Quick answer
NIH's LiverTox database links some turmeric products to several dozen cases of acute liver injury, and NCCIH says highly bioavailable curcumin products may harm the liver. In ten U.S. cases, injury began 1 to 4 months after starting turmeric. Anyone with liver problems should ask their doctor before using turmeric or curcumin.1,2,3
Key facts
- LiverTox says turmeric and curcumin are linked to a low rate of short-lived rises in liver enzymes, and that some turmeric products have been implicated in several dozen cases of acute liver injury.1
- NCCIH says liver damage has been reported in some people who used highly bioavailable curcumin products.2
- In ten cases in a U.S. injury network, 8 were women, 5 were hospitalized and 1 died of acute liver failure.3
- In Tuscany, all seven reported cases involved turmeric products with high bioavailability and a high curcumin dose, and most people recovered after stopping the product.4
- In U.S. survey data from 2017 to 2020, turmeric products were the most used of six botanicals linked to liver injury.5
What do NIH sources say about turmeric and the liver?
LiverTox is the National Institutes of Health's database on drug-induced liver injury. Its turmeric record, updated June 16, 2025, says turmeric and curcumin have been linked to a low rate of short-lived rises in liver enzymes. It adds that turmeric has a long history of safety, and that some turmeric products have recently been implicated in several dozen cases of clinically apparent acute liver injury.1
NCCIH says highly bioavailable curcumin products, which are made to be absorbed better, may harm the liver. It says liver damage has been reported in some people who used them.2
NCCIH advises stopping turmeric or curcumin and talking with a health care provider at any sign of liver damage, such as tiredness, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes.2
What do the case reports show?
The Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, a U.S. registry, reviewed every adjudicated case enrolled from 2004 to 2022 in which turmeric was an implicated product. It found ten, all enrolled since 2011. Nine were mainly liver cell injury and one mixed. Turmeric was confirmed in all seven products that could be tested, and three of those also contained piperine.3
In ten US cases, liver injury began 1 to 4 months after starting turmeric. Eight of the ten were women, five needed hospital care and one died of liver failure, and seven carried the gene variant HLA-B*35:01.3
The HLA-B*35:01 gene variant had a frequency of 0.450 in these patients, against 0.056 to 0.069 in population controls. The authors said turmeric liver injury appeared to be increasing in the United States, and suggested rising use or the common pairing with black pepper as possible reasons.3
An Italian review reached a similar picture. It described seven cases of acute hepatitis in Tuscany and found 23 more in published reports. The Tuscan cases all involved formulations with high bioavailability and a high curcumin dose, and most improved when the product was stopped. Most of the patients in the published cases were also taking at least one other medicine, which makes the cause harder to sort out.4
How common is turmeric liver injury?
The sources checked do not give a rate. LiverTox counts several dozen clinically apparent cases, and the U.S. registry counted ten. Cases reported to registries and databases are not a rate, because they do not show how many people use turmeric. In U.S. survey data from 2017 to 2020, 236 of 9,685 adults had taken a turmeric product in the past 30 days, and turmeric was the most used of six botanicals linked to liver injury.1,3,5
Which turmeric products are linked to liver injury?
NCCIH ties the liver reports to bioavailable formulations, and the Tuscan cases fit that. It describes conventionally formulated turmeric, which is not modified to raise absorption, as likely safe in recommended amounts for up to 2 or 3 months. That is NCCIH's description of products in general, not a guarantee for any person, and the sources do not define recommended amounts or say how to tell a bioavailable product from its label.2,4
The same number of milligrams can deliver very different amounts: in head-to-head studies, absorption-enhanced forms put about 1.3 to 46 times more curcuminoids into the blood than standard curcumin.6,7
Who should ask a doctor before using turmeric or curcumin?
- Anyone with liver disease, or who has had a liver reaction to any supplement.1,2
- Anyone who takes prescription medicines, because most of the published cases in the Italian review involved people taking another medicine too.4
- Anyone thinking of a high-absorption product, or one that adds piperine, since NCCIH and the Tuscan cases tie liver reports to those products.2,3,4
- Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, because NIH sources advise caution with supplements in both situations.2,8
Tell your doctor which turmeric or curcumin product you use and how much, since the formulation matters to this question.2
Questions people ask
Can turmeric cause liver damage?
Case reports and injury registries link some turmeric products to acute liver injury, and LiverTox counts several dozen cases. NCCIH points to highly bioavailable curcumin products and says to stop and talk with a health care provider at any sign of liver damage.1,2
Is turmeric safe for liver?
The sources checked do not call turmeric products safe or unsafe for the liver as a whole. They report liver injury with some products, so anyone with liver disease should ask their doctor first.1,2
Does turmeric cause diarrhea or acid reflux?
NCCIH lists nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, stomach upset, diarrhea and constipation as effects of oral turmeric.2
Does turmeric cause kidney stones?
In a randomized crossover study of 11 healthy adults, 4 weeks of supplemental turmeric raised urinary oxalate, which the researchers said could raise the risk of kidney stones in people prone to them. Ask your doctor if you have had kidney stones.9
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Sources
- 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.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Last updated April 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Halegoua-DeMarzio D, Navarro V, Ahmad J, et al. Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric: A Growing Problem. Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network [DILIN]. Am J Med. 2023;136(2):200-206. Opened 2026-10-07.
- 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.
- Likhitsup A, Chen VL, Fontana RJ. Estimated Exposure to 6 Potentially Hepatotoxic Botanicals in US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(8):e2425822. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Jäger R, Lowery RP, Calvanese AV, et al. Comparative absorption of curcumin formulations. Nutr J. 2014;13:11. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Cuomo J, Appendino G, Dern AS, et al. Comparative absorption of a standardized curcuminoid mixture and its lecithin formulation. J Nat Prod. 2011;74(4):664-669. Opened 2026-10-07.
- 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.
- Tang M, Larson-Meyer DE, Liebman M. Effect of cinnamon and turmeric on urinary oxalate excretion, plasma lipids, and plasma glucose in healthy subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(5):1262-1267. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.