Curcumin (turmeric) & Obesity

Written based on 30 research studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11..

The claim

Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with obesity.

Where research stands

We found 180 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and obesity. They were published between 2006 and 2026. 31 of them are studies in people. 30 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 97 were studies in animals, and 4 were only in cells in the lab. 41 papers are reviews that sum up other studies.

• 31In people30 with a comparison group
• 97In animals
• 4Only 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. Curcumin Supplementation Reduces Inflammation, Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), and Antioxidant Status in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2026 · Int J Mol Sci · Randomised trial
2. Curcumin Attenuates Liver Steatosis via Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pathways in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2025 · Int J Mol Sci · Randomised trial
3. Curcumin Supplementation Improves Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Women with Severe Obesity: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial-A Pilot Study.2025 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
4. Mental health and health-related quality of life response to curcumin-probiotic drink powder co-supplementation in adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome: a four-arm randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.2025 · Br J Nutr · Randomised trial
5. Curcumin extract improves beta cell functions in obese patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.2024 · Nutr J · Randomised trial
6. The Effect of Curcumin on Reducing Atherogenic Risks in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2024 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
7. Curcumin Reduces Depression in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.2024 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
8. Effect of nano-curcumin supplementation on angina status, and traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese patients with coronary slow flow phenomenon: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.2024 · BMC Nutr · Randomised trial
9. Curcumin supplementation combined with high intensity interval training modulates serum irisin and lipid profile in obese women: "A randomized double-blind clinical trial".2025 · Contemp Clin Trials Commun · Study in people
10. Curcumin's effect on serum zinc, copper and magnesium levels in obese individuals.2023 · Avicenna J Phytomed · Study in people
11. Nanotechnology-Enabled Delivery of trans-Resveratrol, Quercetin, and Curcumin for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.2026 · J Nutr · Review
12. A bibliometric analysis of research on the anti-obesity effects of curcumin from 2006 to 2025: knowledge structure, research hotspots, and evolution of frontiers.2026 · Front Nutr · Review
13. The Role of Anthocyanins, Curcumin, and Resveratrol in the Prevention and Management of Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review.2026 · Molecules · Review
14. Effects of curcumin on anthropometric measurements in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An umbrella meta-analysis study.2026 · Medicine (Baltimore) · Review
15. The Effects of Curcumin Supplementation on Body Weight, Body Mass Index, and Waist Circumference in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.2026 · Nutr Rev · Review
16. [Research progress on the signaling pathways of curcumin in obesity treatment].2025 · Sheng Li Xue Bao · Review
17. Anti-obesogenic potential of curcumin, disulfiram, and their synergistic effects in HFD-fed obese Swiss albino mice.2026 · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · In animals
18. Inhibition of adipocyte-macrophage interaction via CSF1-CSF1R by curcumin.2026 · J Physiol Biochem · In animals
19. Curcumin attenuates NMDA Receptor Phosphorylation on Glutamatergic Terminals and Lowers Blood Pressure in Obese Postmenopausal Mice.2026 · J Nutr · In animals
20. Curcumin Improves Redox Status and Insulin Sensitivity in the Periphery and Decreases Leptin Receptor Expression in the Arcuate Nucleus in Obese Diabetic Mice.2026 · Mol Nutr Food Res · In animals
21. Functional louts leaf extracellular vesicles for targeted delivery of curcumin through PPAR against obesity.2026 · Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces · In animals
22. Cardioprotective effects of curcumin and piperine against obesity induced oxidative stress in rats.2026 · Sci Rep · In animals
23. Targeting Obesity-Associated Breast Cancer: Curcumin Counteracts Leptin-Induced Tumorigenic and Metastatic Traits in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells.2026 · Int J Mol Sci · In the lab
24. A Novel Floating In Situ Chewable Gel System for Curcumin Delivery with Potential Application in Obesity Management.2026 · Gels · In the lab
25. Curcumin down-regulates visfatin expression and inhibits breast cancer cell invasion.2012 · Endocrinology · In the lab
26. Food additives such as sodium sulphite, sodium benzoate and curcumin inhibit leptin release in lipopolysaccharide-treated murine adipocytes in vitro.2012 · Br J Nutr · In the lab
27. Network pharmacology combined with molecular docking to investigate the potential role of curcumin targeting TGR5 to modulate the GLP-1 pathway in T2DM with obesity.2026 · Pak J Pharm Sci · Other paper
28. Evaluating the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and Synthetic Derivatives: A Computational Approach to Anti-Obesity Treatments.2024 · Int J Mol Sci · Other paper
29. The protective effects of curcumin on metabolic syndrome and its components: In-silico analysis for genes, transcription factors, and microRNAs involved.2022 · Arch Biochem Biophys · Other paper
30. Effects of Turmeric on Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Mental Health, and Serum Homocysteine in Overweight, Obese Females.2021 · Altern Ther Health Med · Other paper