Does turmeric lower cholesterol?

As a supplement, a little, and the evidence is weak. A 2023 GRADE-assessed meta-analysis of 64 randomized trials found turmeric or curcumin lowered LDL cholesterol by 4.89 mg/dL, about 0.13 mmol/L, and total cholesterol by 3.99 mg/dL. The reviewers rated that evidence low to very low. In a direct comparison in 190 adults at raised heart risk, turmeric did not lower LDL more than placebo over 28 days, while a low dose of rosuvastatin cut it by 35 percent. No trial we found tested turmeric as a spice in ordinary food.

Unsettled. The pooled numbers are statistically real and clinically small, and the trials behind them disagree with each other far more than chance allows. In the 72-trial update the heterogeneity ran from 94 to 98 percent. The 64-trial analysis also found no change in apolipoprotein B, a better marker of risk than LDL, which weakens the case that the LDL drop means less heart disease.

How much lower LDL cholesterol was than with control, in mg/dL

Bars show the pooled drop and lines its 95% confidence interval. All four are supplement trials. The newer and larger analyses give smaller effects than the 2019 one, and the 2025 interval comes close to zero. The certainty of the 64-trial analysis was rated low to very low. Sources: cards ev-turch-01, ev-turch-03, ev-turch-04 and ev-turch-05 below.

What the trials found

Four meta-analyses of supplement trials land in the same small range. The 2023 analysis of 64 trials gave LDL 4.89 mg/dL lower, triglycerides 6.69 mg/dL lower and HDL 1.80 mg/dL higher. A 2025 umbrella review with an updated pool of 72 trials in people with chronic diseases found LDL 5.84 mg/dL lower, with an interval that reached down to 0.05 mg/dL, and triglycerides 13.15 mg/dL lower. A 2026 analysis of 27 trials in people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes found LDL 5.72 mg/dL lower, again with low GRADE certainty. The oldest, from 2019, found 9.83 mg/dL across 13 trials in adults with metabolic disease. The pattern of smaller effects in the newer, larger pools is typical of a field where early trials were small.

A 2023 meta-analysis of curcumin taken with piperine, a black pepper extract that raises absorption, found lower total and LDL cholesterol in metabolic syndrome and no change in triglycerides. Its abstract gives no sizes. Two single trials show how fragile the effect is. In 72 people with type 2 diabetes and high triglycerides, 500 mg of curcuminoids with 5 mg of piperine a day for 12 weeks lowered triglycerides and did not change LDL or HDL. In 21 people on hemodialysis, 2.5 g of turmeric extract in juice three times a week for 3 months only tended to lower triglycerides, and other lipids did not differ.

Myth. Turmeric is not a substitute for a statin. In the SPORT trial, adults with LDL between 70 and 189 mg/dL and raised 10-year heart risk took rosuvastatin 5 mg, placebo or one of six supplements including turmeric. Rosuvastatin lowered LDL by 35.2 percent against placebo. None of the supplements produced a significant drop. The trial was short and each supplement group was small.

A 2021 review of meta-analyses on foods and LDL placed turmeric among foods with moderate evidence for moderate to large reductions. That grade rests on evidence up to 2019. The larger analyses since then put the effect near 5 mg/dL, which no longer fits the words moderate to large.

Who should be careful

Not for everyone. Turmeric supplements can injure the liver. The US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network reviewed 10 cases and concluded turmeric causes potentially severe liver injury, usually 1 to 4 months after starting, strongly linked to the gene variant HLA-B*35:01. A course taken for cholesterol falls in that window. Without a count of everyone who took turmeric, the absolute risk is unknown.

The forms that move lipids most are the ones the NIH flags. The 72-trial update found larger effects with high-bioavailability preparations, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health warns that highly bioavailable curcumin formulations may harm the liver. Blood thinners are the second caution. A 2026 expert review from the US Pharmacopeia describes case reports of people on warfarin whose INR rose above 10 after they started turmeric or curcumin supplements. These are case reports, not trials, and people with high cholesterol often take heart medicines. If you take warfarin, start nothing with turmeric in it without your prescriber. We hold no card on turmeric supplements in pregnancy or on a safe upper dose, so this page cannot tell you that either is safe.

