No herb’s health halo shines as brightly as turmeric. While the bright orange powder has long been a cornerstone of cooking and medicinal use in India, the US has become the biggest importer of the herb. Why? Tumeric’s health benefits. You may know someone who takes turmeric supplements for their arthritis or as part of their post-workout recovery plan. Or maybe your FYP on TikTok is getting flooded with ads for dose turmeric shots. Perhaps you’ve had it in one of the cold-pressed bottled juices sold near the checkout stand at Whole Foods or clocked its presence in a bar of soap.
Is it worth the hype? The benefits of turmeric are legit, but if you want to use the herb medicinally, it’s important to know how much to consume and the best way to do it. We talked to registered dietitians and clinical herbalists to learn about the five major ways you can benefit from consuming turmeric and how much it takes to make a notable difference on health.
From easing pain to reducing inflammation, 5 ways turmeric can benefit your health
1. It helps with arthritis and joint pain
One of the biggest health claims related to regularly consuming turmeric is that it can help with arthritis and joint pain. Paul Bergner, a medical herbalist, clinical nutritionist, and director of the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism, says that’s true, citing repeated evidence published in scientific journals and improvements he’s observed at his own health clinics.
He says that people can experiment with replacing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin or ibuprofen with turmeric to see if the herb works as a natural alternative.
“When this is effective, it is very beneficial because turmeric [works differently] than NSAIDs and doesn’t have the risk of intestinal bleeding presented by those drugs,” he says.
Jenna Volpe, a functional registered dietitian and clinical herbalist, also says that people with joint pain or arthritis can benefit from consuming turmeric regularly.
“According to a 2021 systematic review which compared turmeric to NSAIDs, turmeric is significantly more effective than a placebo and equally as effective as NSAIDs for relieving knee arthritis pain and improving knee function,” she says.
Volpe explains that turmeric helps relieve joint pain by regulating inflammatory pathways in the body and preventing the release of a pro-inflammatory chemical called prostaglandins, which is known to contribute to symptoms of arthritis.
2. It’s good for your gut
While relieving joint pain is typically turmeric’s most celebrated benefit, the ingredient also supports gut health. And gut health is important for, well, everything.
“Turmeric can help bring balance to the gut microbiome by supporting the growth of beneficial bacteria,” says Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital.
Scientific research shows that turmeric supports gut health in two major ways. First, as Schiff explained, it ups the amount of good bacteria in the gut. Second, it makes the intestinal barrier stronger. Having a strong intestinal barrier prevents harmful substances from entering the gut, which protects the body from infection and inflammation. It also helps with nutrient absorption.
3. Consuming turmeric lowers inflammation
Essentially every health woe comes down to inflammation. While inflammation is beneficial in small amounts, experiencing high levels of inflammation for a prolonged amount of time can lead to a wide range of health problems, both short-term and long-term, including chronic diseases.
If you want to prevent inflammation from plaguing your body, it’s important to consider your entire diet and lifestyle, but Schiff says that integrating turmeric into your meals can help.
“Eating an anti-inflammatory diet can potentially reduce the risk for chronic diseases because it can reduce inflammation in the body and strengthen the immune system,” she says.
Turmeric’s inflammation-fighting superpowers are due to its active ingredient curcumin. Curcumin targets specific molecules and pathways that can cause inflammation in the body. Not only does it block the pro-inflammatory chemical prostaglandins to relieve joint pain, it also blocks other inflammatory proteins, such as cytokines, and the enzyme COX-2. This directly benefits the immune system and lowers the risk of chronic diseases.
4. It supports brain health
There are two key ways that consuming turmeric regularly supports brain health. Since it lowers inflammation, Volpe says it’s especially beneficial for supporting people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She explains that the curcumin in turmeric has been shown to block amyloid-beta and tau aggregates, which are abnormal clumps of proteins that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s. At the same time, turmeric helps regulate intracellular pathways that are important for preserving cognitive function.
The second way turmeric supports brain health is by working as a natural antidepressant. “Curcumin has been shown to increase levels of serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that contribute to feelings of well-being,” Schiff says. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should ditch your meds for turmeric, but it does mean that if you want to optimize your diet with mental health in mind, including turmeric in your meals is a good way to do it.
5. It can help lower cholesterol
If you’ve been told by your doc to watch your cholesterol—or heart health risks run in your family—incorporating turmeric into your diet can work in your favor.
“Some studies show that consuming turmeric can help reduce cholesterol in the body,” Schiff says, adding that it does this because curcumin decreases the liver’s production of LDL cholesterol. “It may also increase the excretion of cholesterol by the body and its antioxidative properties can help reduce plaque formation in arteries,” she adds.
Volpe issues a reminder that cardiovascular disease, which is the number one cause of death in the US, is largely inflammation-driven.
“On a preventive level, turmeric has been shown to help significantly reduce the overall risk of developing acute cardiovascular events such as stroke and heart attack,” she says.
How Much Turmeric Should You Consume to Reap the Benefits?
If you do want to consume turmeric medicinally, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. First, all three experts GQ spoke to emphasize that your overall diet and lifestyle habits matter; turmeric is powerful but it won’t cancel out other unhealthy behaviors.
It’s also important to know how much to consume if you want it to make a noticeable difference in your health. Bergner says that a standard dose of turmeric powder is one teaspoon. If you want to consume turmeric for a specific health reason (like to relieve joint pain), he recommends consuming that dose three times a day.
Volpe says that even less than that can have a noticeable impact. “According to a meta-analysis, a daily dose of 1,000 milligrams (⅓ teaspoon) of curcumin is likely effective in the treatment of arthritis,” she says. Just don’t go beyond eight teaspoons a day, which is when Schiff says it consumption starts to backfire and can cause nausea and diarrhea.
While turmeric supplements can be beneficial for getting your daily dose one and done, all three experts advocate for getting the herb through diet, if you can. Volpe explains that the curcumin in turmeric is fat-soluble, so you’ll get more of its benefits by integrating an element of fat into your meals or snacks featuring turmeric. For example, using it in a tofu curry or on top of eggs or avocado toast. While you’re cooking, she says to add some black pepper too, which has been shown to increase curcumin’s bioavailability and potential benefits by up to 2,000%.
Something Bergner has seen first-hand is that people who start consuming turmeric regularly eventually develop an aversion to its taste or dryness. It is pretty potent, after all. This is why, he says, golden milk lattes in their many forms are so popular; they cut the dryness and bold taste. While golden milk lattes have only recently began appearing in trendy cafés across the US, Bergner says that this is one of the traditional ways turmeric has been consumed medicinally, specifically in Unani medicine of Pakistan, where turmeric lattes have been consumed for centuries. Bergner says that pairing turmeric and ginger is also popular, both for the taste and also because they complement each other medicinally.
The bottom line is this: The hype behind turmeric is real, but you’re better off integrating it into your diet and pairing it with other anti-inflammatory foods than taking it in supplement form. When consumed regularly, it lowers inflammation, benefitting your entire body: brain, heart, guts, and joints included.