestion prior to midlife. [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29]
- For as long as it was used, curcumin has been shown to confer significant protection against colonic inflammation and improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis while reducing mortality and relapse rate. [30] [31]
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How to Take
For any systemic purpose (requiring absorption from the intestines), an oral supplementation of curcumin in the range of 80-500mg would be required assuming an enhancement. Curcumin is poorly absorbed inherently, and one of the following is mandatory: 1) Pairing curcumin with black pepper (piperine) 2) Curcumin phytosomes complexed with phosphatidylcholine (Meriva or BCM-95) 3) Curcumin nanoparticles (THERACURMIN) 4) Water-soluble curcumin (polyvinyl pyrrolidone). If using curcumin for intestinal purposes, absorption from the intestines into the blood is not necessarily required. In that case, curcumin can be taken without any of the aforementioned enhancements.Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions
- Pairing Curcumin with Piperine, a black pepper extract, is able to increase bioavailability of curcumin 20-fold
- Genistein is synergistic with Curcumin in providing protection against prostate cancer.
- Combination of Fish Oil and Curcumin exerts synergistic anti-inflammatory effect
- High doses of curcumin may exacerbate iron deficiency symptoms by reducing iron absorption.
- Combination of Garcinol and Curcumin was found synergistic in suppressing pancreatic tumors with an apparent synergism 2-10 fold higher than the sum of the two.
Safety Information
Toxicity and Side Effects
Curcumin is LIKELY SAFE when taken by mouth or applied to the skin appropriately for up to 8 months. Curcumin is LIKELY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts during pregnancy. Curcumin usually does not cause significant side effects; however, some people can experience stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, or diarrhea.Special Precautions And Warnings
High doses of curcumin may cause immunosuppression. Curcumin can make gallbladder problems worse and shouldn't be used by people who have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction. Curcumin might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding in people with bleeding disorders. Curcumin should be used with caution by people with diabetes as it might make blood sugar too low. Curcumin might make stomach problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) worse. Curcumin might lower testosterone levels and decrease sperm movement when taken by mouth by men; it should be used cautiously by people trying to have a baby. Curcumin should be used with caution in people with iron deficiency. Curcumin may cause extra bleeding during and after surgery; it should be discontinued at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.Drug Interactions
- Taking curcumin along with some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of some medications. Some medications that are changed by the liver include some calcium channel blockers (diltiazem, nicardipine, verapamil), chemotherapeutic agents (etoposide, paclitaxel, vinblastine, vincristine, vindesine), antifungals (ketoconazole, itraconazole), glucocorticoids, alfentanil (Alfenta), cisapride (Propulsid), fentanyl (Sublimaze), lidocaine (Xylocaine), losartan (Cozaar), fexofenadine (Allegra), midazolam (Versed), and others.
- Curcumin might decrease blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and may require the dose of diabetes medication to be adjusted. Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
- Curcumin might slow blood clotting. Taking curcumin along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding. Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
- Taking curcumin while taking sulfasalazine (Azulfidine EN-Tabs) might increase the effects and side effects of sulfasalazine (Azulfidine EN-Tabs).
- Curcumin might increase the side effects of tacrolimus (Prograf) and even damage the kidneys.
- Taking curcumin while taking talinolol might decrease the effects and side effects of talinolol.
- Taking curcumin while taking docetaxel (Docefrez, Taxotere) might increase the effects and side effects of docetaxel (Docefrez, Taxotere).
- Taking curcumin along with estrogen pills might decrease the effects of estrogen pills. Some estrogen pills include conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol, estradiol, and others.
- Taking curcumin while taking norfloxacin (Noroxin) might increase the effects and side effects of norfloxacin (Noroxin).
