Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 11 Nov 2026. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.
What people read
Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with macular degeneration.
What has been studied
- 1In people1 randomised trial
- 2In animals
- 8Only in the lab
What the studies found
Curcumin (turmeric) has been tested in randomised trials in people with macular degeneration.
We found 16 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and macular degeneration. They were published between 2009 and 2026.
1 of them are studies in people (1 randomised trials), 4 are reviews, 2 are studies in animals and 8 are studies only in the lab.
The most important ones are listed under Sources.
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
- The Effect of Resveratrol, Quercetin, and Curcumin on Drusen Volume in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Randomized Clinical Trial.2026 · Transl Vis Sci Technol · Randomised trial
- Curcumin and Wnt/β‑catenin signaling in exudative age‑related macular degeneration (Review).2022 · Int J Mol Med · Review
- Role of Curcumin in Retinal Diseases-A review.2022 · Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol · Review
- Vascular endothelial growth factor: An important molecular target of curcumin.2019 · Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr · Review
- Curcumin, a potential therapeutic candidate for retinal diseases.2013 · Mol Nutr Food Res · Review
- Suppression of experimental choroidal neovascularization by curcumin in mice.2012 · PLoS One · In animals
- Curcumin protects retinal cells from light-and oxidant stress-induced cell death.2009 · Free Radic Biol Med · In animals
- Metformin and cRGDfc-Modified Nanoparticles Loaded with Curcumin for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: In Vitro Pharmacodynamics and Molecular Mechanisms.2026 · Pharmaceutics · In the lab
- Hormetic Effects of Curcumin in RPE Cells: SIRT1 and Caspase-3 Inactivation with Implications for AMD.2025 · Int J Mol Sci · In the lab
- Therapeutic potential of adult stem cells-derived mitochondria transfer combined with curcumin administration into ARPE-19 cells in age-related macular degeneration model.2025 · Tissue Cell · In the lab
- Enhanced therapeutic intervention of curcumin loaded in exosomes derived from milk in alleviating retinal pigment epithelial cells damage.2025 · Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces · In the lab
- Curcumin as a Perspective Protection for Retinal Pigment Epithelium during Autophagy Inhibition in the Course of Retinal Degeneration.2023 · Curr Neuropharmacol · Other paper
