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Evidence-Based Supplement Research
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Turmeric and Increased HDL Cholesterol Levels

Research synthesisLow evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 2 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects of turmeric on increasing HDL cholesterol, while 2 found neutral effects. Among the beneficial studies, effect sizes were small to moderate (one small, one moderate), and both were statistically significant. The median study duration was 87 days (about 12 weeks), and the most-studied population was clinical (e.g., patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hemodialysis patients, type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome). No clear dose range emerged due to variability in reporting.

  • Studied populations: clinical populations (Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hemodialysis, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome)

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. The two beneficial studies were meta-analyses/reviews with moderate-to-weak evidence scores, while the two neutral RCTs had higher evidence scores, suggesting possible discrepancy between higher-quality trials and pooled analyses. No form data was extracted, so form-specific effects cannot be assessed.

Generated May 16, 2026
Doses used in studies
  • g/week: 7.5 (median 7.5, IQR 7.5–7.5) — 1 study
  • mg/day: 1,320 (median 1,320, IQR 1,320–1,320) — 1 study
Time to effect
Median: 2.9 months · IQR 2.9 months–3 months · Range 2.8 months–3 months — Reported in 2 of 4 studies
Safety in these studies
4 of 4 papers
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