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Is turmeric safe for teens and kids?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says many supplements have not been well tested for safety in children, and NCCIH's turmeric page gives no separate guidance for them. One randomized trial gave curcumin to 68 children and young adults aged 6 to 25 for 12 months and reported no serious adverse events. Ask your doctor first.1,2,3

Key facts

  • NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says to be careful about giving supplements to a child unless a health care provider recommends them, because many have not been well tested in children.1
  • NCCIH's turmeric page gives no separate guidance for children or teens.2
  • In one randomized trial of 68 children and young adults aged 6 to 25 with a kidney condition, 25 mg of curcumin per kg of body weight a day for 12 months caused no serious adverse events.3
  • In that trial, gut symptoms such as gas, constipation, diarrhea or nausea were reported by 7 people on curcumin and 7 on placebo.3
  • For curcumin used as a food color, EFSA estimated that high-level intakes for toddlers and children reached the acceptable daily intake of 3 mg per kg of body weight a day.4

What do NIH sources say about turmeric for children and teens?

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says to be careful about giving supplements to a child unless a health care provider recommends them, and that many supplements have not been well tested for safety in children. That is general guidance for supplements, not a finding about turmeric.1

NCCIH's turmeric page describes digestive upset, skin reactions and liver damage without breaking them out by age, and it does not mention children or teens. The sources checked give no age-specific amount for turmeric or curcumin.2

Has turmeric or curcumin been tested in children?

One randomized, placebo-controlled trial gave curcumin to 68 children and young adults aged 6 to 25 who had a kidney condition. They took 25 mg of curcumin per kg of body weight a day, mixed into food as a powder, for 12 months. The average prescribed amount was about 1,559 mg a day. There were no serious adverse events in either group.3

Seventeen people reported an effect judged related or possibly related to the powder: 8 on curcumin and 9 on placebo. Gut symptoms were the most common, with 7 in each group. On curcumin, 2 people reported warmth or redness of the face, 2 a tingling tongue or mouth, 1 skin irritation and 2 red, dry or swollen eyes. Two people on curcumin and one on placebo dropped out because of how the powder was tolerated, and the curcumin group took less of its powder than the placebo group did (68% against 90% by weight).3

These were young people with a kidney condition, and the trial was designed to test blood vessel and kidney measures, not safety in healthy teens. It shows how this group tolerated this product. It does not set an amount for other children. A correction published in 2022 concerned a table of secondary outcomes that this page does not use.3

What do the adult findings say about gut effects and the liver?

Most of the safety information on turmeric comes from adults, and none of the sources we opened separates it by age. These are the effects reported in the adult sources.2

Turmeric taken by mouth can cause nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, stomach upset, diarrhea or constipation.2

Liver injury has been reported with turmeric and curcumin products, mostly highly bioavailable formulations. NIH's LiverTox database counts several dozen cases of acute liver injury, along with a low rate of short-lived rises in liver enzymes.2,5,6

Is there an intake limit for children?

Europe's food safety agency, EFSA, applies an acceptable daily intake of 3 mg per kg of body weight a day to curcumin used as a food color. In its 2014 reassessment, estimated intakes from the color were below that level for adolescents, adults and older people. For toddlers and children the high-level estimates were at the level, with one survey each above it. That limit is for the color added to foods. It is not a limit for supplements.4

What about turmeric on a child's skin?

Curcumin applied to the skin can cause hives or itching, and contact dermatitis has been reported.2,7

The sources checked do not address homemade turmeric pastes or masks on children, or whether a child's skin reacts differently. That is not a finding either way, so ask your doctor or pharmacist about anything you plan to put on a child's skin.2

Who should ask a doctor before giving turmeric to a child or teen?

  • Parents and guardians, before giving a child any turmeric or curcumin supplement.1
  • Teens who take a prescription medicine, because NCCIH says some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways.2
  • Anyone with liver problems or a past reaction to a supplement.2
  • Teens who are pregnant or nursing, because NIH urges caution with supplements in both situations.1

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says anyone who thinks they have had a bad reaction to a supplement should let their health care provider know.1

Questions people ask

Is turmeric good for teens?

NCCIH says there is not enough evidence to conclude that turmeric or curcumin is beneficial for any health purpose, and it gives no separate guidance for teens. Ask your doctor before giving it.2

Is curcumin safe for teens?

NCCIH covers turmeric and curcumin together and gives no guidance specific to teens. One randomized trial gave curcumin powder to 68 children and young adults aged 6 to 25 for 12 months and reported no serious adverse events.2,3

Is turmeric safe for kids skin?

NCCIH says curcumin applied to the skin can cause hives or itching, and NIH's breastfeeding database notes contact dermatitis after skin contact. Neither describes children separately, so ask your doctor or pharmacist.2,8

Is turmeric ok for teenagers?

The sources checked give no age-specific finding for teenagers either way. NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says many supplements have not been well tested in children, so ask your doctor first.1

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Sources

  1. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Fact sheet for consumers. Updated January 4, 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Last updated April 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Nowak KL, Farmer-Bailey H, Wang W, et al. Curcumin Therapy to Treat Vascular Dysfunction in Children and Young Adults with ADPKD: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2022;17(2):240-250. A 2022 correction concerns a table of secondary outcomes. Opened 2026-10-11.
  4. European Food Safety Authority. Refined exposure assessment for curcumin (E 100). EFSA J. 2014;12(10):3876. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. Turmeric. In: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2012 onward. Updated June 16, 2025. Summary read through PubMed. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Lombardi N, Crescioli G, Maggini V, et al. Acute liver injury following turmeric use in Tuscany: An analysis of the Italian Phytovigilance database and systematic review of case reports. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021;87(3):741-753. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Turmeric. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006 onward. Updated July 15, 2025. Summary read through PubMed. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Turmeric. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006 onward. Updated July 15, 2025. Chapter summary read through PubMed (PMID 30000906); the Bookshelf page showed a browser check and was not opened. Opened 2026-10-11.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.