Turmeric contains only a small amount of curcumin. On top of that, our body doesn’t absorb this substance easily. You’d have to eat a lot of foods spiced with turmeric to reach curcumin levels that are comparable to those used in studies.
On the other hand, since the optimal dose of curcumin isn’t clear, getting at least some through your diet may still offer some benefit.
How Much Turmeric Should You Take?
Experts don’t yet know exactly how much turmeric works best for ulcerative colitis. Older studies have tested doses as low as 100 milligrams (mg) and as high as 10,000 mg, but most haven’t seen a big difference in outcomes relating to dosage.
Cavagnaro advises not going above 3,000 mg of curcumin per day. “As with any supplement, if you take too much, you may have side effects,” she explains.
It’s always best to consult a healthcare provider about the dosage to make sure the amount is safe for you. They can analyze your current symptoms and other medications to help you decide on an optimal amount.
Turmeric Supplements
Because the curcumin in turmeric is tough to absorb, you may need supplements to get a therapeutic amount into your system. Both turmeric and curcumin come in capsule, fluid extract, gummy, and tincture form, with a range of recommended dosages.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate supplements the same way it does medications, so the claims you see on the bottles can’t always be trusted. But there’s enough evidence to suggest that the excitement over turmeric isn’t just hype.
“This is the only supplement thus far that has good randomized control trial data to show some benefit to patients with UC,” Cavagnaro says. “While we study things like probiotics, fish oil, aloe vera juice, and antioxidants, curcumin remains at this time the only supplement with actual data on efficacy and implications for clinical practice.”
Some supplements can worsen gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and diarrhea. Avoid supplements with added colors, sugar alcohols, or preservatives. And always consult a healthcare provider before you start taking any new supplement.
Using Turmeric in Your Cooking
To get more turmeric in your diet, you can generously sprinkle the spice on a variety of foods:
Scrambled eggs and frittatas
Roasted vegetables
Rice
Curries
Soups
Oatmeal or cream of wheat
Smoothies
Tomato sauce
Coffee
Combining turmeric with black pepper seems to enhance absorption significantly. Piperine, black pepper’s signature compound, can boost absorption of turmeric by 2,000 percent. So be sure to sprinkle some pepper on these foods, too.
People with ulcerative colitis can also add the spice to hot water to make turmeric tea or to hot milk for golden milk (also called a golden latte).
