The short answer
Possibly. A 66-year-old man taking high-dose turmeric capsules stayed anaemic despite iron tablets. Two weeks after he stopped the turmeric, still on iron, his haemoglobin was back to normal. On the other side, a randomised trial in 155 healthy adults found that one dose of a curcumin product taken with iron did not lower iron absorption over three hours.
The two studies looked at different things: regular high-dose turmeric in one man, and a single dose of one product in healthy people. Haldi in food is a different exposure again, and it has not been tested. If you take iron for anaemia and also take turmeric or curcumin capsules, tell your prescribing doctor, and ask whether your haemoglobin and ferritin should be rechecked.
Oral iron in India includes Orofer XT (ferrous ascorbate with folic acid) and ferrous sulphate tablets.
At a glance
| What was seen | How it may work | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaemia that did not respond to iron until turmeric was stopped[1] | Curcumin may bind iron (proposed, not shown) | Less benefit from iron | Case report |
| No drop in blood iron after one dose of a curcumin product taken with iron[2] | Same idea, tested over three hours | No short-term effect seen for this product | RCT |
No listing is not a clearance. A missing interaction here never means a combination is safe.
The evidence, study by study
Case report, 2019 Case report
A 66-year-old man was taking six 538 mg turmeric capsules a day. His haemoglobin stayed below 12 despite oral iron. Two weeks after he stopped the turmeric and kept taking iron, his haemoglobin was normal. He had earlier been ill and on steroids, which complicates the picture, and turmeric was not restarted to confirm the link.[1]
Randomised trial in healthy adults, 2021 RCT
In this trial, 155 healthy adults were split into five groups. They took 18 or 65 mg of iron as ferrous sulphate, with or without a single 500 mg dose of HydroCurc, a curcumin product designed to be better absorbed, or a matched control. Blood iron was measured at the start and after three hours, and curcumin did not lower it. One dose in healthy people cannot show what months of use does to iron stores, or how other turmeric products behave.[2]
What your doctor may watch for
- Haemoglobin and ferritin, and whether your iron treatment is working as expected. In the 2019 case, the anaemia did not improve until turmeric was stopped.[1]
What to tell your prescribing doctor
You can read this out, or show them this page:
“I am taking, or planning to take, turmeric or curcumin (name of product, how much) along with my iron tablets. There is a report of anaemia that did not improve on iron until turmeric was stopped. Should my haemoglobin and ferritin be rechecked?”
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Does taking turmeric and iron at different times help?
No study has compared different timings. The trial gave both together and saw no effect over three hours, but it did not look at longer use.[2]
What about turmeric tea or haldi doodh?
We found no study of turmeric tea or haldi doodh with iron supplements. If you drink them daily and your anaemia is slow to improve, mention them to your doctor.
Related
Amla and iron tablets
Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so amla could in theory help an iron tablet. We found no study of amla with an iron tablet.
InteractionShilajit and iron tablets
Not studied in people. High-dose shilajit changed liver iron in rats, so it could add to iron tablets. How much is unknown.
InteractionTurmeric and acidity medicines (omeprazole, pantoprazole)
A trial gave curcumin with omeprazole and measured indigestion symptoms, not drug levels. We found no interaction study of turmeric with acidity medicines.
InteractionTurmeric and blood thinners
Two reports describe a raised INR after turmeric in people on warfarin-type blood thinners. Blood thinners leave little margin.
Sources
- Smith TJ, Ashar BH. Iron deficiency anemia due to high-dose turmeric. Cureus. 2019;11(1):e3858. PMID 30899609.
- Lorinczova HT, Begum G, Renshaw D, Zariwala MG. Acute administration of bioavailable curcumin alongside ferrous sulphate supplements does not impair iron absorption in healthy adults in a randomised trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2300. PMID 34371810.
Updated 4 November 2026
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