Turmeric for PCOS, and what the curcumin trials found

PCOS, which the NHS now calls PMOS, comes with a long list of lifestyle advice, so it's fair to wonder whether a daily turmeric habit belongs on it.

Turmeric for PCOS has mostly been tested as curcumin extract rather than as a spice or a shot. A 2022 meta-analysis of seven randomised trials covering 447 women found lower fasting glucose, insulin, and cholesterol. It's a possible addition to your care, never a treatment, and worth discussing with your GP first.

Key takeaways

• The NHS now calls PCOS polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. It's the same condition under a new name.
• Pooled trials found lower fasting glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol with curcumin, mostly from concentrated extracts.
• The trials ran for weeks or months in Iran, Turkey, and China, so the evidence is still developing.
• If you take metformin or any other medicine, speak to your pharmacist or GP before taking turmeric regularly.
• Diet, exercise, and the treatment your GP has agreed with you come first.

What is PCOS?

A hormone condition that can affect periods, hair growth, fertility, and mood.

PCOS is defined as a hormone condition that can affect hair growth, periods, fertility, and mood. The NHS now calls it polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, and says it used to be called polycystic ovary syndrome. We've kept PCOS here because it's the name on the research and the one many people still search for.

Symptoms the NHS lists include irregular periods or long gaps between them, excessive hair growth, hair loss, weight gain or difficulty losing weight, oily skin and acne, tiredness, and depression or anxiety. There's no cure, but treatments and lifestyle changes can help. The condition can also lead to longer-term problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and the NHS says regular check-ups reduce the risk.

Why would turmeric help with PCOS?

Because insulin is part of the picture, and curcumin has been studied for blood sugar and inflammation.

The NHS says the cause is unknown, but that it may be to do with hormones such as insulin and testosterone not working properly. That's why researchers have looked at curcumin here, following work on turmeric and blood sugar more widely. A 2025 review of animal studies and clinical trials found most of them supportive, and suggested the effect relates more to curcumin's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties than to weight loss. It also noted how few human studies there are so far.

What does the research say about turmeric for PCOS?

Small trials point to better blood sugar markers, mostly with concentrated extracts.

The 2022 meta-analysis pooled trials giving 80 to 1,500mg of curcumin a day, for six weeks to six months. One used a water decoction of turmeric instead, at 90ml a day. Five trials compared against a placebo, and two added turmeric or curcumin to metformin and compared that with metformin alone.

It reported no increase in adverse reactions, though only two of the trials recorded them. The authors also pointed out that none of the eligible studies came from Western Europe or North America, so we can't assume the same results in UK women.

Other reviews agree on blood sugar and differ on cholesterol. A meta-analysis of five trials found the same pattern for glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR, with no significant change in any lipid measure. A smaller one of three trials found total and HDL cholesterol improved, while LDL and triglycerides didn't. Our guides to turmeric and cholesterol and curcumin doses in studies cover both of those questions in more depth.

Does turmeric help with periods, excess hair, or weight?

There are early signals on periods and weight, and less so far on hair.

A triple-blind trial in Iran gave women 1,000mg of curcumin a day for 12 weeks. Missed or infrequent periods were reported by 13% on curcumin and 22% on placebo, and fasting glucose was lower. It found no difference in insulin, blood lipids, testosterone, or excess hair growth.

On weight, a trial of 60 women aged 18 to 40 taking 500mg a day for 12 weeks recorded a loss of 0.8kg, against 0.2kg on placebo. The 2025 review found no significant effect on weight loss overall, so weight isn't the reason to try it.

Hormone results are mixed. The 2022 meta-analysis found no significant change in testosterone, while a trial of 1,500mg a day in Tehran lowered another hormone, DHEA, and a trial of curcumin nanomicelles with metformin lowered total testosterone more than metformin alone.

Can you take turmeric with metformin?

Some trials did, under supervision, but ask your pharmacist or GP before you try it.

