Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
The claim
Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Where research stands
We found 8 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in PubMed. They were published between 2010 and 2025. None of them is a study in people. 6 were studies in animals, and 2 were only in cells in the lab.
- 0In people
- 6In animals
- 2Only 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 studied for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in animals, not yet in people.
Unproven means: it was only tested in animals or cells, or there is too little or mixed data from people. How we rate claims
What this means for you: Results in animals or in cells often do not hold in people. Do not stop or change your medicines because of it. Ask your doctor before you start taking it.
Sources
- Impact of Curcumin on the IL-17A-Mediated p53-Fibrinolytic System: Mouse Proteomics and Integrated Human Fibrosis scRNAseq Insights.2025 · Inflammation · In animals
- Curcumin analogue EF24 prevents alveolar epithelial cell senescence to ameliorate idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis via activation of PTEN.2024 · Phytomedicine · In animals
- Curcumin regulates pulmonary extracellular matrix remodeling and mitochondrial function to attenuate pulmonary fibrosis by regulating the miR-29a-3p/DNMT3A axis.2024 · Biomed Pharmacother · In animals
- Curcumin inhibition of bleomycin-induced changes in lung collagen synthesis, deposition and assembly.2021 · Mol Biol Rep · In animals
- Inhalation treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with curcumin large porous microparticles.2018 · Int J Pharm · In animals
- Curcumin inhibits fibrosis-related effects in IPF fibroblasts and in mice following bleomycin-induced lung injury.2010 · Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol · In animals
- The Potential Effects of Curcumin on Pulmonary Fibroblasts of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)-Approaching with Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics.2020 · Molecules · In the lab
- Curcumin induced oxidative stress attenuation by N-acetylcysteine co-treatment: a fibroblast and epithelial cell in-vitro study in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.2019 · Mol Med · In the lab