What expert bodies say

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health lists high cholesterol among the conditions turmeric is promoted for, and carries the liver warning above. We found no US or European body that endorses turmeric or curcumin for lowering cholesterol.

How we searched

Searched: a local copy of the PubMed baseline across all study types, for turmeric, curcumin or curcuma with cholesterol, lipids, LDL, triglycerides or dyslipidemia (132 records), and the same terms restricted to randomized trials (about 45). We also searched the web for meta-analyses from 2025 and 2026, read the NCCIH turmeric page, confirmed the liver injury conclusion through Europe PMC, and queried a local index of ClinicalTrials.gov. Searches run on 7 October 2026.

Included: six meta-analyses or umbrella reviews of randomized trials, three randomized trials, a liver injury case series, an expert review of drug interactions, and two passages of the NCCIH fact sheet. None of the carded papers has been retracted.

Excluded: an analysis in laying hens, meta-analyses limited to fatty liver, polycystic ovary syndrome or nano-curcumin that repeat subgroups of the broader ones, a trial in Brazilian women that lost more than half its participants, narrative and scoping reviews. Two 2025 meta-analyses outside our corpus, one of them finding no LDL effect across 11 trials, were noted but not carded.

What we read: abstracts from the PubMed baseline, the full text of the US Pharmacopeia review, and the NCCIH page.

What we could not get: the full texts of the three main meta-analyses, so doses and forms per trial are missing, and the turmeric dose used in SPORT. We found no study of turmeric as a cooking spice and blood lipids.

What would change this answer

A randomized trial of at least six months, using one standard curcumin product, with LDL or apolipoprotein B as the main outcome. The registry holds one trial with cholesterol as a secondary outcome, finished, with no results posted.
Any trial that counts heart attacks or strokes. A drop of about 5 mg/dL in LDL tells us nothing about those on its own.
A denominator for liver injury, so the risk of a months-long course could be weighed against a benefit this small.

For what turmeric is and what else the evidence says about it, see the turmeric page.

The food behind this question

Turmeric: small capsule effects, and a spice nobody has tested — numbers, evidence and safety

The full guide

Dietary cholesterol: does it still matter, and how much do eggs raise LDL

The same question for other foods (cholesterol)

