Turmeric and constipation, and why it isn't a laxative

When things have slowed down, someone will eventually suggest turmeric, so it helps to know how little has been tested and what tends to work sooner.

Turmeric and constipation have barely been studied together. A pilot trial in 31 women awaiting bariatric surgery found high-dose curcumin improved constipation scores against placebo, which is a promising start in a narrow group. Turmeric isn't a laxative, and NHS advice on fibre, fluids, and movement remains the place to begin.

Key takeaways

• There's very little direct research, and most of it used concentrated curcumin or a combination product.
• Turmeric isn't a laxative, and shouldn't replace NHS self-care or anything your pharmacist suggests.
• Constipation is also on the list of side effects reported for turmeric, so it could go either way for you.
• Fibre, fluids, a regular routine, and daily movement can make a difference within days, sometimes weeks.
• Some changes need a GP, including blood in your poo, unexplained weight loss, and sudden changes in your bowel habits.

What is constipation?

Going less often than usual, or finding it hard to go.

Constipation is defined by the NHS as not having pooed at least 3 times during the last week, or pooing less often than usual, often with poo that's dry, hard, or lumpy, or unusually large or small. You might also need to strain, feel you haven't fully emptied, or have stomach ache and bloating.

The common causes are everyday ones: too little fibre, too little fluid, not moving enough, ignoring the urge, a change in diet or routine, stress, or a side effect of a medicine.

What do we know about turmeric and constipation?

Not much, and most of what we have comes from extracts in specific groups.

The most direct evidence is that pilot trial, a double-blind study in Brazil. Women with a BMI of 40 or more took 1,500mg of curcumin or a corn starch placebo every day for 13 weeks while waiting for surgery. Overall gut symptom scores were lower with curcumin, including burping and constipation, and the authors declared no conflict of interest. That's a concentrated extract, in a group with a very particular health picture, so it can't be read across to a spoonful of turmeric in a family kitchen.

The rest is suggestive. It tells us turmeric may have some influence on the gut, and it stops well short of showing that it relieves constipation.

Those second and third rows carry real limits. In the curry study from Japan, breath tests in eight people pointed to more active bowel movement and fermentation, which is a measurement of gut activity and says nothing about constipation itself. The IBS study from Italy had no control group, and it tested a combination with fennel oil, so turmeric can't take sole credit. Its strongest results were in people with diarrhoea-predominant IBS. A review of three curcumin trials in IBS, with 326 patients, pointed in a helpful direction without reaching statistical significance.

So the evidence is still developing, and a good trial in people with ordinary constipation would tell us far more.

Is turmeric a laxative?

No. Laxatives are medicines made for this job, and turmeric hasn't been shown to do it.

The NHS describes laxatives as medicines that help you poo. If you buy them without a prescription, it says to stop once things improve and not to take them for longer than 7 days. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if 3 days of use hasn't helped. Nothing like that exists for turmeric, which has no agreed amount and no established timeline.

If you need relief now, a pharmacist is the quickest route, and turmeric shouldn't be what you're relying on.

Can turmeric cause constipation?

It's been reported, so if things changed after you started taking it, that's worth noticing.

The Welsh Medicines Advice Service says about 16% of adverse reactions reported to the MHRA for curcuma were gastrointestinal, and constipation is on that list, along with diarrhoea, bloating, wind, indigestion, and nausea. These are often mild, and in trials they occurred at a similar rate with placebo and with turmeric. So it's hard to pin on turmeric alone.

If you've started a turmeric product and your bowels have changed, try a break and see whether things shift. Our guides to turmeric and an upset stomach and turmeric for bloating cover the neighbouring symptoms.

What helps constipation first?

The NHS self-care list, which can make a difference within a few days.

These are the steps from the NHS page:

• Eat a balanced diet, including fruit containing sorbitol such as apples, apricots, grapes, raisins, raspberries, and strawberries.
• Drink plenty of water and other fluids, and avoid alcohol.
• Increase your fibre gradually, and try adding wheat bran, oats, or linseed.
• Keep a regular time and place for the toilet, and don't delay when you feel the urge.
• Rest your feet on a low stool so your knees sit above your hips.
• Go for a daily walk or run.

Things can improve within a few days, though it sometimes takes a few weeks.

When should you see a GP?

When self-care isn't working, or when something else has changed.

The NHS says to see a GP if:

• things aren't improving with treatment, or you're regularly constipated or bloated
• there's blood in your poo
• you've lost weight without trying
• you're constipated and tired all the time
• you're taking a medicine that causes it, such as opioid painkillers
• your bowel habits have suddenly changed, or you have tummy pain

Don't stop a prescribed medicine before speaking to your GP. And if you take regular medicines, ask before adding turmeric as well. Interaction reports mainly concern medicinal doses and concentrated curcumin supplements, and our juiced shots carry far less curcuminoid than those. Evidence on drinks specifically is limited, though, and much of the wider research is lab or animal work, so your GP or pharmacist should know.

Where does a turmeric shot fit?

As a daily habit in its own right, with the NHS basics doing the bowel work.

A 60ml shot won't make much of a dent in your fluids, and we wouldn't claim it treats constipation. What it can offer is a fixed point in your morning, which sits well with the regular routine the NHS suggests. Raw Turmeric Original has the most turmeric in our range 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. Avoid it, and any turmeric, if you have gallstones or a bile duct problem, as the Welsh service advises.

The takeaway

Turmeric and constipation have one small trial and some indirect clues between them, which is an interesting start and well short of a treatment. For relief, begin with fibre, fluids, movement, and routine, ask a pharmacist if you need more, and see your GP about anything on the list above.

Once things are moving, and if turmeric is something you'd like in your day anyway, a Raw Turmeric Original with breakfast is an easy habit to keep.

Frequently asked questions