These days, turmeric is everywhere. You may see those beautiful yellow turmeric lattes being whipped up in coffee shops, turmeric poached eggs for brunch, and turmeric being added to smoothies and chocolate bars. And while it’s obvious that its bright yellow hue is gorgeous, let’s take a step back and make sense of what's behind this ingredient's staying power.

Turmeric is an herb plant that grows in India and Central America. You most likely know it best for its near-ubiquity in Indian cuisine, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (1) If you’re eating turmeric (as opposed to taking it as a supplement; more on that later), you’ll find the root in the produce aisle at the grocery store — it looks similar to ginger.

You can also buy it ground as a spice, which is sold as turmeric, or as a spice blend, like curry powder. Turmeric has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine to treat health problems like pain and fatigue. (1) In fact, it’s been used as a culinary spice and in religious ceremonies in Southeast Asia for 4,000 years, according to the book Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. (2) Given its superfood status of late, people use turmeric as a modern-day natural medicine for reducing inflammation and treating disease.

Turmeric is comprised of 100 compounds. (2) The one most talked about is curcumin, the active compound that’s credited with most of turmeric's health benefits. While turmeric gets its bright yellow hue from curcumin, this compound makes up only about 5 percent of the spice, according to an article published in January 2017 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. (3) Most of the benefits of turmeric are credited to curcumin (more on this later).

Learn More About the Difference Between Turmeric and Curcumin

In terms of nutrition, 1 teaspoon (tsp) of the ground spice has 9 calories. More surprising is that it offers some protein — 0.3 grams (g) — and fiber (0.7 g), impressive given how much is present in a small amount, notes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guidelines. With 1.65 milligrams (mg) of iron, it also provides about 9 percent of the daily value for this nutrient. (4) That said, it’s likely that you’re eating far less than 1 tsp at a sitting. A tsp may be added to an entire recipe, for instance.

Turmeric is more than just a bright, flavorful spice; it’s also loaded with potential health benefits. Many of its perks have been credited to curcumin, the primary plant compound that gives turmeric its bold yellow color, according to a review published October 2017 in the journal Foods. (5)

Here are several ways turmeric and curcumin may benefit your health:

Ease Arthritis Pain Curcumin contains anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potentially effective treatment for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. For example, a small past study found that participants with rheumatoid arthritis who took a 500 mg curcumin supplement twice daily for eight weeks saw greater improvements in joint tenderness and swelling compared with patients who took a prescription anti-inflammatory or a combination of the two treatments. (6)

Reduce Depression Symptoms Depression has been linked with lower levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein in the brain and spinal cord that regulates communication between nerve cells. In rats, curcumin effectively increased levels of BDNF over the course of 10 days, according to a study published in Behavioural Brain Research. (7) In humans with major depressive disorder, those who took 1,000 mg of curcumin daily for six weeks saw similar improvements to those who took an antidepressant or a combination of the two treatments, according to a small April 2014 study published in Phytotherapy Research. (8)

Contribute to Treating Diabetes Thanks to turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects, it’s also a promising treatment for inflammatory conditions, including diabetes. A study published July 2019 in Nutrition & Metabolism found that feeding curcumin supplements to obese mice with type 2 diabetes helped lower blood insulin levels after 16 weeks. (9) Curcumin may also help prevent type 2 diabetes by improving insulin resistance, lowering high blood sugar, and reducing high cholesterol, according to a review in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (10)

Aid Weight Loss It’s unclear whether turmeric can actually help you lose weight, but preliminary research suggests it may enhance your efforts. In one study of 44 people and published in November 2015 in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, people with metabolic syndrome (a condition characterized by obesity, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, insulin resistance, and low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol) who lost nearly 2 percent of their body weight added an 800 mg curcumin supplement to their daily diet. (11) After 30 days, this group lost close to 5 percent of their body weight, helping them reduce their body fat by more than 8 percent. (Researchers had added 8 mg of piperine, the active compound in black pepper, to the supplement; piperine helps the body absorb more of the curcumin.)