References
[1] Esmaily H, et al. An investigation of the effects of curcumin on anxiety and depression in obese individuals: A randomized controlled trial. Chin J Integr Med. (2015)[2] Bergman J, et al. Curcumin as an add-on to antidepressive treatment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study. Clin Neuropharmacol. (2013)
[3] Lopresti AL, et al. Curcumin for the treatment of major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study. J Affect Disord. (2014)
[4] Panahi Y, et al. Investigation of the efficacy of adjunctive therapy with bioavailability-boosted curcuminoids in major depressive disorder. Phytother Res. (2015)
[5] Lopresti AL, Drummond PD. Efficacy of curcumin, and a saffron/curcumin combination for the treatment of major depression: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Affect Disord. (2017)
[6] Baum L, et al. Six-month randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, pilot clinical trial of curcumin in patients with Alzheimer disease. J Clin Psychopharmacol. (2008)
[7] Belcaro G, et al. Product-evaluation registry of Meriva®, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, for the complementary management of osteoarthritis. Panminerva Med. (2010)
[8] Belcaro G, et al. Efficacy and safety of Meriva®, a curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex, during extended administration in osteoarthritis patients. Altern Med Rev. (2010)
[9] Agarwal KA, et al. Efficacy of turmeric (curcumin) in pain and postoperative fatigue after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study. Surg Endosc. (2011)
[10] Di Pierro F, et al. Comparative evaluation of the pain-relieving properties of a lecithinized formulation of curcumin (Meriva(®)), nimesulide, and acetaminophen. J Pain Res. (2013)
[11] Akazawa N, et al. Curcumin ingestion and exercise training improve vascular endothelial function in postmenopausal women. Nutr Res. (2012)
[12] DiSilvestro RA, et al. Diverse effects of a low dose supplement of lipidated curcumin in healthy middle aged people. Nutr J. (2012)
[13] Khajehdehi P, et al. Oral supplementation of turmeric decreases proteinuria, hematuria, and systolic blood pressure in patients suffering from relapsing or refractory lupus nephritis: a randomized and placebo-controlled study. J Ren Nutr. (2012)
[14] Karbalay-Doust S, Noorafshan A. Ameliorative effects of curcumin on the spermatozoon tail length, count, motility and testosterone serum level in metronidazole-treated mice. Prague Med Rep. (2011)
[15] Giannessi F, et al. Curcumin protects Leydig cells of mice from damage induced by chronic alcohol administration. Med Sci Monit. (2008)
[16] Quintans LN, Castro GD, Castro JA. Oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde and free radicals by rat testicular microsomes. Arch Toxicol. (2005)
[17] Chandra AK, et al. Effect of curcumin on chromium-induced oxidative damage in male reproductive system. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. (2007)
[18] Aktas C, et al. Anti-apoptotic effects of curcumin on cadmium-induced apoptosis in rat testes. Toxicol Ind Health. (2012)
[19] Murphy CJ, et al. Reproductive effects of a pegylated curcumin. Reprod Toxicol. (2012)
[20] Carroll RE, et al. Phase IIa clinical trial of curcumin for the prevention of colorectal neoplasia. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). (2011)
[21] He ZY, et al. Upregulation of p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer by administration of curcumin. Cancer Invest. (2011)
[22] Ide H, et al. Combined inhibitory effects of soy isoflavones and curcumin on the production of prostate-specific antigen. Prostate. (2010)
[23] Chadalapaka G1, et al. Curcumin decreases specificity protein expression in bladder cancer cells. Cancer Res. (2008)
[24] Soh JW, et al. Curcumin is an early-acting stage-specific inducer of extended functional longevity in Drosophila. Exp Gerontol. (2013)
[25] Lee KS, et al. Curcumin extends life span, improves health span, and modulates the expression of age-associated aging genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Rejuvenation Res. (2010)
[26] Kitani K, Osawa T, Yokozawa T. The effects of tetrahydrocurcumin and green tea polyphenol on the survival of male C57BL/6 mice. Biogerontology. (2007)
[27] Kitani K, Yokozawa T, Osawa T. Interventions in aging and age-associated pathologies by means of nutritional approaches. Ann N Y Acad Sci. (2004)
[28] Spindler S, et al. Influence on longevity of blueberry, cinnamon, green and black tea, pomegranate, sesame, curcumin, morin, Pycnogenol, quercetin and taxifolin fed isocalorically to long-lived, outcrossed mice. Rejuvenation Res. (2013)
[29] Strong R, et al. Evaluation of resveratrol, green tea extract, curcumin, oxaloacetic acid, and medium-chain triglyceride oil on life span of genetically heterogeneous mice. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. (2013)
[30] Hanai H, et al. Curcumin maintenance therapy for ulcerative colitis: randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. (2006)
[31] Holt PR, Katz S, Kirshoff R. Curcumin therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study. Dig Dis Sci. (2005)