Does turmeric help against inflammation?
Curcumin lowers certain inflammatory markers in the blood, but the effect is modest. Moreover, your body absorbs the compound so poorly that ordinary turmeric or standard capsules likely deliver too little active substance to make a difference.
Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, demonstrably lowers several inflammatory markers in the blood. This is shown by a meta-analysis of 66 controlled human studies. CRP dropped by an average of 0.58 mg/l, TNF-alpha by 3.48 pg/ml, and IL-6 by 1.31 pg/ml. For a fourth marker (IL-1beta) no significant effect was found. The effects are statistically reliable, but modest1.
The same meta-analysis also found reduced oxidative damage and higher antioxidant capacity in the blood. This aligns with what laboratory and animal research had already suggested for some time: curcumin can inhibit pro-inflammatory enzymes, including the same target as ibuprofen. Whether that inhibition plays out as strongly in humans as it does in the laboratory has not yet been directly demonstrated2,3.
For specific conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or psoriasis the picture is less clear. Curcumin is considered an interesting candidate there, but proven treatment effects are lacking. Researchers are explicit about this: it is a candidate, not a therapy4.
A major practical problem is poor bioavailability. Your body breaks curcumin down quickly and excretes it. Ordinary turmeric powder or standard capsules therefore deliver only a fraction of the active compound to your blood. Formulations containing, for example, black pepper are being investigated, but have not yet been proven as a standard solution4,5. This makes it difficult to say which supplement achieves the blood levels used in studies.
Life-span extension by curcumin has been described in worms, fruit flies and mice. Whether this has any relevance for humans is completely unknown and has not been investigated in the available studies6.
All claims are based on one large meta-analysis of 66 controlled studies (PMID 36804260), supplemented by mechanistic reviews and animal research. There is no evidence of effectiveness as a treatment for specific diseases in humans. The bioavailability problem has been consistently reported across multiple sources.
Does regular exercise help against that creeping chronic inflammation?
Regular, moderate exercise demonstrably lowers inflammatory markers such as CRP and IL-6; training too intensely can reverse that effect, so moderate exercise three to five times per week is the best-supported choice.
Does low-dose naltrexone (LDN) work against inflammation?
LDN shows positive signals as an anti-inflammatory agent in small studies and cell research, but the evidence in humans is still too thin for a firm recommendation. Always consult a doctor, as this is off-label use without long-term safety data.
What does excess weight do to your inflammation levels?
Excess weight structurally raises your inflammation levels through multiple biological pathways. Exercise, and strength training in particular, is a concrete tool for partly reversing that effect.
Does omega-3 from fish oil help against chronic inflammation?
Omega-3 from fish oil lowers inflammatory markers in the blood and demonstrably helps in rheumatoid arthritis, but the effect differs by condition and by individual. For joint inflammation, consulting your doctor is the logical step before starting supplementation.
Does quercetin work against ageing and inflammation?
Quercetin shows promising signals in the laboratory and in animals, but in humans there is not yet solid evidence. Taking supplements on the basis of this early-stage research gets too far ahead of the science.
Can long-term inflammation in your body cause cancer?
Prolonged low-grade inflammation is a recognised risk factor for several types of cancer. The evidence is strongest for bowel cancer in inflammatory diseases and for multiple cancer types in obesity.