Written based on 10 research studies on PubMed, searched on 14 Nov 2026.
The claim
Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with hearing loss.
Where research stands
We found 16 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and hearing loss. They were published between 2014 and 2026. 2 of them are studies in people. 2 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 12 were studies in animals, and none was only in cells in the lab. 1 research project on curcumin (turmeric) for hearing loss is funded and still running.
- 2In people2 with a comparison group
- 12In animals
- 0Only in the lab
What the studies found
We have not summed up these studies in words yet. The most important papers are listed under Sources.
Verdict
Curcumin (turmeric) has been tested in randomised trials in people with hearing loss.
What this means for you: A study in people is not proof that it helps you. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Effects of Curcumin in Workers with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Preliminary Report.2026 · Iran J Otorhinolaryngol · Randomised trial
- The effectiveness of curcumin as a safe agent on hearing threshold improvement in patients with chronic kidney disease: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.2024 · Sci Rep · Randomised trial
- Curcumin analog C1 activates autophagy through a TFEB-dependent mechanism to protect sensory hair cells from oxidative stress in C57BL/6 mice with age-related hearing loss.2025 · Int Immunopharmacol · In animals
- Curcumin protects against the age-related hearing loss by attenuating apoptosis and senescence via activating Nrf2 signaling in cochlear hair cells.2023 · Biochem Pharmacol · In animals
- Promoting TFEB nuclear localization with curcumin analog C1 attenuates sensory hair cell injury and delays age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6 mice.2023 · Neurotoxicology · In animals
- Protective Effects of Curcumin and N-Acetyl Cysteine Against Noise-Induced Sensorineural Hearing Loss: An Experimental Study.2022 · Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · In animals
- Curcumin-Encapsulated Chitosan-Coated Nanoformulation as an Improved Otoprotective Strategy for Ototoxic Hearing Loss.2022 · Mol Pharm · In animals
- Preventive effect of curcumin and its highly bioavailable preparation on hearing loss induced by single or repeated exposure to noise: A comparative and mechanistic study.2017 · J Pharmacol Sci · In animals
- Corrigendum to "Promoting TFEB nuclear localization with curcumin analog C1 attenuates sensory hair cell injury and delays age-related hearing loss in C57BL/6 mice" [Neurotoxicology, 95 (2023) 218-231].2024 · Neurotoxicology · Other paper
- Curcumin Reduces the Noise-Exposed Cochlear Fibroblasts Apoptosis.2016 · Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol · Other paper
