I TRIED TURMERIC SUPPLEMENTS FOR A MONTH—THE BIGGEST CHANGE WASN’T WHAT I EXPECTED

Medically reviewed by Suzanne Fisher, RD

• After taking turmeric every day for 30 days, I noticed the biggest change in my anxiety—not my asthma or psoriasis.
• My month-long experiment suggests turmeric isn’t a miracle supplement, but it may be worth discussing with your healthcare provider.
• While turmeric caused no side effects for me, it’s impossible to know how much my results were due to the supplement alone.

As a former health coach (and current health editor), I’ve spent several decades immersed in wellness and have taken my fair share of supplements over the years.

Recently, I’ve heard more buzz around turmeric, a brightly-colored spice typically used in Indian cuisine that you can also take in supplement form. Proponents say it has anti-inflammatory benefits, thanks to the chemical compound curcumin, found within turmeric.

I live with two inflammatory conditions (asthma and psoriasis) and also manage anxiety, so I wanted to give turmeric a shot to see if it’d make a noticeable difference in my health. After 30 days, my psoriasis looked about the same, my asthma improved slightly, and my anxiety improved much more than I expected.

Why I Tried Turmeric

Studies show curcumin—the active compound in turmeric—has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and some research suggests it may help improve symptoms of asthma, psoriasis, and anxiety, though the evidence is still mixed.

Turmeric supplements are also relatively safe to take in the short term (up to two or three months). Most clinical studies use turmeric doses of 500 milligrams (mg) to 2,000 mg daily—but doses of up to 8,000 mg per day are still considered safe by the FDA.

Choosing the Right Supplement and Dosage

I chose a supplement from a well-respected brand that had been third-party tested and contained a clinically studied form of curcumin. Experts say those are the most important things to look for since supplements aren’t regulated the same way medications are.

“It’s important to choose reputable brands that undergo third-party testing to ensure quality and purity,” said Crystal Scott, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

I ended up taking a turmeric supplement with 1,000 milligrams (mg) of curcumin every day for 30 days and made sure to take it after breakfast each morning to reduce any stomach upset.

What Surprised Me the Most

I assumed that one of my inflammatory conditions—either asthma or psoriasis—would see the biggest benefit from turmeric supplements, but my anxiety actually improved the most. By my second week taking turmeric, I no longer felt my typically heightened levels of anxiety.

I also experienced slightly fewer episodes of shortness of breath. My asthma had already been improving over the previous few months, so I can’t say turmeric deserves the credit. But I still found it interesting that I went from several episodes of shortness of breath each week to none during the last two weeks of the experiment.

What Didn’t Change

I didn’t notice much of a change in my psoriasis symptoms (an interesting observation, since I felt less stressed overall, and stress can trigger flares). Some plaques cleared a bit over the course of a few weeks, while others emerged—pretty typical for me.

One bonus: I didn’t experience any side effects from the turmeric supplements—a nice relief, as I was expecting at least a little bit of digestive discomfort, due to my sensitive stomach.

What I’m Still Skeptical About

My experiment was not a controlled scientific study by any means—my results were purely anecdotal and based on my own observations.

It’s possible that my psoriasis didn’t improve because I wasn’t taking a high enough dose (I only took 1,000 mg a day instead of the recommended 2,000 mg a day) or for long enough (30 days isn’t enough time to judge whether something ‘works’).

Meanwhile, some of the minor symptom improvement I saw in my anxiety and asthma symptoms might’ve been due to the placebo effect (I expected to feel a bit better, so I did).

Of course, turmeric wasn’t the only thing that changed during those 30 days. I was on vacation more, the weather was nicer, and I was already using other strategies to manage my symptoms—all of which could have influenced my results.

Do Turmeric Supplements Work?

I don’t have a definitive answer for that. While I certainly experienced less anxiety, neither of my other conditions benefited from taking the supplements. I’ll probably take it for a few more months to see if there’s any improvement in my psoriasis or asthma symptoms—but right now, the jury’s out for me.

If you’re considering turmeric, my experience suggests it probably isn’t a miracle supplement—but it also wasn’t a disappointment. Whether it’s worth trying depends on why you’re taking it and whether your healthcare provider thinks it’s appropriate.

Read the original article on Health

2026-08-05T15:50:02Z