Turmeric and cholesterol, and what the research has found

Curcumin has been tested on blood fats in dozens of trials, and the results are easier to read in the units your GP uses.

Turmeric and cholesterol have been studied together many times, and a review of 72 randomised trials found curcumin supplements lowered LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, with greater improvements in people with metabolic conditions such as diabetes. Treat it as an addition to diet, exercise, and any medication you've been prescribed, never a replacement for them.

Key takeaways

• Across 72 trials, curcumin supplements lowered LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by about 0.15 mmol/L each.
• Trials of at least eight weeks, forms with better absorption, and adding exercise brought further benefit.
• Those trials tested supplements, and no study we know of has measured cholesterol after a turmeric shot.
• The NHS advice on food, activity, smoking, and alcohol comes first, along with a statin if you've been offered one.
• If you take a statin, keep taking it, and speak to your pharmacist or GP before adding turmeric regularly.

What is high cholesterol?

Too much of a fatty substance in your blood, usually with no symptoms at all.

High cholesterol is defined as having too much of a fatty substance called cholesterol in your blood. The NHS says it can block your blood vessels, making heart problems or a stroke more likely, and that a blood test is the only way to find out if you have it.

It's linked to fatty food, not exercising, being overweight, smoking, and alcohol. It's also more likely if you're over 50, a man, have been through the menopause, are of South Asian or sub-Saharan African origin, or if it runs in your family. As a guide, the NHS gives healthy adult levels as total cholesterol below 5mmol/L and non-HDL below 4mmol/L, with HDL above 1.0mmol/L for men and 1.2mmol/L for women. Your own targets depend on your overall risk, so go by what your doctor tells you.

What's the link between turmeric and cholesterol?

Curcumin supplements lower some blood fats in trials, by amounts that are easiest to judge in mmol/L.

Two large reviews both report in mg/dL, so we've converted their pooled results to mmol/L. One is the 72-trial review above, from researchers in Thailand who declared no conflicts of interest. The other, a review of 64 trials of turmeric and curcumin, came from Iran.

The authors of the 72-trial review judged the LDL and triglyceride changes large enough to reach the minimal clinically important difference. The total cholesterol and HDL changes didn't reach it.

Results varied a great deal from trial to trial. The 64-trial review rated its evidence as low or very low certainty, and it found no improvement in apolipoproteins A or B. It also noted that the trials hadn't addressed the potency or purity of the products used. An earlier review of five studies found no significant effect, and a small crossover trial in 11 healthy adults found no significant change in blood fats on turmeric. So the evidence is still developing, and it has moved in a more encouraging direction as the trials have piled up.

Who seems to benefit most?

People with metabolic conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes, in the 72-trial review.

The same review found further benefit from three things: forms of curcumin with enhanced absorption, taking it for at least eight weeks, and combining it with exercise. Its conclusions are about people with long-term conditions, so they don't tell you what to expect if your numbers are already healthy. For help reading studies like these, see our guide to curcumin clinical trial results. If blood sugar is your concern as well, we've covered turmeric and blood sugar separately.

Does a turmeric shot lower cholesterol?

We can't tell you that it does, because the reviews tested supplements and we know of no trial on a shot.

The first clinical trial of our blends, run by independent researchers at Nottingham Trent University, looked at recovery in elite male footballers. Lower CRP and less soreness after matches were what it found, and it didn't report on cholesterol. We're clearly not a neutral party, and we'd rather point you at what that study did measure than stretch it to cover something else.

The same goes for turmeric powder. It's flavour rather than function, so a teaspoon in a curry doesn't count as a cholesterol plan.

What lowers cholesterol, according to the NHS?

Changes to food, activity, smoking, and alcohol, then medicine if your doctor recommends it.

The NHS guidance on lowering cholesterol recommends:

• eating less saturated fat, including meat pies, sausages, butter, lard, ghee, cream, cheese, cakes, biscuits, and coconut or palm oil
• eating more oily fish, olive or rapeseed oil, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, and fruit and vegetables
• aiming for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity
• stopping smoking
• not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week

If those aren't enough, or your risk is higher, your doctor may offer a statin, which lowers how much cholesterol your body makes.

Can you take turmeric with a statin?

Speak to your pharmacist or GP first, and don't stop your statin.

Nearly all reported interactions with turmeric relate to medicinal doses or concentrated curcumin extracts. Our shots are juiced whole-food drinks, carrying far less curcuminoid than an extract capsule. Direct evidence on drinks like these is limited, though, and the interaction evidence overall is mostly lab and animal work that may not apply to people.

For statins, the Welsh Medicines Advice Service at NHS Wales says to use them cautiously with turmeric, because its breakdown products could raise statin levels in the blood. That comes from animal studies, and how much it matters in people is uncertain. Muscle pain or weakness is the thing to watch for, and to report to your doctor.

The NHS says to talk to a doctor or pharmacist before stopping a statin, and that applies here. If you take other medicines as well, our guides to turmeric and warfarin and turmeric and diabetes medication may be useful for that conversation.

Which shot fits alongside those changes?

If your doctor or pharmacist is happy, the one with the most turmeric, as an addition to the changes above.

Raw Turmeric Original lists turmeric root at 30%, the highest in our range, in a cold-crushed, whole watermelon-based blend with pineapple and lemon, plus magnesium and vitamin C. The label lists no added oil, and it carries our trade-secret BioMax Uptake Blend®, which includes black pepper, at a 0.1% inclusion.

The takeaway

Pooled trials suggest curcumin supplements can lower LDL and triglycerides by measurable amounts, particularly in people with metabolic conditions. Food, activity, and any medication you've been prescribed stay at the centre of the plan, and a statin stays exactly where it is. If your pharmacist or GP is happy, a Raw Turmeric Original with breakfast is an easy addition to make into a daily habit.

Frequently asked questions