Curcumin for fatigue and muscle health in postmenopausal women
What it found
In a small trial in postmenopausal women, 8 weeks of curcumin improved musculoskeletal health scores and reduced fatigue scores compared with placebo.
It did not significantly change depression scores.
What they found
Studies in people
Musculoskeletal health
After 8 weeks, the curcumin group had a significantly higher musculoskeletal health score than the placebo group, with a mean difference of 5.3 points. This was just short of the 5.5-point threshold considered clinically important.
Fatigue
The curcumin group had a significantly lower fatigue score than the placebo group, with a mean difference of -2.6 points. No clinically important difference threshold has been validated for this scale.
Depression
There was no significant difference in depression scores between the curcumin and placebo groups after 8 weeks.
How it was done
Curcumin has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and postmenopausal women often experience fatigue and muscle pain. The authors wanted to test curcumin for these symptoms because previous research focused on osteoarthritis and exercise-related soreness, not chronic menopausal complaints.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was underpowered to detect a significant effect on depression, so it cannot show whether curcumin affects mood.
- The trial relied only on subjective self-report measures and did not use objective markers like inflammation or muscle strength.
- The sample size was too small to make definitive conclusions about curcumin's safety profile.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Competing interests: None declared.
- Authors work at
- Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Iran (the Islamic Republic of); Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
The paper
- Title
- Effect of curcumin on fatigue and musculoskeletal health in postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomised controlled trial
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Shabani F, Mashayekh-Amiri S, Mousavi Z, Shaseb E, Mirghafourvand M (2025). Effect of curcumin on fatigue and musculoskeletal health in postmenopausal women: a double-blind randomised controlled trial. BMJ open. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-096399Free full textPubMed 40976665DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error