Turmeric supplementation and quality of life in breast cancer patients on chemotherapy
What it found
Taking turmeric for 21 days improved quality of life, eased symptoms like fatigue and nausea, and raised blood counts.
This was seen in 60 breast cancer patients receiving paclitaxel chemotherapy.
What they found
Studies in people
Quality of life improved
After 21 days of taking turmeric, patients reported better overall health status. The improvement was large enough to be clinically meaningful.
Fewer treatment symptoms
Patients had lower scores for fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain, loss of appetite, and trouble sleeping. These symptom improvements were statistically significant.
Better blood counts
Blood test results taken from hospital records showed higher hematological parameters after the 21 day turmeric period.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that turmeric supplements improved quality of life for breast cancer patients on chemotherapy.
- They say the supplement helped ease symptoms such as fatigue and nausea.
- The authors also note that blood count measurements increased during the study.
How it was done
Plant chemicals can affect many pathways involved in cancer. The authors wanted to see if adding turmeric to standard chemotherapy could improve outcomes for patients.
They followed 60 breast cancer patients who were receiving paclitaxel chemotherapy. The patients took a turmeric supplement for 21 days. Quality of life was measured with a questionnaire and blood results came from hospital records.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study did not compare patients taking turmeric to a group taking no supplement or a placebo. So it cannot prove that turmeric alone caused the improvements.
- All participants were breast cancer patients on one specific chemotherapy drug. The results may not apply to people with other cancers or those taking different treatments.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, India
The paper
- Title
- Turmeric supplementation improves the quality of life and hematological parameters in breast cancer patients on paclitaxel chemotherapy: A case series
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kalluru H, Kondaveeti SS, Telapolu S, Kalachaveedu M (2020). Turmeric supplementation improves the quality of life and hematological parameters in breast cancer patients on paclitaxel chemotherapy: A case series. Complementary therapies in clinical practice. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2020.101247PubMed 33099272DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error