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In yet another case of liver toxicity arising from turmeric supplements, a 57-year-old woman in the US landed up in hospital with liver enzymes 70 times the normal level. She reportedly started taking daily turmeric pills in March after seeing a doctor on Instagram tout its benefits for inflammation and joint pain relief. But within weeks she complained of stomach pain, nausea and fatigue.
An NBC report quoted her as saying that despite drinking a lot of water every day, her urine got darker.
Her doctors told NBC that she was one step before full liver damage, liver failure, requiring liver transplant.
“If turmeric is taken in a high concentrated amount, it can affect the liver. Every person has a different digestive power, some tend to absorb more. That’s why self-supplementing with turmeric can pose a health risk,” says Dr Punit Singla, programme clinical director, Institute of Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad.
Known for its antioxidant properties, turmeric is safe when added to your food in its raw form and does not exceed 1.5 to 3 gm, which is approximately half to one teaspoon per day. Dietary turmeric is sufficient to derive its health benefits without compromising liver health.
For a normal adult, 500 to 2000 mg of curcumin daily is reportedly safe in supplement form. Do not take supplements unless they are prescribed. Sometimes the concentrations vary in herbal supplements, which are mostly unregulated, and can be damaging for the liver or body. Turmeric supplements in capsule form are only curcumin extract, the compound that gives turmeric its colour. So these have a far higher concentration of curcumin than what you get in a typical serving of ground turmeric (as high as 95 per cent versus 3 per cent).
Anybody with fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease or underlying liver diseases should stay away. They could otherwise develop something called a drug-induced liver failure, DILI. This has been proven in studies done in 2023.
If turmeric is taken with black pepper, it increases its absorption. If by chance you are doing this, then get your liver tested once. If you see your urine yellowing after use or experience weakness, heaviness in the stomach and fatigue, then definitely consult a liver doctor once. The amount of turmeric we put in our daily food is sufficient, you do not need more.
If turmeric is consumed in excessive amounts, your urine colour could change to yellow, you could experience lethargy, abdominal heaviness, weakness and gastrointestinal problems. These may be initial signs of liver stress or damage. If these symptoms arise, one must consult a physician and undergo liver function tests.
