Turmeric review reports lower mortality in COVID treatment trials
The pooled evidence suggested fewer deaths when turmeric products were added to standard care. Most trials enrolled hospitalized patients, and the abstract omits details needed to interpret the mortality result.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review reports fewer deaths from any cause in the turmeric groups, and the authors rated that evidence as moderately certain. This finding concerns turmeric products used alongside standard care for people already ill with COVID. It does not establish the effect of ordinary dietary turmeric or support claims about preventing infection.
This abstract-based account cannot clarify the mortality comparators or follow-up periods. Several trials were judged at high risk of bias, and the authors call for larger, higher-quality studies to confirm the findings.
What else was measured
The pooled results also favored turmeric for the need for ventilation, clinical deterioration and symptom resolution. The authors say the findings remained after excluding studies at high risk of bias, which addresses one concern without resolving every uncertainty.
Products and adverse events
Nano-curcumin was the most frequently studied formulation, used alongside standard care. Reported adverse events were mainly mild digestive symptoms and were comparable with placebo. The abstract does not give enough safety detail to assess longer-term use.
The original publication
Effectiveness and safety of turmeric for the treatment of COVID-19: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Sawangjit R, Sadoyu S, Manosanthipaibul S et al.
Complement Ther Med · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41176175
- Record checked
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