Turmeric and Reduced Body Weight

Research synthesisModerate evidenceSmall effect4 studies · 4 beneficial · 0 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 meta-analyses and systematic reviews, all reported beneficial small-to-moderate effects of curcumin (from turmeric) on reducing body weight, with reductions ranging from approximately 0.12 to 1.65 kg. The evidence, though consistent, is based on a small number of studies and primarily involves clinical populations such as patients with type 2 diabetes or metabolic fatty liver disease. Doses above 1000 mg/day were suggested in subgroup analyses but not uniformly reported.

Studied populations: patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic fatty liver disease

Caveats: Available evidence is overwhelmingly positive — clinical literature in this area is subject to publication bias (null-result studies are less likely to be published or indexed). The effect sizes are modest, and the clinical significance of small weight reductions is uncertain. No form data were extracted, so it is unknown if specific curcumin formulations influence outcomes.

Generated Jul 14, 2026

Safety in these studies

overall radiation-induced injuryNo significant differenceRR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.01; P = 0.259
curcumin was not associated with the incidence of overall RII (RR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.95, 1.01; P = 0.259)
from: Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic revi
painReportedNRS: SMD: -7.56, 95% CI: -9.47, -5.65; P < 0.001; VAS: SMD: -1.53, 95% CI: -2.52, -0.54; P = 0.002
score of pain using NRS (SMD: -7.56, 95% CI: -9.47, -5.65; P < 0.001) and VAS (SMD: -1.53, 95% CI: -2.52, -0.54; P = 0.002)
from: Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic revi
radiation injury severityReportedSMD: -0.90, 95% CI: -1.25, -0.55; P < 0.001
the score of radiation injury severity (SMD: -0.90, 95% CI: -1.25, -0.55; P < 0.001)
from: Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic revi
severe radiation-induced injuryReportedRR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.74; P < 0.001
curcumin significantly reduced the incidence of severe RII (RR: 0.58, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.74; P < 0.001)
from: Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic revi
weight lossReportedSMD: -0.69, 95% CI: -1.25, -0.13; P = 0.015
weight (SMD: -0.69, 95% CI: -1.25, -0.13; P = 0.015)
from: Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic revi

4 of 4 papersPopulation:

The Effects of Curcumin Supplementation on Body Weight, Body Mass Index, and Waist Circumference in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- 2025-11-10
- Meta-Analysis · n = 699
- Nutrition reviews 84(8)
- - Noorbakhsh Alivand
  - Soleyman Alivand
  - Seyed Jalil Masoumi
  - Sahar Foshati
  - Ebrahim Abbasi
- PubMed: 41211694
- DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaf193
3 Insights on
- Reduced Body Weight
- High evidence
- Clinical
Curcumin supplementation significantly reduced BW (weighted mean difference [WMD], -1.65 kg)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
Various doses used; >1000 mg/d noted in subgroup analysis
Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic review and meta-analysis.
- 2026-04-28
- Meta-Analysis
- BMC cancer 26(1)
- - Litong Zhan
  - Man Qia
  - Yin Cha
  - Xiaofeng Gao
- PubMed: 42050478
- DOI: 10.1186/s12885-026-15985-5
7 Insights on
- Reduced Body Weight
- High evidence
weight (SMD: -0.69, 95% CI: -1.25, -0.13; P = 0.015)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
The Role of Anthocyanins, Curcumin, and Resveratrol in the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review.
- 2026-05-26
- Systematic Review
- Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) 31(11)
- - Patrycja Gazda
  - Paweł Glibowski
- PubMed: 42280140
- DOI: 10.3390/molecules31111837
13 Insights on
- Reduced Body Weight
- High evidence
Curcumin supplementation was associated with decreases in body weight (up to 0.82 kg)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Dose
not stated
Effects of curcumin on anthropometric measurements in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella meta-analysis study.
- 2026-05-08
- Meta-Analysis
- Medicine 105(19)
- - Abinash Mahapatro
  - Herby Jeanty
  - Saisree Reddy Adla Jala
  - Kavya Priya Somu
  - Gautam Madineni
  - Elan Mohanty
  - Mohammed Dheyaa Marsool
  - Pourya Shamsi
  - Maryam Shahriari Namin
  - Shahin Abbaszadeh
  - Parsa Saberian
  - Ehsan Amini-Salehi
  - Arezoo Ghazalgoo
- PubMed: 42116302
- DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000048629
3 Insights on
- Reduced Body Weight
- High evidence
- Clinical
curcumin significantly reduced weight (SMD: -0.12; 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.04, P < .01) with moderate power (1-β = 0.56) and moderate epidemiological strength
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes

Turmeric and Reduced Body Weight

The Effects of Curcumin Supplementation on Body Weight, Body Mass Index, and Waist Circumference in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Effect of curcumin intervention on radiation-induced injury: a GRADE-based systematic review and meta-analysis.

The Role of Anthocyanins, Curcumin, and Resveratrol in the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Effects of curcumin on anthropometric measurements in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella meta-analysis study.