Curcumin (turmeric) & Fatty liver disease (MASLD/MASH)

Written based on 31 research studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11..

The claim

Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with fatty liver disease (MASLD/MASH).

Where research stands

We found 133 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and fatty liver disease (MASLD/MASH). They were published between 2011 and 2027. 28 of them are studies in people. 28 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 59 were studies in animals, and 6 were only in cells in the lab. 32 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 1 paper was retracted. 1 new study in people is running or will start soon, say the trial registers.

• 28In people28 with a comparison group
• 59In animals
• 6Only 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

Sources

1. The effect of curcumin-piperine supplementation on liver transient elastography and biochemical indices in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.2026 · Avicenna J Phytomed · Randomised trial
2. Efficacy of the nano curcumin supplementation on fibrosis, steatosis, inflammatory and metabolic status of liver fibrosis patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver origin: a study protocol for a double-blind randomized controlled trial.2026 · BMC Nutr · Randomised trial
3. Effect of nano-curcumin supplementation on liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD-associated fibrosis: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.2025 · Sci Rep · Randomised trial
4. Curcumin for Inflammation Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2025 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
5. Curcumin Supplementation as a Preventive Strategy Against Tamoxifen-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in ER+ Breast Cancer Patients: A Triple-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.2025 · J Diet Suppl · Randomised trial
6. Effect of phospholipid curcumin Meriva on liver histology and kidney disease in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.2025 · Hepatology · Randomised trial
7. Impaired postprandial GLP-2 response enhances endotoxemia, systemic inflammation, and kidney injury in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH): effect of phospholipid curcumin meriva.2024 · Gut Microbes · Randomised trial
8. Curcumin supplementation alleviates hepatic fat content associated with modulation of gut microbiota-dependent bile acid metabolism in patients with nonalcoholic simple fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial.2024 · Am J Clin Nutr · Randomised trial
9. The effect of curcumin on anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose, liver enzymes, fibrosis, and steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty livers.2023 · Front Nutr · Study in people
10. Efficacy of curcumin plus piperine co-supplementation in moderate-to-high hepatic steatosis: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.2023 · Phytother Res · Study in people
11. Optimal dose window, formulation efficacy, and molecular mechanisms of curcumin in MASLD animal models: A systematic review and three-level meta-analysis.2027 · J Ethnopharmacol · Review
12. Effects of curcumin on anthropometric measurements in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella meta-analysis study.2026 · Medicine (Baltimore) · Review
13. Curcumin Treatment for Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: Mechanism Exploration, Clinical Application Strategies, and Application Limitations Challenges.2026 · Phytother Res · Review
14. The therapeutic effect of curcumin in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of animal studies.2025 · Front Pharmacol · Review
15. Synergistic Effects of Exercise and Nano-Curcumin Supplementation in Women with Lifestyle-Related Diseases: A Scoping Review.2025 · Nutrients · Review
16. Hepatoprotective and Fat-Accumulation-Reductive Effects of Curcumin on Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD).2025 · Curr Issues Mol Biol · Review
17. Curcumin alleviates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease via gut microbiota-dependent epigenetic alterations.2026 · Mol Biomed · In animals
18. Co-administration of empagliflozin and curcumin attenuates the development of MASLD by modulating lipid metabolism and adipose tissue browning in HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice.2026 · Life Sci · In animals
19. Curcumin ameliorates metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease via targeting triokinase/FMN cyclase to regulate the expression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3: Integration of chemical proteomics and transcriptomics.2026 · Acta Pharm Sin B · In animals
20. Curcumin-Loaded Liposomes (hPLipo/Cur) with Liver-Targeting Properties for Efficient NAFLD Treatment by Alleviating Mitochondrial ROS-Mediated Ferroptosis via NRF2 Pathway.2026 · Mol Pharm · In animals
21. Curcumin alleviates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by modulating inflammation, barrier function, and gut microbiota.2026 · Biochem Biophys Res Commun · In animals
22. Effects of Alcohol Extraction of Turmeric Decoction-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles on Amelioration of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.2026 · J Nutr · In animals
23. Curcumin from Turmeric Alleviates Lipid Metabolism: Network Pharmacology and Cellular Validation.2026 · Am J Chin Med · In the lab
24. Curcumin ameliorates high-glucose-induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells via AMPK activation and mTOR suppression.2025 · Biochem Biophys Res Commun · In the lab
25. Investigating the Effects of Curcumin on Lipid Metabolism and Cell Viability in HepG2 Cells: Potential Therapeutic Implications for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.2025 · Drug Dev Res · In the lab
26. Curcumin and Andrographolide Co-Administration Safely Prevent Steatosis Induction and ROS Production in HepG2 Cell Line.2023 · Molecules · In the lab
27. The role of ADIPOQ methylation in curcumin-administrated experimental nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.2016 · J Dig Dis · RetractedRetracted
28. Curcumin in MASLD: a pleiotropic candidate in the era of targeted pharmacotherapy?2026 · Nat Prod Res · Other paper
29. Is curcumin the new kid on the block for the treatment of MASH?2025 · Hepatology · Other paper
30. Effect of nano-micelle curcumin on hepatic enzymes: A new treatment approach for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).2023 · Avicenna J Phytomed · Other paper
31. Corrigendum to "Curcumin activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 gene (Nrf2): Prophylactic and therapeutic effect in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)" [Life Sci. 285 (2021) 119983].2022 · Life Sci · Other paper