Supplementation with curcumin reliably lowers some markers of inflammation[1][2][3] and increases the levels of endogenous antioxidants in the body.[4][5][2] However, curcumin has a minimal effect on markers of inflammation in people with chronic inflammatory diseases.[6]
More research is needed on curcumin in many areas of health, but the current evidence shows small to moderate improvements in the symptoms of depression[7][8][9] and moderate to large improvements in pain and function in osteoarthritis.[10][11][12][13][14] Curcumin also shows promise for treating a type of inflammatory bowel disease called ulcerative colitis,[15][16][17] but further research is needed to clarify the optimal dose and route of administration.
Improvements in blood lipids,[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] markers of glycemic control,[26][19][21][22][23] blood pressure,[19][27] liver enzymes,[28][29][30][31] and weight loss[32][33][34][35][36][37] have also been observed following supplementation with curcumin. However, the research on these outcomes is sometimes inconsistent, and further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to draw firm conclusions.