Pam Oh Herbs

Turmeric

Curcuma longa, family Zingiberaceae. Part discussed: Rhizome.

Fresh turmeric rhizomes, whole and cut to show their orange interior, beside ground turmeric.
The part discussed in this entry. Botanical. Source: Wikimedia Commons · Curcuma longa roots A reference photograph of the named material. Not a photograph of a Collection. Photograph: Simon A. Eugster · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identity

Common name
Turmeric
Botanical name
Curcuma longa
Family
Zingiberaceae
Part or material
Rhizome
Classification
Botanical
Educational category
Foundational Botanicals

About

Curcuma longa, Zingiberaceae, rhizome.

Forms and distinctions

Different preparations of the same material are described separately, because what is recorded for one form does not carry to another.

Distinction preserved between food-level culinary use and concentrated supplement use; EMA material covers dried, powdered and comminuted herbal material and extracts, with addendum activity recorded in 2026 so status must be stated as at a date.

Safety considerations

Broad health-benefit claims are not supported and the evidence picture is uncertain; gastrointestinal adverse effects are reported; caution is advised for turmeric or curcumin supplements during pregnancy; liver injury has been reported in association with some enhanced-bioavailability curcumin formulations.

References

The authorities this entry draws on, named so you can weigh them yourself.
  • NCCIH · US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
  • EMA HMPC Curcumae longae rhizoma · European Medicines Agency, herbal medicine monograph

This entry is educational. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a statement about any Pam Oh Herbs Collection or its contents. It carries no dosage and no claim of effect.