Ultimate Herbals Guide: Turmeric

Turmeric: Your Herb Guide

What is turmeric?

This Herb Guide provides everything you need to know about the herb turmeric – it’s common names, how and why it’s used, whether it works and what it works for best, research conducted, and the potential side effects and cautions.

In general, an herb is a plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential therapeutic properties; it can include flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and roots.

Turmeric, a shrub related to ginger, is grown throughout India, other parts of Asia, and Africa. Known for its warm, bitter taste and golden color, turmeric is commonly used in fabric dyes and foods such as curry powders, mustards, and cheeses. It should not be confused with Javanese turmeric.

Common Names-turmeric, turmeric root, Indian saffron

Latin Names-Curcuma longa

What is turmeric used for?

Traditional Chinese medicine – a medical system that originated in China, is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi.
Ayurvedic medicine – a medical system that originated in India, aims to integrate the body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat disease. Therapies used include herbs, massage, and yoga.
Turmeric has been used to aid digestion and liver function, relieve arthritis pain, and regulate menstruation.
Turmeric has also been applied directly to the skin for eczema and wound healing.
Today, turmeric is additionally used for conditions such as heartburn, stomach ulcers, and gallstones. It is also used to reduce inflammation, as well as to prevent and treat cancer.

How is turmeric used?

Turmeric’s finger-like underground stems (rhizomes) are dried and taken by mouth as a powder or in capsules, teas, or liquid extracts. Turmeric can also be made into a paste and used on the skin.

What the Science Says

Does turmeric work?

There is little reliable evidence to support the use of turmeric for any health condition because few clinical trials have been conducted.
Preliminary findings from animal and laboratory studies suggest that a chemical found in turmeric-called curcumin-may have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, but these findings have not been confirmed in people.
Researchers are studying the active chemicals in turmeric and their effects in people, particularly anti-inflammatory effects, to better understand how turmeric might be used for health purposes.

Side Effects and Cautions

What should I be careful about while taking turmeric supplements?

Turmeric is considered safe for most adults.
High doses or long-term use of turmeric may cause indigestion.
In animals, high doses of turmeric have caused liver problems. No cases of liver problems have been reported in people.
People with gallbladder disease should avoid using turmeric as a dietary supplement – a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements., as it may worsen the condition.
Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Content Created/Medically Reviewed by our Expert Doctors