Curcumin Safety: Liver Injury Reports, Gallbladder Problems and Medicine Interactions
What case reports and studies say about curcumin supplements, liver injury, the gallbladder, kidney stones, bleeding and medicine interactions, and who should ask a clinician first.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Liver warning signs come first
NCCIH says that if you notice liver damage symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine or jaundice, you should stop consuming turmeric or curcumin products immediately and talk with your health care provider. [1] Do not wait to see whether symptoms pass. This advice covers the supplement only. Do not stop or change a prescribed medicine without asking your prescriber.Liver injury reports
Case reports show that rare but serious liver injury can occur. They cannot show how often it happens.| Source | What was reported |
|---|---|
| US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (2023) | Ten turmeric-linked cases enrolled from 2004 to 2022: 8 women, median age 56, mostly hepatocellular injury with a latency of 1 to 4 months. Five were hospitalized and one died of acute liver failure. Turmeric was confirmed in all 7 products tested, and 3 also contained piperine. 7 of 10 carried the HLA-B*35:01 gene variant. [2] |
| Italy, Tuscany (2021) | Seven cases of acute hepatitis up to September 2019, all linked to formulations with high bioavailability and high curcumin dosage. Most improved after stopping the product. A literature review found 23 more cases, most also taking another medicine. [3] |
| Sloan Kettering summary | Injury has been linked to supplements with low-dose curcumin as well as high-bioavailability, high-dose products. Symptoms resolved after stopping turmeric in all the cited cases. [4] |
NCCIH says conventionally formulated turmeric is likely safe for up to 2 or 3 months, but highly bioavailable forms may harm the liver. [1] See curcumin absorption and liver safety and supplements.
Gallbladder
In 12 healthy volunteers, 20 mg of curcumin reduced gallbladder volume compared with placebo, by 29.3 percent after 2 hours. [5] In another study, 20, 40 and 80 mg reduced volume by about 34, 51 and 72 percent. [6] So curcumin can make the gallbladder contract in healthy people.Whether that matters for people with gallstones or bile duct blockage is not described in the sources we read, and neither study included people with gallbladder disease. If you have gallbladder or bile duct problems, ask a clinician before using curcumin supplements.
Kidney stones
Sloan Kettering says taking turmeric supplements may raise kidney stone risk and that people with a family history of kidney stones should talk with their providers. [4] It lists one case of oxalate nephropathy (kidney injury) in a 69-year-old man after long-term turmeric supplementation. [4]Medicines
| Medicine type | What the sources say | Kind of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Blood thinners, antiplatelets | Preclinical studies and a case report suggest turmeric can raise bleeding risk. [4] | Lab and case report |
| Chemotherapy | In lab experiments, turmeric stopped some chemotherapy drugs from working on breast cancer cells; clinical relevance is not known. In 60 breast cancer patients on paclitaxel, 2 g a day of turmeric produced small changes deemed clinically irrelevant. [4] | Lab and small trial |
| Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen | The patient page says turmeric may lessen their effects. [4] | Expert summary |
| Drug-metabolizing enzymes | Curcumin is known to interfere with cytochrome P450 enzymes. [4] A short study of curcuminoids plus piperine found no meaningful change in midazolam, flurbiprofen or paracetamol levels. [7] Piperine alone raised carbamazepine levels in healthy volunteers. [8] | Mixed |
Tell your oncology team about any supplement; see integrative care during cancer treatment and antioxidants and medicines. For more, see medication interactions and supplements before surgery. Pre-surgery timing for curcumin is not described in the sources we read, so ask your surgical team.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
NCCIH says turmeric supplements during pregnancy may be unsafe, and little is known about amounts greater than those in food while breastfeeding. [1] Supplement safety data for children were not found in the sources we read.As a food additive (colour E100), EFSA set an acceptable daily intake of 3 mg per kg body weight per day. In its 2010 opinion, intake estimates for children aged 1 to 10 at maximum levels of use could be above this in some European countries. A 2014 refined assessment found exposures for adolescents, adults and the elderly below it. [9] This figure applies to the additive in food, not to supplements.
Everyday side effects
NCCIH lists nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, stomach upset, diarrhea or constipation, and hives or itching with topical curcumin. [1]Quality
In the US, dietary supplements are not approved by the FDA before they are sold. [1] See quality testing and certifications. For evidence of benefit, see the curcumin evidence page.Frequently asked questions
Can curcumin or turmeric supplements damage the liver?
Case series report liver injury, including hospitalizations and one death, mostly with concentrated supplements. [2][3]
Who may be more at risk?
In a US case series, 7 of 10 people carried the HLA-B*35:01 variant, far more often than population controls. [2] Testing for it is not described as routine in the sources we read.
Is curcumin safe with gallstones?
Not described in the sources we read. Curcumin made the gallbladder contract in healthy volunteers. [5] Ask a clinician.
Does curcumin interact with blood thinners?
Sloan Kettering says preclinical studies and a case report suggest it can increase bleeding risk. [4] Ask your prescriber or pharmacist.
Is turmeric supplement use safe in pregnancy?
NCCIH says it may be unsafe. [1]
References
- Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US). Read 2026-10-23.
- [Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric-A Growing Problem: Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network [DILIN]](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36252717/). The American journal of medicine (2023). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Acute liver injury following turmeric use in Tuscany: An analysis of the Italian Phytovigilance database and systematic review of case reports. British journal of clinical pharmacology (2021). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Turmeric. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, About Herbs (US). Read 2026-10-23.
- The effect of curcumin and placebo on human gall-bladder function: an ultrasound study. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics (1999). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effect of different curcumin dosages on human gall bladder. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition (2002). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effect of a herbal extract containing curcumin and piperine on midazolam, flurbiprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. British journal of clinical pharmacology (2013). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Effect of Piperine on the Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics of Carbamazepine in Healthy Volunteers. Drug research (2017). PubMed abstract. Read 2026-10-23.
- Refined exposure assessment for curcumin (E 100). EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority (2014). PubMed abstract. EFSA full text was not readable (HTTP 403); abstract read on PubMed; the abstract summarizes the 2010 EFSA opinion. Read 2026-10-23.