Sources

ev-turch-01 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 64 RCTs
Meta-analysis showed that turmeric/curcumin supplementation exerts statistically significant improvements on blood levels of TC (WMD = -3.99 mg/dL; 95% CI = -5.33, -2.65), TG (WMD = -6.69 mg/dL; 95% CI = -7.93, -5.45), LDL-c (WMD = -4.89 mg/dL; 95% CI = -5.92, -3.87), and HDL-c (WMD = 1.80 mg/dL; 95% CI = 1.43, 2.17).
Who: participants in randomized clinical trials of turmeric or curcumin supplementation
Effect: TC WMD -3.99 mg/dL (95% CI -5.33 to -2.65); TG -6.69 mg/dL (-7.93 to -5.45); LDL-c -4.89 mg/dL (-5.92 to -3.87); HDL-c +1.80 mg/dL (1.43 to 2.17); no change in Apo-A or Apo-B
Certainty: The largest MA specifically on lipids; effect on LDL about 5 mg/dL (0.13 mmol/L), tens of times smaller than a statin. Quality of evidence low and very low.
Complement Ther Med, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-02 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 64 RCTs
Since the evidence was assessed to be low and very low concerning the outcomes, these findings should be dealt with caution.
Who: participants in randomized clinical trials of turmeric or curcumin supplementation
Effect: Apo-A and Apo-B unchanged; certainty low to very low
Certainty: Apo-B is a better risk marker than LDL; its being unchanged weakens the conclusion about cardiovascular benefit.
Complement Ther Med, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-03 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · umbrella review of systematic reviews and updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 26 meta-analyses; 72 RCTs in updated analysis
Curcumin significantly reduced TC, LDL-c, and TG, with mean differences (MDs) of -7.76 mg/dL (95% CI: -11.29, -4.22; I2 = 97%), -5.84 mg/dL (95% CI: -11.63, -0.05; I2 = 98%), and -13.15 mg/dL (95% CI: -17.31, -8.98; I2 = 94%), respectively, and increased HDL-c by 2.4 mg/dL (95% CI: 1.22, 3.57; I2 = 94%).
Who: patients with noncommunicable diseases in placebo-controlled RCTs of curcumin
Effect: TC MD -7.76 mg/dL (95% CI -11.29 to -4.22); LDL-c -5.84 (-11.63 to -0.05); TG -13.15 (-17.31 to -8.98); HDL-c +2.4 (1.22 to 3.57); I2 94-98%
Certainty: The upper CI bound for LDL is almost zero. A larger effect: in type 2 diabetes, with forms of higher bioavailability, from 8 weeks.
Nutr Rev, 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-04 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 27 RCTs (31 arms)
Curcumin/turmeric supplementation significantly reduced triglycerides (WMD: -13.73 mg/dL; 95% CI: -19.49, -7.96), total cholesterol (WMD: -5.24 mg/dL; 95% CI: -9.42, -1.07), and LDL-C (WMD: -5.72 mg/dL; 95% CI: -8.62, -2.82) and increased HDL-C (WMD: 2.14 mg/dL; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.20).
Who: adults with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes in RCTs of curcumin or turmeric
Effect: TG WMD -13.73 mg/dL (95% CI -19.49 to -7.96); TC -5.24 (-9.42 to -1.07); LDL-C -5.72 (-8.62 to -2.82); HDL-C +2.14 (1.08 to 3.20); I2 > 80%; GRADE low
Certainty: The newest synthesis (search to August 2025). The effect is modest, quality low for all outcomes.
Lipids, 2026 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-05 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 12 to 16 RCTs per outcome
Evidence from 12 RCTs for TG, 14 RCTs for TC, 13 RCTs for LDL cholesterol, and 16 RCTs for HDL cholesterol showed that turmeric and curcuminoids could lower blood TG by -19.1 mg/dL (95% CI: -31.7, -6.46 mg/dL; P = 0.003), TC by -11.4 mg/dL (95% CI: -17.1, -5.74 mg/dL; P < 0.0001), and LDL cholesterol by -9.83 mg/dL (95% CI: -15.9, -3.74 mg/dL; P = 0.002), and increase HDL cholesterol by 1.9 mg/dL (95% CI: 0.31, 3.49 mg/dL; P = 0.02).
Who: adults with metabolic diseases in RCTs of turmeric or curcuminoids
Effect: TG -19.1 mg/dL (95% CI -31.7 to -6.46); TC -11.4 (-17.1 to -5.74); LDL -9.83 (-15.9 to -3.74); HDL +1.9 (0.31 to 3.49); I2 > 50%
Certainty: Older and smaller synthesis; the effect is larger than in newer meta-analyses of 64-72 RCTs: a typical picture of small early studies.
Adv Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-06 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = —
The combined results by the random-effects model demonstrated that curcumin plus piperine significantly decreased total cholesterol and LDL-C in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome.
Who: patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders in RCTs of curcumin plus piperine
Effect: TC and LDL-C significantly decreased; TG not significantly changed; not dependent on dose or duration
Certainty: Effect numbers are not given in the abstract. Piperine increases curcumin absorption (axis 2) and appears in liver injury cases (ev-turch-11).
Phytother Res, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-07 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized single-blind controlled trial, 28 days · n = 190
None of the dietary supplements demonstrated a significant decrease in LDL-C compared with placebo.
Who: adults without ASCVD, LDL-C 70 to 189 mg/dL and increased 10-year ASCVD risk
