When I first started seeing patients in Silicon Valley, I noticed something odd.
Many of my South Asian patients had mild yellow-orange staining, often along the gumline or on the surface of molars on their teeth.
When I asked about their diets, turmeric came up again and again. I reassured them the stains weren’t a reason to stop. In fact, the opposite—I told them turmeric was one of the most remarkable things they could be eating.
At the time—in the 90s and early 2000s—turmeric was just another kitchen spice. It would be a few more decades before it became a wellness trend, splashed into golden lattes and smoothie bowls.
But long before wellness cafés, it was an Ayurvedic staple with a history measured in centuries. What fascinated me was how a spice so ordinary on the dinner table could have such extraordinary effects inside the body?
Turmeric vs. Curcumin
Here’s where many people get confused: turmeric is the spice you cook with, and curcumin is one of the active compounds inside it. They aren’t exactly the same thing, even though people often use the words interchangeably.
Curcumin alone isn’t easy for your body to use. Its bioavailability is poor. That’s why almost every effective formula pairs it with black pepper extract (piperine), or binds it to phospholipids (a form called phytosome). Without that, the capsule in your cabinet may be close to worthless.
Here’s the big surprise when it comes to turmeric tea: the curcumin content is so negligible you’d have to drink dozens of cups a day to get even one effective dose. That blows a lot of people’s minds—most turmeric teas are more marketing than medicine.
Purity Matters
Turmeric is cheap to grow and process. That makes it ripe for adulteration (aka contamination or cutting with cheaper ingredients):
- ConsumerLab has found brands with almost no active curcuminoids.
- Some are contaminated with heavy metals like lead.
- Supplements sold on Amazon are often problematic—many have been found with weak doses or heavy metal contamination.
It’s a reminder that sourcing matters. A product that looks good on the shelf can hide serious risks if it isn’t tested. This is another reason why I love brands like Momentous, BIOptimizers and Pique Tea—they test for purity.
I was never taught about turmeric—or any Ayurvedic practice—in dental school…
Tongue scraping, oil pulling, turmeric… these lived outside the curriculum. Yet patients kept bringing them up. When practices survive across centuries, it usually means they worked.
That habit of paying attention to patterns also shaped how I look at mouth breathing and cavities—patterns I began noticing in patients long before anyone was talking about it online. In fact, I was one of the first dentists to raise the connection publicly, simply because I paid attention and shared what I saw. A lot of what matters in health doesn’t start with randomized controlled trials. It starts with noticing patterns, listening to patients, and connecting the dots before the research catches up. Turmeric is no different.
Some benefits of turmeric are well established, while others—like cognition—are promising but still emerging.
What the Research Says
High‑quality evidence spans both oral and systemic health:
- Osteoarthritis: Meta‑analyses of randomized trials show curcuminoids reduce knee OA pain and improve function vs placebo and perform similarly to NSAIDs, with fewer adverse events (systematic reviews 2021; 2025).
- Ulcerative colitis: As an adjunct to mesalamine, curcumin increased clinical and endoscopic remission in mild–moderate UC (RCT, Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2015). A 2024 review supports benefit with good safety while calling for larger trials.
- Depression: Pooled RCTs report modest but significant reductions in depressive symptoms vs placebo (meta‑analysis, Journal of Affective Disorders, 2020).
- Allergic rhinitis: Oral curcumin improved nasal symptoms and airflow compared with placebo over 8 weeks (RCT, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 2016).
- Gingivitis/periodontitis: Curcumin mouthrinses or subgingival gels reduced plaque and gingival inflammation and performed similarly or better than chlorhexidine when used as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (RCTs: J Indian Soc Periodontol, 2017; J Contemp Dent Pract, 2019; overview in BDJ Team, 2021).
- Mechanisms: Researchers have found that curcumin calms inflammation at a cellular level. It turns down signals like NF‑κB that drive chronic inflammation and reduces pro‑inflammatory molecules in the body (such as TNF‑α, IL‑1β, and IL‑6).
- Meta-analyses in Phytotherapy Research and Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition report that curcumin supplementation significantly lowers markers of systemic inflammation like CRP and IL‑6.
- A systematic review in the Journal of Medicinal Food highlighted turmeric’s role in managing ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, with improvements in symptom scores and quality of life.
- Emerging research in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience suggests curcumin may improve memory and attention in older adults, supporting its reputation as a brain-healthy compound.
Turmeric isn’t a blunt anti-inflammatory. Research shows it modulates inflammation—dialing down pathways like NF-κB and lowering pro‑inflammatory cytokines, while preserving the normal immune responses your body still needs.
In other words, it quiets the chronic, low‑grade fire that drives disease without shutting off your immune system’s natural defenses.
Who Should Be Careful
Turmeric isn’t for everyone. In high doses, it can cause GI irritation or muscle cramps. It can interact with medications and affect GLP pathways. Children need pediatric dosing. And if purity isn’t assured, the risks outweigh the benefits. If you’re on prescription meds, it’s always best to ask your doctor first.
How I Use It
I take mine with breakfast—eggs and olive oil—or with dinner, always alongside fat for better absorption. The one I take includes curcumin plus piperine, and it’s third-party tested for purity. That’s non-negotiable.
If you’re shopping for your own:
- Look for at least 500 mg curcumin per serving.
- Make sure it includes black pepper extract or a phytosome formulation.
- Avoid fillers and artificial colors.
- Choose a brand that tests every batch.
I use this turmeric for exactly that reason. They test like few others do. I chose them because of their transparency and rigorous batch testing, which stood out compared to other brands.
I also cook with turmeric whenever I can. It adds warmth and depth to food—and yes, it can stain your fingers and counters, but it’s worth it.
TRY THIS: Golden Scrambled Eggs: whisk 2 eggs with a pinch of turmeric, black pepper, and a splash of milk. Cook slowly in olive oil or ghee until soft and just set. The fat and pepper boost curcumin absorption, and the flavor is warm and earthy without being overpowering.
Bottom Line
Turmeric isn’t hype. It’s a low-risk, high-upside way to support healing and reduce inflammation. Whether it’s your joints that ache, or your gums that bleed a little when you floss—the science is clear: calming inflammation changes how you feel today and how you age tomorrow.
What I’ve learned from patients is that so much wisdom came long before modern dentistry—and often, the most powerful medicine is sitting right there in your kitchen drawer. I’d love to hear how you’ve used turmeric in your own life—reply and share your story.
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