Turmeric and inflammatory bowel disease, and what the trials can tell you

Living with Crohn's or colitis tends to make you read labels closely, so if you've seen turmeric suggested for inflammation, you'll want to know exactly who it was tested on.

Turmeric and inflammatory bowel disease have been studied mainly in ulcerative colitis, where curcumin supplements are added to usual medication. A review of six trials found more people reached clinical remission with it, and there's too little research on Crohn's. None tested a shot, so speak to your IBD team first.

Key takeaways

• The research is mostly curcumin supplements in ulcerative colitis, taken alongside prescribed medicines.
• Crohn's disease has too little good evidence to say either way.
• Curcumin can raise blood levels of sulfasalazine, and caution applies with immunosuppressants.
• Never stop or change your medication because of anything you've read about turmeric.
• A shot is not the product tested in these trials, so ask your IBD team or GP before starting one.

What is inflammatory bowel disease?

A group of long-term conditions, mainly ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, that inflame the gut.

Inflammatory bowel disease is defined as a term for conditions that cause severe tummy pain and diarrhoea, and the NHS is clear that it's different to irritable bowel syndrome. Ulcerative colitis inflames the large bowel and rectum, while Crohn's disease can affect different parts of the gut. Both are usually managed with medicines, and flare-ups can come and go.

What does the research say about turmeric and inflammatory bowel disease?

It's encouraging for ulcerative colitis as an add-on to medication, and still developing beyond that.

There are limits to set against that. The review found no significant effect on clinical improvement or on what doctors saw at endoscopy, and suggested dose, formulation, and duration may all matter. In the Japanese trial, the gap narrowed once curcumin stopped, with 8 more on curcumin and 6 more on placebo relapsing in the following six months. A Cochrane review of that trial put the six-month difference at 4% against 18%, just short of statistical significance, and said curcumin may be a safe and effective add-on that needs further research.

For Crohn's there's much less. A wider review of curcumin in autoimmune disease found only two randomised trials, too few to pool. Crohn's & Colitis UK puts the position plainly: curcumin might help some people with ulcerative colitis alongside prescribed medicines, more research is needed on how to take it, and there isn't enough high-quality research to know if it helps in Crohn's. The charity doesn't generally recommend supplements for these conditions, which is worth knowing before you buy any.

Do those trials apply to a turmeric shot?

No. They used specific curcumin products at set doses, and a shot is a different thing.

The people in those trials swallowed curcumin in gram amounts as capsules or supplements, under study conditions, on top of medicines they kept taking. Our shots are juiced whole-food drinks with far less curcuminoid than an extract capsule, and nobody has run a trial of one in people with colitis or Crohn's. We can't tell you a shot would do what those supplements did, and we wouldn't want you choosing one in the hope that it might.

Can turmeric interact with IBD medicines?

It can at supplement doses, so your IBD team or pharmacist should know before you start.

Dose matters most. Nearly all reported or theoretical interactions relate to medicinal doses of turmeric or concentrated curcumin extracts. The Welsh Medicines Advice Service describes that evidence as limited and mostly from lab and animal work, and direct evidence on drinks is limited too.

Two points are specific to this condition:

• Sulfasalazine. The Welsh service reports a small study of 8 people in which about 2g of curcumin a day made plasma levels 3.2 times higher, which might increase its side effects. The NHS page on sulfasalazine says there isn't enough information to call herbal remedies safe with it, and asks you to tell your doctor or pharmacist.
• Immunosuppressants. The Welsh service advises caution with medicinal doses alongside medicines that have significant side effects, and immunosuppressants are one of its named examples. If you take azathioprine, mercaptopurine, or a biologic, ask before adding anything.

Whatever you decide about turmeric, keep taking what you've been prescribed. Crohn's & Colitis UK says not to stop prescribed medicines without talking to your IBD team, even if your symptoms improve. NICE guidance on ulcerative colitis and on Crohn's disease sets out how these conditions are managed, including reaching remission and staying there.

Could a shot upset IBD symptoms?

It could, as everyone's triggers are different.

The Welsh service's advice on adverse effects says to use caution with turmeric if you have a gastrointestinal condition, and lists diarrhoea, bloating, and nausea among the effects reported, often mild and at a similar rate to placebo in trials. The trials above recorded few adverse effects, but they weren't testing a fruit-based drink. The NHS names certain foods among possible flare-up triggers, so a flare-up isn't the moment to try something new. Our guide to turmeric and gut health covers the wider research.

Iron is the other reason to ask. Crohn's & Colitis UK says around 1 in 3 people with these conditions have low iron levels, and curcumin binds iron, as we explain in turmeric and anaemia.

When should you get help?

The NHS says to see your GP if you have diarrhoea for more than 7 days, tummy pain or bloating that won't go away, blood or mucus in your poo, or weight loss. Call 999 or go to A&E, without driving yourself, if you have:

• severe tummy pain
• bleeding from your bottom that won't stop
• a lot of blood or large clots when you poo
• vomit containing blood or poo, or that looks like coffee grounds or soil

Where does a shot fit?

Only if your IBD team or GP agrees, and never in place of treatment.

If you've had that conversation and they're happy, Raw Turmeric Original has the most turmeric in our range, at 30%, and contains no ginger. It's 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. Show them the label, and if they'd rather you didn't, follow that advice.

The takeaway

Curcumin supplements have promising early results as an add-on in ulcerative colitis, and the evidence in Crohn's is still developing. None of it involves a shot, and none of it replaces your medicines, so turmeric and inflammatory bowel disease is a conversation for your IBD team first.

Once they've agreed, or if you're simply looking for a daily habit without a bowel condition to weigh up, a morning Raw Turmeric Original is an easy one to build into your day.

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