The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by Ginger (North Canton, Ohio) on 12/04/2016
Here's a question for those that might know: I started taking turmeric tablets about 6 weeks ago with wonderful anti-inflammatory results. Over the last few days I have stopped because my gallbladder flared up and my research seemed to indicate that turmeric could be the cause. I see that it is actually recommended to help gallbladder issues... How do I use it for the best result? I don't want to "dose" myself into surgery but I would love not having the inflammation...
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by Maya (Florida) on 11/19/2016
I've been taking Turmeric root for 5 years, and love the benefits. Suddenly, I became allergic to it. It gave me Hay fever, and it stop once I stop taking Turmeric. What else is out there that have the same benefits as Turmeric root?
Fresh Turmeric Vs. Powdered
Posted by Art (San Francisco, Ca) on 09/14/2016
I tried taking powdered turmeric several times in the past, but every time it would cause my hemorrhoids to bleed when going to the bathroom, only after a couple of days of the therapy. Then I tried fresh turmeric root, and for some reason, no matter how much of it I take, it does not cause the bleeding. I use a grater to grate 2-3" of the root, which gives me 2-3 tbsps., I chase it with water, need about a glass of water for the whole amount of grated turmeric. I've been doing it for almost a year, once a day, on empty stomach. It has helped me with abdominal pains.
Wounds
Posted by Ric (California) on 07/30/2016
★★★★★
Today, I had an old injury come back to revisit me and finally say goodbye. Four days ago I started taking Turmeric, I had read under cures for gray hair one of the readers reporting her hair color coming back after treating herself for MRSA with turmeric. So I had some turmeric and decided to use it all up. Twice a day, morning and evening, I started taking 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric mixed with black pepper, flax milk and also 1 tablespoon Black Strap Molasses, also a gray hair cure, followed by a spoonfull of some kind of fat like coconut oil or peanut butter.
Something unexpected happened on the 4th day, 23 years ago I had a small firearms accident, where a .22 bullet blew up as I was trying to chamber it. A small piece of metal shrapnel embedded in my skin on my belly and the injury healed over with the metal inside. Today, the small piece of metal worked its way out to the surface. Turmeric or coincidence? 23 years and no improvement, I start one of my alternative treatments and I started noticing my old injury after the 2nd day. On the fourth day I noticed like a big pimple over the old injury. I squeezed it and it opened up. I cleaned out the area and the tiny fragment of metal came out with it. I have no answer for this but Turmeric does have anti-inflammatory properties. Maybe the Turmeric aided in the shrapnel in finally working its way out of my skin? Or was it just a coincidence?
Melanoma
Posted by Kevin B. (Australia) on 06/30/2016
★☆☆☆☆
I grind fresh home grown turmeric and eat about 20 grams a day. I also have malignant melanoma throughout my body. Turmeric is not stopping the spread of this disease. It may have some benefits but removal of my cancer is very questionable at least.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by KT (Usa) on 05/29/2016
Thank you Mmsg, I have some Serrapeptase and I had taken it for awhile, but I got a bad feeling about it because I have implants so I stopped. I'll look into it again.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 05/28/2016
Kt, I can't see why they can't all be taken together, they are all "sauce ingredients"!
Maybe you could read up on Serrapeptase for adhesions.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by KT (Usa) on 05/28/2016
For those who think turmeric is causing them problems, try taking it without the capsule.
Just an update...been experimenting with equal parts of turmeric, ginger and garlic powder or chopping up a garlic clove, swallowing tiny parts whole with a tea made from ginger and/or turmeric.
No reply for combining garlic and cayenne so I alternate cayenne with ginger and turmeric. My insides are not normal due to adhesions...trying to keep things moving and avoid infection because of lesions and ruptured lining.
If anyone knows if this is not a wise thing to do, please let me know.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by Connie (Montreal, Canada) on 05/26/2016
It would help if people who experience negative effects explain the origin of the turmeric, I.e. ground, bought at a local health store, supermarket (usually irradiated), capsules, etc. Some people have noted that capsules might be tainted in the packaging stage.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Annie (California) on 12/05/2015
★★★★★
I do this too and love it! I also add ginger and greens (nice way to get more greens in...you can't taste them with all the spices). If I'm craving something sweet, I'll add frozen mango too.
Arthritis and Joint Pain
Posted by Martin (Limerick, Ireland) on 11/06/2015
★★★★★
I am taking one teaspoon of turmeric with one spoon of ginger, quarter spoon of black pepper with one spoon of olive oil 2 times a day for Osteoarthritis. Is this too much to take, doing this for 2 months and it helps.
Melanoma
Posted by Mindy (San Diego) on 09/14/2015
Woah, I would hesitate to call "anything" a melanoma (which is an intensely quick-spreading and very deadly malignant tumor) which is not biopsied and diagnosed by a lab. If anyone has an irregular, multi-colored, and/or changing mole or dark spot on your skin, please see a doctor asap, as melanoma is one of the deadliest cancers. Take turmeric, if you want, but please do not blow off the doctor for any amount of time--this is a cancer that is extremely deadly and I would hate for someone to die because they followed the lead of someone who self-diagnosed that he had cancer, when, in fact, it was not confirmed. Most likely, what he had was not cancer, but you never know (and because it was not biopsied, we never will know). At the very least, be under a doctor's care and let him/her know that you want to try curcumin. But please do not blow off seeing a doctor if you have these symptoms.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Amanda (Bath, Uk) on 07/18/2015
I take turmeric in the form of a cooked paste made with organic cold pressed coconut oil and freshly ground organic black pepper. My understanding is that the oil helps with the bioavailability of the turmeric and the black pepper helps to keep in in the system for longer. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory as well as analgesic, antiseptic etc., and with that in mind I personally would avoid taking it with honey as honey is an inflammatory.
