Rung 2 · Limited
Curcumin (turmeric)
Possible help with mouth sores and weight loss; not shown to treat cancer.
Side-effect supportWith your doctor
What studies found
A 2024 review of 34 randomized trials (2,580 patients) saw hints of benefit for treatment-related mouth sores and weight loss but couldn't draw firm conclusions. A separate 2024 analysis concluded that using curcumin against cancer itself is not scientifically justified.
The catch
The body absorbs very little curcumin. Supplements may interact with treatment.
What to do
Turmeric in food is fine. Ask your team before taking capsules.
Sources
Rung 2 of 5, Limited: Few, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers. How we score
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Every option we rated, or follow one cancer step by step: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.