Turmeric food supplements and reports of liver problems in Italy
What it found
In the first half of 2019, 28 people in Italy reported sudden liver inflammation linked to turmeric food supplements.
Experts judged the link was at least possible in all but one case.
What they found
Studies in people
Liver problems reported
Twenty-eight people reported sudden liver inflammation, mostly with blocked bile flow, after taking turmeric products. These reports came in during the first six months of 2019.
Link to turmeric assessed
Experts judged that turmeric could have caused the liver problem in every case except one. They used standard methods for checking side effects.
Other findings
Products tested for contaminants
The suspected turmeric products were collected and checked. Scientists tested them for drugs, heavy metals, mould toxins, pesticides, artificial colours and natural plant poisons.
What the authors conclude
- They say regulators took action based on everything the expert group found.
- They highlight the need for a combined approach when looking into side effects from food supplements.
How it was done
More people have been buying turmeric food supplements in recent years. Italy collects reports of suspected side effects from plant-based products through a national tracking system.
A team of experts looked into 28 reports of sudden liver problems sent to the Italian tracking system between January and June 2019. They tested the suspected turmeric products for drugs, heavy metals, mould toxins, pesticides, artificial colours and natural plant poisons.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are spontaneous reports from people who noticed a problem, not a controlled trial.
- They can show a possible link but cannot prove turmeric caused the liver issues.
- The report does not share the results of the product testing, so we cannot tell if contaminants played a role.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Sapienza Università di Roma, Italy; Centro di Ricerca e Innovazione in Fitoterapia (CERFIT) dell'Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi di Firenze, Italy; Università degli Studi di Verona, Italy
The paper
- Title
- Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) food supplements and hepatotoxicity: an integrated evaluation approach
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Menniti-Ippolito F, Ippoliti I, Pastorelli AA, et al (2020). Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) food supplements and hepatotoxicity: an integrated evaluation approach. Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita. doi:10.4415/ANN_20_04_08PubMed 33346172DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error