Is Turmeric Beneficial for Alzheimer's Disease?

Is Turmeric Good for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Is Turmeric Good for Alzheimer’s Disease?
Nataša Mandić/Stocksy; Everyday Health
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Updated on July 22, 2025
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Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Talk to a healthcare professional about whether a supplement is the right fit for your individual health, and about any potential drug interactions or safety concerns.

While new Alzheimer’s disease drugs are currently being studied, additional interventions that may stop or slow disease progression, such as dietary supplements, have become a focus of ongoing research. Curcumin, the active ingredient in the spice turmeric, is believed to have some promise as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s.

“Curcumin has been tested in older people and found [in a small study] to improve attention and working memory in middle-aged people and adults without dementia,” says Ashok K. Shetty, PhD, the associate director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Texas A&M University in College Station.

 Other human studies, however, have been less encouraging.

While curcumin and turmeric haven’t yet been clinically proven to slow disease progression in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease — the leading cause of dementia — here’s what you should know about the current research.

What Is Turmeric?

Turmeric is a plant related to ginger that is grown in Southeast Asia and India.

Traditionally, it’s been used in Chinese, Indian (e.g., ayurvedic), Islamic, and Thai medicine systems for conditions including indigestion, the common cold, skin infections, rheumatic diseases like arthritis, abdominal pain, and liver disease.

Turmeric also remains a commonly used spice in cooking, including as a main ingredient in curry powder and yellow mustard.

There’s some research suggesting that turmeric may have benefits for osteoarthritis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) measures, but there’s currently not enough evidence to definitively conclude if turmeric or curcumin is beneficial for any health purposes.

How Turmeric May Help Brain Function

One small study of adults between ages 51 and 84 without dementia found that taking a supplement containing 90 milligrams (about one-quarter of a teaspoon) of curcumin twice a day improved memory and cognitive function.

Although this trial was small, with only 40 subjects randomized to either curcumin or placebo, and other trials have had negative results, “[Curcumin] appears to be safe, well-tolerated, and seems to have several beneficial effects. Overall, curcumin appears to be promising,” Dr. Shetty says.

Other research has also found that curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties and may have beneficial effects on experimental (animal) models of Alzheimer’s disease.

How this works is unclear, but in animal models involving rats and mice, it may inhibit the formation of the protein amyloid beta, which is believed to “clump” in the brain and form plaques that disrupt cell function, leading to Alzheimer’s disease, according to one review.

However, clinical trials of curcumin for human Alzheimer’s disease patients haven’t been as promising. Past research has shown mixed results, with one 24-week randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study unable to demonstrate clinical or biochemical evidence of effectiveness of curcumin extract in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers believe these negative results may have to do with curcumin’s poor bioavailability (how well it can be absorbed and used by the human body) and suggest that different formulations and better delivery strategies should be considered.

More human trials are also necessary, as there have been very few, notes another review.

 Yet some researchers remain optimistic that curcumin might potentially be used to develop Alzheimer’s therapies in the future.

In other words, it remains to be seen whether curcumin can “reverse” Alzheimer’s disease, Shetty says. So far, studies are negative.

Risks of Turmeric and Curcumin

In rare cases, turmeric may cause liver injury. A recent, small study linked turmeric to liver injury in 10 people. Some cases were severe: Five people were hospitalized, and one died from liver failure.

The researchers noted that some of the damage may be associated with combining turmeric with black pepper, which increases the amount you absorb. Additionally, most of the people studied had a specific gene variant that may make them more susceptible to turmeric-related liver damage.

Past research shows that people who took large doses of curcumin — as high as 12,000 mg per day — experienced side effects like digestive issues.

Others also experienced nausea and headache after taking doses of curcumin from 500 to 12,000 mg per day.

What to Know Before You Take Turmeric Supplements

The FDA has recognized turmeric and turmeric extract as generally safe when added as a spice to foods.

For most healthy people, it’s safe to take up to 8 grams (or 3 teaspoons) of turmeric or curcumin per day.

