Turmeric root has been widely used as spice and food color in Indian and other Asian cuisine as well as to prevent and treat various ailments. In fact, turmeric is now leading the list of the most-frequently mentioned herbal medicine for various health problems.
Studies at the Maryland University Medical Center found that turmeric shows promise as alternative treatment for infection, pain, inflammation and gastrointestinal problems. The effectiveness of turmeric for prevention and treatment of breast and other forms of cancer was also published in the 2013 issue of “Current Pharmaceutical Design.”
Thousands of studies also report that curcumin in turmeric is comparable if not better than conventional medicine or prescription drugs. Another powerful advantage of curcumin over traditional medicinal drugs is the lack of harmful side effects after long-term use if taken at the right dosage.
How Much Turmeric Per Day?
The amount of turmeric you can take depends on a variety of factors, including your age, health status or medical condition, the form or turmeric to be used and whether it’s for preventive or curative purposes.
Preventive and Curative Dosages
As many people know, turmeric users take it both for preventive and curative reasons. A preventive dosage is low, like 1 to 2 grams daily and can be taken for a lifetime. On the other hand, a curative dosage is usually high, like 8 grams daily because faster and stronger impact of turmeric is needed to address the health issue. Then, after the health concern is over, you may go back to the preventive dosage.
Turmeric is currently available as cut or dried powdered root, standardized powder, liquid extract, tea and tincture. According to studies at the University of Maryland Medical Center, following are the permissible dosages for adults of turmeric in various forms.
Cut root (fresh turmeric): 1.5 – 3 g per day. This is the usual form for those who have access to raw turmeric.- Dried, powdered root (like turmeric spice): 1 – 3 g per day. This is the most common form of turmeric in use. You may prepare yourself by using mortar and pestle to turn dried turmeric into powder form.
- Standardized powder (supplement): 400 – 600 mg, up to 3 times daily. Standardized powder is commercially produced and sold as supplement at various percentages of curcumin content. Curcumin is the main active medicinal component of turmeric.
- Fluid extracts (1:1): 30 – 90 drops per day. This is usually sold over the counter as a water-based extract.
- Tincture (1:2): 15 – 30 drops, 4 times daily. Turmeric extract with 25 to 90 percent ethanol. Tincture is not for children and people with liver ailments because of the high alcohol content.
For optimal absorption, always take turmeric with freshly ground black pepper. The above dosages are not for pregnant women and children below 2 years old. However, children and adults over 65 should start from low dosages and increase only if there are no side effects after taking for at least a week.
Turmeric is not for everyone because of its potential side effects. Avoid turmeric if you’re taking medication or have health concerns related to: blood clotting, blood sugar, stomach acidity or gall bladder. Don’t take turmeric if you are scheduled for surgery in two weeks. Talk with your doctor if it is safe to take turmeric with your prescribed medicines.
