Curcumin (turmeric) & Ulcerative colitis

Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11.. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.

The claim

Posts online say that curcumin (turmeric) helps with ulcerative colitis.

Where research stands

We found 141 published papers on curcumin (turmeric) and ulcerative colitis. They were published between 2006 and 2026. 14 of them are studies in people. 12 of them compared people who got it with a group that did not. 83 were studies in animals, and 1 was only in cells in the lab. 26 papers are reviews that sum up other studies. 2 new studies in people are running or will start soon, says the trial register ClinicalTrials.gov.

• 14In people12 with a comparison group
• 83In animals
• 1Only 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. Effectiveness of curcumin in achieving clinical remission and reducing disease activity in ulcerative colitis: a randomised, controlled trial.2026 · Prz Gastroenterol · Randomised trial
2. Effect of curcumin combined with vedolizumab on disease activity in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis and its correlation with inflammatory and immune factors.2026 · Front Med (Lausanne) · Randomised trial
3. Evaluation of oral nano-curcumin formulation effectiveness in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial.2026 · Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol · Randomised trial
4. Efficacy of curcumin supplementation for the treatment and prevention of pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis: a randomized controlled trial.2025 · Eur J Nutr · Randomised trial
5. Effects of Mediterranean Diet, Curcumin, and Resveratrol on Mild-to-Moderate Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial.2024 · Nutrients · Randomised trial
6. Curcumin-QingDai Combination for Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.2024 · Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol · Randomised trial
7. Novel Bioenhanced Curcumin With Mesalamine for Induction of Clinical and Endoscopic Remission in Mild-to-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-controlled Pilot Study.2021 · J Clin Gastroenterol · Randomised trial
8. The effect of curcumin supplementation on clinical outcomes and inflammatory markers in patients with ulcerative colitis.2020 · Phytother Res · Randomised trial
9. Effect of curcumin on the gut microbiota of patients with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and healthy participants.2026 · Sci Rep · Study in people
10. Low dose oral curcumin is not effective in induction of remission in mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: Results from a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial.2017 · World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther · Study in people
11. The Complementary and Alternative Roles of Curcumin in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: An Umbrella Review.2026 · Nutr Rev · Review
12. The Construction Strategy of Curcumin Nanomedicine Delivery System and Its Application in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.2025 · Int J Nanomedicine · Review
13. Therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms of phytoconstituents: emphasizing on resveratol, curcumin, quercetin, berberine, and hesperidin in ulcerative colitis.2025 · Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol · Review
14. Safety and efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of ulcerative colitis: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.2025 · Explore (NY) · Review
15. Old but Fancy: Curcumin in Ulcerative Colitis-Current Overview.2022 · Nutrients · Review
16. Curcumin and Curcuma longa Extract in the Treatment of 10 Types of Autoimmune Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 31 Randomized Controlled Trials.2022 · Front Immunol · Review
17. Nanoformulated Curcumin Ameliorates Ulcerative Colitis via Gut Microbiota Modulation and Barrier Function Restoration.2026 · Am J Chin Med · In animals
18. Targeting cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS)-mediated cell stemness and gut microbiome homeostasis: mechanism and clinical study of combined resveratrol-curcumin treatment for ulcerative colitis.2026 · Phytomedicine · In animals
19. Curcumin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids reshape intestinal homeostasis in ulcerative colitis by coordinating barrier repair, microbiota reconstruction, and immune modulation.2026 · Mater Today Bio · In animals
20. Curcumin ameliorates ulcerative colitis via inhibiting STAT3-mediated angiogenesis.2026 · Arch Med Sci · In animals
21. Targeting the TLR4/PAD4-mediated formation of macrophage extracellular traps by curcumin attenuates plaque destabilization in ulcerative colitis-associated atherosclerosis.2026 · Int Immunopharmacol · In animals
22. Curcumin Induces Macrophages Polarization to Alleviate Ulcerative Colitis by Regulating Macrophage Nuclear Morphology via Affecting the Interaction Between Enteric Glial Cells Glial-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Casein Kinase 2.2026 · Phytother Res · In animals
23. Oral nanotherapeutics with enhanced mucus penetration and ROS-responsive drug release capacities for delivery of curcumin to colitis tissues.2021 · J Mater Chem B · In the lab
24. Corrigendum to "Curcumin-loaded Pickering emulsions stabilized by Spanish mackerel protein-pectin for ameliorating ulcerative colitis through barrier repair and anti-inflammatory effects" [Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 307 (2025) 141934].2026 · Int J Biol Macromol · Other paper
25. Advanced Targeted Curcumin Delivery Using Spatiotemporally Controlled Nanohybrid Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel for Ulcerative Colitis Therapy.2026 · Gels · Other paper
26. Curcumin-QingDai Combination for Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.2026 · Value Health · Other paper
27. Letter: Change in Bowel Urgency in Active Ulcerative Colitis Patients Treated with Curcumin-QingDai (CurQD): A Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.2025 · J Crohns Colitis · Other paper

Search PubMed yourself