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.
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 Stac3y (Allentown, Pa) on 08/20/2013
I just wanted to share two side effects I have had in trying to use turmeric orally. The first is severe constapation. I would imagine this might benefit someone with Crohn's or IBS, but I definately have a problem.
The second is that it causes my face and scalp tend to break out. After two days, it feels like my face is falling apart with acne. I've tried turmeric on and off again at least six times, and this happens everytime. This happens with just 500 mg a day, so a relatively small amount. I know a lot of people have been trying this for acne, but it tends to make things much, much worse for me.
For some people, the other benefits might be worth the side effect, but it's a bit too much for me, which is disappointing, as I really wanted to like this herb.
FYI: I eat a healthy, low-gluten, low fat diet that incorporates several gentle cleansing herbs daily, so I do not think this is a detox reaction.
Menstrual Cramps
Posted by Clarisse (Los Angeles, Ca) on 03/21/2013
★★★★★
During the first couple days, I get some really bad menstrual cramps. Mine are pretty miserable, to the point where I feel like throwing up and just lying down all day. I remembered that turmeric is used to alleviate menstrual cramps, so I added a tsp of turmeric to some warm milk, along with a bit of flaxseed oil (turmeric is fat-soluble) and some black pepper (increases absorption of curcumin in turmeric). I drank this all before I went to bed. The next morning, no more menstrual cramps! Try it!
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 03/21/2012
I add tumeric to my scrambled eggs while they are cooking and also add black pepper to them. I also sprinkle tumeric on my roast chicken in the oven.. it adds a great taste to it.
Eczema
Posted by Yukoncorleone (Binghamton, NY, United States) on 03/19/2012
★★★★☆
Hello, I was recently diagnosed with folliculitis over my whole body and Eczema on my hands and feet by my dermatoligist and I'm exploring some natural remidies. For a while I thought it was only Eczema over my entire body, but my Dermatoligst seems to think I have two separate conditons. So far I've tried the oral and topical steroids, topical antibiotics, and they seemed to work while I was using it, but as soon as I ran out it got bad again.
I have taken the ACV (apple cider vineager) with the mother in it (when I thought it was just Eczema), but stopped for a while after I got a stomach bug and had diareaha and vomiting and couldn't stomach the AVC. I'm now back on it for two days now (using 1-2 tsp in water 2-3 times a day according to back of the bottle) and now I'm also trying powdered Turmeric 1 tsp in a glass of warm water or sometimes in orange juice 2-3 times a day.
I'm only on day 2 of this, and I think I'm noticing some benfits. I don't itch as bad, the Eczema doesn't seem as raised or as irritated, and the red bumps from my folliculitis are not as pronounced and bright as they can sometimes get.
My question is this; I've read that Turmeric isn't that readily absorbed into the system and that you should take black pepper with it. If I'm taking 1tsp of powdered Turmeric in a glass of warm water how much black pepper should I add to it? Please advise, I want to make sure I'm getting the most out of the Turmeric as I can.
Heartburn
Posted by Sindee (Santa Cruz, Ca) on 10/13/2011
★★★★★
I have taken tumeric with a glass of warm milk for heartburn which I used to get often. Almond milk actually works much better and goat milk is the best.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Michelle (Cambridge, Cambs, Uk) on 10/12/2011
Dear 1185d, you could try mixing the turmeric with coconut oil, then chilling it to make a tablet.
I also put it into hot coconut milk with honey.
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.
How to Take Turmeric
Posted by Briana (Chicago, Il) on 11/10/2009
★★★★★
I created the following recipe because I was trying to take several superfoods listed on this site every day and I couldn't stand the taste of the Blackstrap Molasses or the Turmeric. So I drink two cups of Molasses Chai a day:
Start with 8 oz of hot water. Then add one chai tea bag (a tea blend including chai spices). While the tea steeps mix in 1 Tbsp of blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp of honey (raw is better), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 dashes of turmeric. At this point stop to stir in the turmeric to dissolve the water soluble portion. Then add some milk (about 1/4 cup). U can substitute soy/rice milk etc. Mix in the milk and remove the tea bag. Add 1 Tbsp of coconut oil (virgin is better) and mix to dissolve turmeric in CO.
Other than looking kind of funny because it will have a yellow tinted layer of oil on the top it will taste fine. Don't forget the vanilla it masks the flavor of the molasses. If it still tastes bad to you then put in less BSM, turmeric, and/or VCO until you get used to the flavor.
Diarrhea
Posted by James (Summit, NJ) on 09/23/2008
★★★★★
Recently I went to India. When I returned I started to have diarrhea. I thought it would go away in a day or two but it did not. After five days of misery I went to the CVS and bought keopectate. Didn't work. I tried a vegetable diet, sea salt, apple cider vinegar, nothing worked. Now it's ten days and I'm fifteen pounds lighter, weak, and finding it hard to keep hydrated not to mention that going to the bathroom was now agony. I was ready to go to my doctor/hospital.
My wife who was still in India told me to take Tumeric. There was a big container of it so I mixed a heaping teaspoon in a glass of water and drank it down. Slightly bitter but I liked the taste. The next morning I took another dose and that was it. My stomach settled right down and a day later it was gone. Really amazing.
Diarrhea
Posted by Matt (Omaha, NE) on 08/29/2008
★★★★★
I had the worst Diarrhea of my life for two days. Pepto Bismol and Kaeopectate were completely ineffective against the problem. Having used Apple Cider Vineagar prior for various cures based off reccomendations on this site with great success I turned to that. I took 2 Tbls for 2x's a day for a day and a half and while it cured my rumbling stomach instantly it did little if anything to cure the Diarrhea.