Effect: rosuvastatin vs placebo LDL-C -35.2% (95% CI -41.3% to -29.1%); turmeric and five other supplements no significant LDL-C decrease vs placebo
Certainty: Short duration (28 days) and small groups per supplement; however, it is a direct comparison with a statin in typical supplement buyers.
J Am Coll Cardiol, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-08 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, 12 weeks · n = 72
In this double-blind clinical trial, 72 patients with T2DM and hypertriglyceridemia were randomized to receive either a tablet containing 500 mg of curcuminoids plus 5 mg of piperine, or a matched placebo for 12 weeks.
Who: patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia
Effect: TG significantly reduced vs placebo (p = 0.001); LDL-c and HDL-c no significant between-group change
Certainty: Dose: 500 mg curcuminoids + 5 mg piperine per day.
Phytother Res, 2024 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-09 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized double-blind crossover controlled trial · n = 21 (10 curcumin, 11 control, then crossover)
There was no statistical difference in the others parameters.
Who: hemodialysis patients
Effect: TG difference 38.5 (SD 19.8) mg/dL, p = 0.06; no difference in other lipid parameters
Certainty: Small sample; turmeric in juice, closer to dietary use than capsules.
Phytother Res, 2023 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-10 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs, GRADE · n = 37 guidelines, 108 systematic reviews, 20 RCTs
With moderate evidence, avocados and turmeric caused moderate to large reductions.
Who: adults in RCTs summarized by systematic reviews and guidelines on foods and LDL cholesterol
Effect: turmeric: moderate evidence, moderate to large LDL reduction (7.7-15 mg/dL (0.20-0.40 mmol/L) scale for moderate)
Certainty: A 2019 estimate; newer MAs of 64-72 RCTs give a smaller effect (~5 mg/dL = 0.13 mmol/L), so "moderate to large" is now overstated.
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2021 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-11 · Laboratory or animal data · case series · n = 10
Turmeric causes potentially severe liver injury that is typically hepatocellular, with a latency of 1 to 4 months and strong linkage to HLA-B*35:01.
Who: adjudicated turmeric-associated liver injury cases enrolled in the US DILIN, 2004 to 2022
Effect: hepatocellular injury; latency 1 to 4 months; strong HLA-B*35:01 linkage
Certainty: Without a denominator the absolute risk is unknown. Courses for cholesterol last months, that is, within this window.
Am J Med, 2023: Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric, A Growing Problem: Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
ev-turch-12 · Laboratory or animal data · expert committee review of case reports and pharmacovigilance · n = —
Similarly, some warfarin-treated patients have presented with marked INR elevation (>10) after initiating turmeric/curcumin supplements, prompting safety warnings that concentrated preparations of turmeric/curcumin may potentiate the activity of warfarin (Medsafe NZ 2018).
Who: case reports of patients taking fluindione or warfarin with turmeric or curcumin
Effect: INR above 10 in some warfarin-treated patients after starting turmeric or curcumin supplements
Certainty: Case reports only. People with high cholesterol often also take heart medications, including anticoagulants.
Pharmaceutical Biology, 2026 (USP DSAEL Expert Committee) · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the full_text
ev-turch-13 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
Highly bioavailable formulations of curcumin, which enhance the body’s ability to absorb the curcumin, may harm your liver.
Who: general public, NIH consumer fact sheet updated April 2025
Effect: position statement; no effect size
Certainty: Conflict: forms with better absorption give a greater effect on lipids (ev-turch-03) and these are the ones NCCIH links to the liver.
NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety, updated April 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
ev-turch-14 · Position of an expert body · agency fact sheet · n = —
Today, oral (taken by mouth) turmeric is promoted as a dietary supplement for a variety of conditions, including osteoarthritis, depression, allergies, itching, and high cholesterol.
Who: general public, NIH consumer fact sheet updated April 2025
Effect: position statement; no effect size
Certainty: Authority position; no US or EU authority approves turmeric for cholesterol.
NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety, updated April 2025 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section

How this page was made. Evidence was extracted from primary sources into cards, every number was re-checked against the source, and the text was written from those cards. Bioma Learn has no human medical reviewer at this time, and we say so rather than invent one. Methodology. This is information, not medical advice.