Complement Cancer Treatment It’s unclear whether turmeric can prevent cancer growth in humans, according to the American Cancer Society. (12) Yet this spice may offer potential, thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to a past review. Authors of past research note that turmeric (curcumin specifically) may prevent tumors from forming and becoming cancerous, though more research in humans is needed. (13)

Support Skin Health Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant-rich spice, making it potentially effective for treating skin conditions like acne, eczema, and psoriasis, though more studies are needed. Due to its poor bioavailability, it likely wouldn’t be a standalone treatment for skin disorders but rather complement existing treatments, write the authors of an article published in September 2019 in Nutrients. (14)

Learn More About the Potential Benefits of Turmeric

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), turmeric is generally safe, though consuming it in high doses or over long periods of time may upset your stomach. (1) A small, past study of 24 people found that taking 500 to 12,000 mg of curcumin was associated with various side effects, including diarrhea, skin rash, yellow stool, and headache. (15)

Another possible interaction: The spice can enhance the effect of blood thinners, possibly increasing bleeding risk, so if you’re on the medication Coumadin or Jantoven (warfarin), your doctor needs to know if you also use turmeric, according to Oregon State University. (16) Past research shows that curcumin has anticoagulant properties of its own, so combining the two can compound this effect. (17)

If you’re taking diabetes medication to lower your blood sugar, turmeric may magnify these effects, putting you at risk of low blood sugar, according to Penn State Hershey. (18) Talk to your doctor before taking turmeric or curcumin to treat diabetes.

In fact, a September 2017 review in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology warns that curcumin and turmeric may interact with a variety of medications, including antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, cardiac medications, and chemotherapy treatments. (19) Check with your doctor if you’re taking any of these medications.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may safely eat foods with turmeric, but should avoid taking the spice in supplement form. (18)

Learn More About the Potential Side Effects of Turmeric

Turmeric and spices like cinnamon and ginger have been generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration. (20) So adding this bright yellow spice to your food probably won’t cause any negative effects.

Taking turmeric or curcumin in supplement form, however, can. This is because supplements contain a significantly higher concentration of curcumin and other curcuminoids than you’d find in ground turmeric. Taking a supplement with 0.5 g of turmeric extract provides 400 mg of curcuminoids, while 0.5 g of ground turmeric only contains 15 mg of curcuminoids, according to third-party supplement testing agency ConsumerLab. (21)

With that in mind, taking up to 12 g (12,000 mg) of curcumin daily is likely safe, according to a November 2015 review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. (22) That said, the dosage used in research studies is usually lower than 12 g, which suggests you may see benefits at a lower dose. For example, a review published August 2016 in the Journal of Medicinal Food reveals that dosage ranged from 100 to 2,000 mg (that’s 0.1 to 2 g) per day, with doses typically taken 500 mg (0.5 g) at a time. (23) Keep in mind that turmeric or curcumin may interact with the medications mentioned earlier.

Unfortunately, it’s hard for your body to absorb enough turmeric to see positive effects. The good news is combining it with another spice, black pepper (Piper nigrum), may enhance its strength in the body.

A past study reveals that combining 20 mg of piperine, the main ingredient of black pepper, and 2 g of curcumin increases the bioavailability, or the amount of curcumin that can be absorbed by the body, by as much as 2,000 percent. (24) According to an August 2014 review published in Medicinal & Aromatic Plants, piperine increases the bioavailability of many nutrients, mainly by preventing enzymes from breaking down foods and other substances. (25)

If you plan on using turmeric or curcumin for health purposes, be sure to find a supplement that contains piperine.

Learn More About the Benefits of Combining Turmeric and Black Pepper

There are several ways you can buy turmeric:

You can use turmeric in a variety of recipes:

Another way to enjoy turmeric? In a warm, comforting mug of tea.

Learn More About How to Add Turmeric to Your Tea

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