I take my turmeric paste for aches and pains and eye problems all associated with Graves Disease. If I miss my Tumeric dose I find that my eyes become extremely uncomfortable and I get increase joint pain.
Boils
Posted by Patty (Houston, Tx) on 05/17/2015
★★★★★
I must say that several years ago I had multiple boils, coming and going frequently. The worst was where I had previously had a bartholins gland excised and it kept swelling and subsiding and then swelling back...I measured my days by that gland and when they swell, they sometimes get huge (you ladies Know! ). I read about turmeric then and started taking it...I would take about 1 tsp at a time with water (neat) and could immediately see the swelling go down...I would later take antibiotics for something (I don't remember what) as drs are so apt to prescribe them and it finally went away only to reappear when I recently became infected again after some intestinal problems, was given antibiotics again and the story goes on.....
Thanks and God Bless to all who write in with their stories!
Allergies
Posted by Tina (Princeton, N J) on 05/08/2015
★★★★★
I use turmeric powder straight from the pantry to make a tea for my allergy symptoms. I boil a cup of water to which I add 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder and a pinkie-size bit of ginger which I crush, skin and all, into a soft, mushy state before putting it in. Once it come to a boil, I take it off the stove, strain it and add one tbs of organic apple cider vinegar and one tsp of locally sourced raw honey. Blend and sip. I just made it this morning and itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose just went away half an hour later. I also use the neti cup morning and night and sleep at night with a humidifier with five drops of 3 per cent hydrogen peroxicide. These do help but I truly feel that it is the turmeric-ginger-vinegar-honey combo that lets me get through the day.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Phillip (Kansas City, Kansas) on 01/18/2015
I juice a couple 3 inch tubers in with my carrot, radish, celery, cauliflower juice. Add half a tsp cracked black pepper and a quarter tsp of cayenne. No Vegetable Juice on the market tastes better or is better for you in my opinion.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Mary (Sebring, Fl) on 01/10/2015
I have tried multiple ways to get 1 teaspoon of turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper into me at once; but it's just too much for me. However, I can easily reach that goal by LIGHTLY sprinkling turmeric and black pepper on many things I eat throughout the day: cereal, hot or cold; vegetables; protein sources; after reading a suggestion here, I even tried it on ice cream - and that worked too.
When I have an acute pain, I mix turmeric and black pepper, with organic, raw (unpasteurized) honey* and spread it on, or mash it up with, a banana.**
Add in some peanut butter and cinnamon to help control blood sugar, and increase the "yum".
*I don't buy manuka honey, because honey, as described, works wonders for me. So much so, that sometimes a heaping teaspoon of honey, taken alone, will alleviate acute, non-chronic pain.
**You have to experiment with the amounts at which it is palpable to you or children.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Jennie (Ky, US) on 11/30/2014
Hello All, I cook ALL my veges w/tumeric and other spices. I also put it in my potato salad.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Deedee (Skowhegan, Maine) on 11/17/2014
★★★★★
We're already using coconut oil in our coffee. So I went one step further-and added a good sprinkle of turmeric, which was barely noticeable. We'll also add it to our scrambled eggs-which I also use coconut oil and black pepper anyways. It can also be added into smoothies/frappes type drinks. There are many ways to get it into the diet all day long without it being distasteful, the other night I added it to our rice. I also have some capsules, but it seems even easier to add it to food than trying to remember to take a pill...
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Kari (New York, Ny) on 10/18/2014
That sounds very yummy and is an effective way to take turmeric powder! I am going to try it on a rice cracker.
Boils
Posted by Achoo (New Orleans, US) on 10/18/2014
★★★★★
My husband had boils all over his back years ago his mother put turmeric paste warmed the powder in hot water put the warm paste all over the boils and they were cured in a couple of sessions.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Minnie (Toronto, On) on 10/18/2014
I have been trying different ways of taking the turmeric and today tried mixing it into a paste of turmeric, black pepper and a little olive oil. I spread it on Triscuits and found it very good. Am I missing anything important doing it this way???
Removing Tumeric Stains
Posted by Kay (FL, US) on 08/13/2014
★★★★★
Most tumeric stains can be removed with alcohol and a tissue/cotton ball; it quickly and easily removed stains on my skin, bathroom/kitchen sinks, countertops, stove, cutting board, floors, walls, etc (lol). Since tumeric likes to "get around", I dedicated a large cutting mat for all my "tumeric work", it helps!
Tumeric also makes a lovely dye/stain for Easter Eggs!
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/02/2014
Stephen Buhner, in his book, Herbal Antibiotics, has a ton of information about Piperine (active ingredient in Black Pepper.) He says that it "increases the amount of any substance going into the body, keeps it in its most potent form (unmetabolized) and keeps it in the body longer. It facilitates the movement of substance into the brain, CNS, uterus, testes, adrenals, kidneys, and liver. It also stimulates circulation and increases blood vessel size to that the substances are widely circulated throughout the body very rapidly." (Page 45, Herbal Antibiotics.)
When I am using pepper with turmeric, I usually use about 1/8th teaspoon pepper per teaspoon of turmeric.
Buhner doesn't discuss this (that I have found yet..the book is very extensive) but some fat is also supposed to be taken with turmeric to increase its effectiveness.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 06/22/2014
Re: Turmeric Side Effects: And Robyn, as always, I would add, start SMALL. As in a TINY dosis at a time.
Cystic Acne
Posted by Judy (Colorado Springs, CO) on 06/03/2014
I have been taking turmeric for cystic acne also, I mix it with warm milk and honey and it doesn't taste so bad.