So I turned to the Turmeric remedy listed here. Went to the store and paid a whole .99 for a little bottle of the spice. Filled up a small glass of water with 1 teaspoon of the spice, stirred it in and took it down. Insta-cured. It stopped the problem from the moment I took it. Keep stirring or sloshing the spice around in the glass when you drink it so it doesn't build up and get really hard to take down during the bottom of the glass.
As a sidenote, my mom got sick with the same symptoms a day later, and again nothing was working. She took the same stuff as I did and again, she was cured instantly.
I'm amazed!
Boils
Posted by Ang (Auckland, New Zealand) on 02/01/2008
★★★★★
Thank you for your wonderful website! I tried your tumeric cure on my 8 1/2 year old son, who just recently had school sores (impetigo), and then started to develop a boil (which is exactly what happened last time he had school sores at age 5 - he then went on to have boils for about 4 months). I gave him a tsp of tumeric in a chocolate milkshake 3 x per day for two days and the boil totally dried up and didn't get big or painful...and, no more boils have developed after 1 week! Awesome!!
Wounds
Posted by Steph Williams (Danville, VA) on 11/08/2007
★★★★★
I've had great success with turmeric to stop wounds from bleeding. If you catch a slice by the kitchen knife quick enough, the blood will coagulate behind a layer of turmeric. I also add turmeric to a warm water soak with sea salt or epsom salt to draw out infection/inflammation from wounds for my family. I treated our dog's copper head bite with a turmeric poultice. Her leg was swollen and the skin around the 2 puncture wounds was necrotic and oozing and after many soaks and poultices, it healed leaving no scar.
Boils
Posted by Danny (Dallas, TX) on 11/14/2006
★★★★★
Turmeric is undoubtedly one of the aces in ayurvedic medicine. I've seen my grandmother & then mother using turmeric for variety of skin problems & wounds, trust me it does work immaterial of what this modern day medicine claims. For those who find ingesting turmeric really difficult can boil a spoonful of turmeric in a glass of milk (sugar to taste) and drink it. It tastes great, try it!
Skin
Posted by Vandana (Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India) on 08/05/2006
★★★★★
i tried taking powder of turmeric -- it has been a great thing for the skin and my menopause symptoms are going smooth. Turmeric is best of all the spices -- good for all the ailments basically inside the body and physically also.
Nausea, Cluster Headaches
Posted by Jeshu (Albany, Australia) on 08/15/2024
★★★★★
Turmeric fixed my daily, mediction hardy nausea in days, and my cluster headaches in just 14 days.
i have been using 1 tsp of Turmeric, with a little black, and Cheyenne pepper, 1/20 tsp, as well as Olive oil, 1 tbsp, mixed in a little warm water, twice a day, and have been completely cured of persistent, medical hardy nausea, from which I suffered daily for many years, up to 12 hours of each day.
Also my often severe cluster head aches, that came daily at the same time, lasting up to 6 hours, have been completely cured, using Turmeric for just a few weeks. (Each day, from day one, the pain became less severe, and the duration of the head aches shorter.)
Fatty Liver
Posted by Dawn002 (Calgary) on 04/02/2022
★★★★★
I have had Liver pain for last six years. Ultrasound showed I have fatty liver which is the side effect of Hormone replacement pills I was on for years. I tried milk thistle and couple other supplements they didn't help.I have started taking 1/4 of tsp of turmeric powder with oil or peanut butter. My triglyceride and liver enzymes showed normal in last two blood tests. After years of suffering, I finally feel relief. However, turmeric made my blood pressure drop so now I take it cautiously. Turmeric is apparently absorbed better by our body if taken with oil and black pepper and it also brings down your sugar level and is blood thinner too. I suggest do your own research.
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by KT (Usa) on 08/11/2018
Turmeric is supposed to reduce inflammation. I don't understand why it would cause bleeding. When my fingers cracked and were very sore from eating warmed left-over beef, turmeric reduced the inflammation and soreness on ingestion.
In the Nutrition Almanac ginger is also reported to reduce inflammation and is listed as an antibiotic. Gnger also ranks high in anticancer activity. Cayenne will stop bleeding. I would try mixing the two. Maybe 1/4 tsp. ginger to 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper every 3 or 4 hrs. in about 1/3 C water. Just a guess...
I have mixed turmeric and cayenne pepper, depending on what is going on with me at the time. Everyone responds differently.
Wishing you the best...
KT
Turmeric Side Effects
Posted by KT (Usa) on 08/11/2018
It could be from the capsules. Open the capsules, sprinkle on food and take powdered ginger with it. They are both anti-inflammatory spices and the Nutrition Almanac reports ginger contains an antidepressant ingredient that may help.
KT
Homemade Turmeric Extract
Posted by Rsw (Oh) on 10/30/2017
Thank you, MTM! I doubt that I would ever have tried this if you hadn't mentioned your homemade tinctures on Earth Clinic! It is looking fairly dark, so I am telling myself it will be nice and strong. I think the dark brown glass container would be good for the long term, so I will use that. I really appreciate your experienced tips, because I didn't want to ruin it on the homestretch! I will strain it through the cloth and a coffee filter, as you advise. I think I will wait until the end of the week, so it will be almost five weeks since it was started. I will post my reaction to it after I take it for a couple of weeks. You are such a blessing to all of us on this site! Thank you so much.