Curcumin is also available as a supplement; clinical trials have found that taking up to 8,000 milligrams (or 8 grams) per day of curcumin is generally safe, according to one review.

However, Shetty emphasizes that you should consult your doctor before trying any supplement, including turmeric or curcumin, for brain function.

“It’s essential to check with your physician or neurologist before starting curcumin [or turmeric], mainly because it may interact with other drugs you may be taking,” Shetty says. These drugs may include blood thinners, antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, heart medications, or chemotherapy treatments.

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, experts discourage taking turmeric, curcumin, or any “herbal medicinal product” due to a lack of “robust evidence of safety,” according to one review.

If you are not in any of these groups and you get the go-ahead from your doctor to try a turmeric or curcumin supplement, check the label for United States Pharmacopeia (USP) or National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), or for the ConsumerLab Approved Quality seal. This means the product has undergone third-party testing for quality and purity.

The Takeaway

  • Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, was shown in one very small study to improve memory and cognitive function in people without dementia, but other studies have been mixed. More research is needed.
  • Though animal studies have yielded some promising results, curcumin hasn’t yet been found to improve cognitive function in people with Alzheimer’s or slow the progression of the disease.
  • Turmeric and curcumin are generally considered safe at low quantities in both foods and supplements, but can cause liver injury in rare cases and can interact with certain types of medicines, including antidepressants and blood thinners.
  • Be sure to check with your doctor before taking turmeric or curcumin supplements to see if they’re safe for you.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
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Resources
  1. Small G et al. Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. March 2018.
  2. Turmeric. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. April 2025.
  3. Reza-Zaldívar EE et al. Comprehensive Review of Nutraceuticals Against Cognitive Decline Associated With Alzheimer's Disease. ACS Omega. September 20, 2023.
  4. Ringman JM et al. Oral curcumin for Alzheimer's disease: tolerability and efficacy in a 24-week randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. October 29, 2012.
  5. Voulgaropoulou SD et al. The Effect of Curcumin on Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Aging: A Systematic Review of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies. Brain Research. December 15, 2019.
  6. Halegoua-DeMarzio D et al. Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric-A Growing Problem: Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network. American Journal of Medicine. February 2023.
  7. Hewlings SJ et al. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. October 22, 2017.
  8. Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Notice. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. January 5, 2017.
  9. Sharifi-Rad J et al. Turmeric and Its Major Compound Curcumin on Health: Bioactive Effects and Safety Profiles for Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications. Frontiers in Pharmacology. September 15, 2020.
  10. Bahramsoltani R et al. Pharmacokinetic interactions of curcuminoids with conventional drugs: A review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. September 14, 2017.
  11. Balbontín M et al. Herbal Medicinal Product Use During Pregnancy and the Postnatal Period: A Systematic Review. Obstetrics & Gynecology. May 2019.
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David-Weisman-bio

David Weisman, MD

Medical Reviewer

David Weisman, MD, is the director of the Clinical Trial Center at Abington Neurological Associates in Pennsylvania, where he has conducted numerous clinical trials into mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease to develop disease-modifying drugs.

Dr. Weisman has dedicated his research career toward advancing new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and other dementias, and he devotes his clinical practice to memory and cognitive problems.

He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Franklin and Marshall College, then an MD from Penn State College of Medicine. After an internship at St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco, he completed his neurology residency at Yale, where he served as chief resident. He then went to the University California in San Diego for fellowship training in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Weisman has published papers and studies in journals such as Neurology, JAMA Neurology, Stroke, and The New England Journal of Medicine, among others.

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Brian P. Dunleavy

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Brian P. Dunleavy is a writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience covering issues related to health and medicine for both consumer and professional audiences. As a journalist, his work has focused on new research in the treatment of infectious diseases, neurological disorders (including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease), and pain management. His work has appeared in ADDitude, Consumer Reports, Health, Pain Medicine News, and Clinical Oncology News.

Dunleavy is the former editor of the infectious disease special edition at ContagionLive.com. He is also an experienced sports reporter who has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and professional soccer for a number of publications. He is based in New York City.

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