Nearly all the reported or theoretical interactions relate to medicinal doses of turmeric or concentrated curcumin extract, rather than to turmeric in food. Our shots are juiced whole-food drinks, and they carry far less curcuminoid than an extract capsule.

Direct evidence on drinks is limited, and the Welsh Medicines Advice Service says the interaction evidence is mostly from lab or animal work that may not be clinically relevant in humans. It still says turmeric or curcumin might reduce blood glucose and increase the risk of hypoglycaemia alongside diabetes medicines, so your healthcare professional should know before you start. That's relevant here because the NHS lists metformin as a treatment for PMOS symptoms, and asks you to tell your doctor or pharmacist about any herbal remedies or supplements before taking it.

The combination has been studied. A trial of 200 women found metformin with nanocurcumin did better on lipids, glucose, hormones, and weight than either alone, but those women were being monitored by a research team and took a specially formulated curcumin. Keep taking your metformin as prescribed, whatever you decide. Our guide to turmeric and diabetes medication has more on what to ask.

The same goes for other PMOS medicines. The Welsh guidance doesn't name the contraceptive pill, spironolactone, or clomifene, and we couldn't find a study testing turmeric with any of them. It does note a theoretical concern about medicines handled by certain liver enzymes, with human evidence lacking. So take your shot's label to your pharmacist and ask.

Should you take turmeric if you're trying to get pregnant?

Speak to your GP or fertility team first, as we couldn't find a trial showing that it helps.

The human trials above measured blood markers and periods, and none of the ones we read tested whether curcumin improves the chances of pregnancy. If you're taking clomifene or having fertility treatment, tell the people looking after you what else you take.

Once you're pregnant or breastfeeding, the NHS says you shouldn't take herbal medicines. Our guide to who should avoid turmeric covers that, and your midwife or GP can tell you what it means for you.

Does fatty liver change things?

It does, because NHS medicines advisers say to avoid turmeric with liver disease.

The NHS lists non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among the longer-term problems linked to PMOS. The Welsh Medicines Advice Service's guidance on adverse effects says to avoid turmeric and curcumin with liver disease, gallstones, a bile duct obstruction, or any biliary disease. Our guides to turmeric and liver health and turmeric and gallstones explain why.

Will the sugar in a shot matter?

A 60ml shot leaves plenty of room, though it's worth counting.

With insulin part of the picture, sugar is a reasonable thing to ask about. The sugars in unsweetened juice count as free sugars, and the NHS healthy eating tips suggest keeping juice to one 150ml glass a day. Raw Turmeric Original lists no coconut nectar, while three of our other shots do, so read the label if you're comparing them.

What does the NHS suggest first?

A balanced diet, regular exercise, and treatment matched to your symptoms.

The NHS suggests eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising regularly, and trying to lose weight if you're overweight, plus talking therapy where mood is affected. Medicines depend on what's bothering you most, from the contraceptive pill for periods to spironolactone or eflornithine for hair growth, and metformin for tiredness and weight problems. Tests can include blood tests for hormone levels and insulin resistance, and an ultrasound for over 18s.

So irregular periods or new symptoms are a reason to see your GP before you change anything. Verity, the UK charity the NHS points to, has more support.

Where does a shot fit?

As a simple daily habit alongside your care, once anything medical has been checked.

We couldn't find a trial of a turmeric shot in women with PCOS, so these results belong to the extracts that were tested. Powder is there for flavour in cooking, rather than as a route to the amounts in these trials.

The first clinical trial of our blends, by independent researchers at Nottingham Trent University, found lower CRP in professional footballers 64 hours after a match. We're clearly not a neutral party, and that's a different question from PCOS.

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. It has the most turmeric in our range, and it's an easy one to keep up each morning.

The takeaway

Curcumin trials in PCOS are small, and their results on fasting glucose and insulin are encouraging. They're a reason to bring it up with your GP or pharmacist, especially if you take metformin or have a liver problem, and they sit alongside the diet, exercise, and treatment you already have.

Once they're happy, a morning Raw Turmeric Original is an easy way to make turmeric part of your day.

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