Curcumin: benefits, problems and side effects in people
What it found
Curcumin shows many promising effects in lab and animal studies, but clinical studies in people have not clearly shown it can treat cancer, Alzheimer's disease, metabolic syndrome or viral infections.
The authors also warn that high doses may cause side effects in the kidneys, heart, liver, blood and immune system.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood lipids in people
A meta-analysis found that curcumin significantly reduced LDL and triglyceride levels in patients with high blood lipids, but had no significant effect on HDL levels.
Blood sugar in people
Curcumin had limited effects on blood sugar in healthy people but significantly reduced fasting and postprandial blood sugar in patients with type II diabetes and improved glycosylated hemoglobin levels.
Clinical studies lacking
Of 288 clinical studies on curcumin, only 20 had results available. No clinical study clearly showed curcumin could inhibit cancer progression, improve Alzheimer's symptoms, treat metabolic syndrome or block viral infection.
Animal and lab studies
Cancer studies in cells
In lab tests, curcumin inhibited the growth and spread of many cancer cells and caused them to die. It also made cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiation in these experiments.
Alzheimer's disease in animals
In mice, rats, cats and non-primates, curcumin improved memory and cognitive function. It reduced beta-amyloid plaques and TAU protein deposits in the brain.
Studies in people and animals
Side effects from high doses
Case reports linked high-dose curcumin to kidney stones in susceptible people, anemia in those with iron deficiency, liver injury, abnormal heart rhythms and allergic reactions. Curcumin may also interact with drugs like tamoxifen and cyclophosphamide.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, the potential benefits of curcumin for human health are enormous. However, clinical translational application and adverse effects management may pose the greatest challenge for curcumin.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that curcumin has enormous potential benefits for human health, but clinical translation and management of adverse effects may pose the greatest challenge.
- They warn that curcumin is not absolutely safe and that side effects from high doses cannot be ruled out.
- They advise that curcumin may not be suitable for people at high risk of cancer.
How it was done
Curcumin is widely used as a dietary supplement and has shown many pharmacological activities, so the authors wanted to review both its benefits and the problems that stop it from being used successfully in people.
The authors searched databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar and CNKI for studies on curcumin and disease published from 2000 to 2022. They reviewed basic research and clinical studies on curcumin in cancer, Alzheimer's disease, blood conditions and viral infections, and also looked at case reports of side effects.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the promising results come from lab and animal studies, which cannot show what happens in people.
- Clinical studies in people have been small, focused on single diseases, and few have published results, so they cannot show clear benefits.
- Case reports of side effects cannot prove that curcumin caused the problems.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China; Hunan Provincial Department of Education funded projects; First-class discipline number of Traditional Chinese medicine; The open grant of the domestic first-class discipline of Chinese medicine of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, China
The paper
- Title
- A Comprehensive Review on the Benefits and Problems of Curcumin with Respect to Human Health
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Liu S, Liu J, He L, et al (2022). A Comprehensive Review on the Benefits and Problems of Curcumin with Respect to Human Health. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/molecules27144400Free full textPubMed 35889273DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error