Turmeric and anaemia, and what to check if you've been diagnosed

A diagnosis of anaemia usually comes with a box of tablets and a list of foods to think about, so it's fair to ask where a daily turmeric habit fits in.

Turmeric and anaemia is mainly a question about iron. Curcumin can bind iron, and one published case links turmeric extract capsules to iron deficiency anaemia in a man whose haemoglobin was normal two weeks after stopping. Human evidence is limited, so if you've been diagnosed, speak to your GP before taking turmeric regularly.

Key takeaways

• The concern is with iron deficiency anaemia, or iron stores that are already low, because curcumin can bind iron.
• The evidence is a study in mice plus one possible human case, both involving high amounts of curcumin or concentrated extracts.
• Two trials in healthy people found no drop in iron absorption, though neither looked at anaemia.
• If you've been diagnosed, keep taking your treatment and ask your GP or pharmacist before starting turmeric regularly.
• Tiredness alone isn't a reason to guess at the cause, so a blood test comes first.

What is anaemia?

Too few red blood cells, or too little haemoglobin inside them.

Anaemia is defined as the general term for having fewer red blood cells than normal, or an abnormally low amount of haemoglobin in each one. The NHS diagnoses it with a blood test called a full blood count, and iron deficiency anaemia is the most common type.

What's the link between turmeric and anaemia?

Curcumin can bind iron, which matters most when you're short of it.

A study published in Blood fed mice graded amounts of iron and curcumin for 26 weeks. On the lowest iron diet, curcumin brought dose-dependent falls in haemoglobin, serum iron, and transferrin saturation. The authors suggested it may affect the use of curcumin in people with marginal iron stores, or with the anaemia of cancer and chronic disease. Those were mice on a diet designed to leave them short of iron, so it raises a question rather than settling one.

The human evidence is a single report. A 66-year-old man was taking six 538mg turmeric extract capsules a day for osteoarthritis, and his haemoglobin stayed low. Scope tests and stool checks found no bleeding. Two weeks after stopping the capsules, while continuing his usual iron, his haemoglobin was back to normal. The authors called it a possible case, so it can't prove turmeric was the cause.

Our guide to turmeric and iron absorption goes further into how this binding works.

Does turmeric block iron in everyone?

It doesn't look that way, at least in healthy people given modest amounts.

A crossover trial in Thailand gave healthy young women a rice-based meal with iron-fortified fish sauce, and half a gram of dried turmeric made no difference to how much iron they absorbed. A trial of 155 healthy adults at the University of Westminster found a formulated curcumin taken with iron tablets didn't reduce absorption over 180 minutes, though the funder helped design that study.

Neither study looked at people with anaemia, and both measured a single dose rather than months of use. So they're reassuring for most people, and they don't answer the question for anyone whose iron is already low.

Is a turmeric shot different from a capsule?

It carries far less curcuminoid than an extract capsule, but we couldn't find a test of one in people with anaemia.

Nearly all the concern here relates to concentrated curcumin extracts and medicinal doses, while our shots are juiced whole-food drinks. The Welsh Medicines Advice Service aims its own caution at medicinal doses too.

Direct evidence on drinks is limited, though, and a daily habit is a long run of doses. So if you've been diagnosed with anaemia, or you've been told your iron is low, ask your GP or pharmacist before you start.

How should you take iron tablets alongside turmeric?

Follow your prescriber, and ask your pharmacist about the gap.

The NHS advice on ferrous sulfate says it works best on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before eating or 2 hours after, and that you shouldn't take it with tea, coffee, eggs, or dairy. It also says to leave a gap between it and other medicines, asking your doctor or pharmacist how long, and to talk to them before taking herbal remedies or supplements. It doesn't name turmeric, and we couldn't find an NHS figure for one, so that's a specific question to bring.

Bring your shot's label too, as the same page asks you to mention magnesium and zinc. Several of our shots list added magnesium, and two list zinc. They also contain vitamin C, but that's no reason to count one as help with your iron.

Keep going with your course as well. Treatment often lasts several months, so don't stop because you feel better.

Does cooking with turmeric count?

Not in the same way. A pinch in a curry is a long way from a daily extract capsule.

Powder is there for flavour. The Thai trial above is the closest test of this kind of amount, and the NHS diet advice for iron deficiency doesn't list turmeric among the things to cut back. It names tea, coffee, milk and dairy, and foods high in phytic acid, and suggests more dark-green leafy vegetables, fortified cereals and bread, meat, dried fruit, and pulses.

Do you need a blood test before taking turmeric?

Not as a routine, but see your GP if you have symptoms.

The NHS lists tiredness and lack of energy, shortness of breath, noticeable heartbeats, paler skin, and headaches among the signs of iron deficiency anaemia. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can bring extreme tiredness, pins and needles, a sore red tongue, and muscle weakness. Some of those problems can become irreversible, so see your GP promptly. A blood test is how these are told apart. People with bowel conditions should also read about turmeric and inflammatory bowel disease, since low iron is common there.

Where does a shot fit?

For anyone with anaemia, only once your GP or pharmacist has agreed.

If they're content, Raw Turmeric Original has raw turmeric root at 30% in a cold-crushed, whole watermelon-based blend with pineapple, lemon, magnesium, and vitamin C, plus our trade-secret BioMax Uptake Blend®, which includes black pepper, at a 0.1% inclusion. If they'd prefer you waited until your levels recover, then that's the plan to follow. A shot will still be there once your iron's back where it should be.

The takeaway

Turmeric and anaemia are worth raising with your GP, because curcumin can bind iron, and low stores leave less room for that. The evidence is a mouse study and one possible human case, with reassuring results in healthy people, so this is a question to ask rather than a reason to worry.

For anyone with healthy iron levels, or once your GP has agreed, a morning Raw Turmeric Original is a simple daily habit to settle into.

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