Unclear
Curcumin (turmeric extract)
curcumin capsules. Herbs & mushrooms.
During treatment: Supplements may interact with treatment; ask your care team first.
- Verdict
- UnclearThere isn't enough human evidence to say either way.
- How sure
- Rung 2 · LimitedFew, small or conflicting human studies, or only indirect measures such as blood markers.
The rung shows how sure the science is, not how big the effect is. How to read these ratings
Cancers affected
All (side effects of treatment)
What the evidence shows
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 body absorbs very little curcumin.
What to do
Turmeric in food is fine. Ask your team before taking capsules.
Sources
To take it to your doctor, print this page.
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Related
Every supplement we rated, or follow one cancer step by step: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.