Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric that is responsible for the bright yellow color of that spice. As a polyphenolic compound, curcumin has potent antioxidant properties and is used as a health supplement to treat several health conditions, including cancer. Although curcumin is generally safe and well-tolerated, it may cause certain side effects and drug interactions, including possible interactions with blood-thinning medications. Consult your doctor before taking curcumin and other supplements.
Excess Bleeding
Curcumin is able to inhibit the aggregation of platelets in blood, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Platelets are tiny cells that play a major role in forming blood clots. Because curcumin prevents platelets from clumping, it may have an anti-coagulant effect in humans, which is also called a blood-thinning effect. When your blood is unable to clot, cuts or lacerations of the skin of blood vessels cannot form clots or scabs and excess bleeding may result.
Interactions with Medications
Taking other blood-thinning medications at the same time as curcumin can increase the risk of excess bleeding. Medications that act as blood thinners include warfarin, heparin, ticlopidine, enoxaparin, dalteparin, clopidogrel and diclofenac. Certain over-the-counter medications also have blood-thinning effects, including aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.
Interactions with Herbal Supplements
Many herbal supplements can also act as anti-coagulants and increase the risk of excess bleeding when taken with curcumin. Herbs with blood-thinning properties include ginkgo, ginger, garlic, clove, angelica, danshen, panax ginseng, willow, red clover and several others, according to Medline Plus, a National Institutes of Health website. Avoid taking these herbal supplements at the same time as curcumin supplements.
Additional Side Effects
Other minor side effects may also develop after taking curcumin. The amounts of curcumin found in turmeric used as spice in foods are unlikely to cause side effects. Only purified and concentrated curcumin supplements are likely to cause side effects. Commonly reported side effects include nausea, upset stomach and diarrhea. In rare cases, large doses of curcumin supplements may cause gastrointestinal ulcers, says the University of Maryland Medical Center.
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