Sep 14, 2021

Does Turmeric Cause Kidney Stones? Inspecting the Scientific Studies

Does turmeric cause kidney stones?

In the United States, turmeric is used primarily as a spice. But in many parts of the world, particularly in India, turmeric is both a delicious spice and a medicinal herb. In fact, this golden spice is thought to treat everything from inflammation to gastrointestinal concerns. While the science is still catching up to the claims, early research suggests that, at the very least, turmeric makes for a powerful antioxidant.¹

But that’s not to say that turmeric is good for everything – or that it’s without its risks. For instance, you may have read that turmeric can cause gastrointestinal distress in large doses or sensitive stomachs. Today, we’re going to ask a question about another potential risk: does turmeric cause kidney stones?

The Role of Kidneys in Your Body

Turmeric kidney

Let’s start at the beginning: with your kidneys.

Your kidneys are bean-shaped, fist-sized organs that sit on either side of your spine, just below the ribcage. They are responsible for filtering your blood to remove waste in the form of dead cells, acid, and unnecessary salts and minerals. Your body mixes the waste it collects with water to create urine. Urine then travels to your bladder, where it stays until your body signals to excrete it. (In layman’s terms, we call this peeing.) ²

Because of their role in your body, kidneys are essential to your overall health. In addition to filtering your blood, they also secrete hormones to make red blood cells, keep your bones healthy, and even control your blood pressure. And without your kidneys, your body would not be able to stop waste from building up in your blood. ²

But what happens when your kidneys themselves are unable to rid themselves of excess waste? Well, one of the possibilities is a kidney stone.

What are Kidney Stones?

what are kidney stones

According to Johns Hopkins, kidney stones are hard objects composed of millions of crystals. They can range in size from a grain of sand to a large pebble, though many can be larger. Typically, these "stones" form on the kidney's inside surface, where the urine exits. ³

The crystals that comprise kidney stones come from the various waste products the kidneys filter from the blood. Substances such as oxalate, calcium, and phosphate can become too concentrated in the blood. When this happens, they separate as crystals, which can then attach to each other. Unfortunately, if the body is unable to rid itself of these crystals while they’re small, they may turn into masses – kidney stones. ³⁴

Kidney stones can come in several different “types.” The most common of these is calcium oxalate. These occur when your body has too much calcium (or oxalate) in the blood, which then binds to oxalate (or calcium) in your kidneys. It’s also possible to get: ³⁴

Calcium phosphate stones, which form as a result of a kidney-related medical condition
Struvite stones composed of magnesium, phosphate, ammonium, and calcium carbonate
Uric acid stones composed of uric acid crystals (the result of processing protein)
Cystine stones, which only form in persons with an inherited metabolic disorder

Risk Factors for Kidney Stones

Of course, it takes the right set of conditions for your body to turn crystals into kidney stones. Some of the more common risk factors that lead to stones include:⁴

Dehydration
Obesity
Diets high in oxalates, salts, proteins, and sugars
Inflammatory bowel disease
Other medical conditions such as hyperparathyroidism

The Relationship Between Kidney Stones and Oxalates

We mentioned that diets high in oxalates are a potential cause of kidney stones. And in fact, the most common type of kidney stone comprises a mixture of calcium and oxalate. Understanding the relationship between kidney stones and oxalates will better prepare us to discuss this article's question – does turmeric cause kidney stones?

Oxalate is a naturally occurring molecule present in many foods such as vegetables, grains, and nuts. It’s projected that about half the oxalate in human urine comes from our diet. (The other half is the result of bodily processes, such as when we break down vitamin C.) Scientists have found that the amount of oxalate in our urine can affect our likelihood of developing calcium oxalate kidney stones. (In other words, the more oxalate your body processes, the more likely you are to experience kidney stones.) ³⁵

Furthermore, in one review of oxalate in the body, scientists determined that oxalate:⁵⁶

Tends to have a higher absorption rate in individuals prone to forming kidney stones; but
It’s unknown how well certain food-derived oxalates absorbs in the body
The absorption of dietary oxalate is affected by the bioavailability of the carrying food

This last point, in particular, is poignant for our purposes, as the review cited one study that examined how well oxalate absorbs when carried by cinnamon versus turmeric. The study determined that turmeric had higher absorption and higher bioavailability of oxalate, at 8.2%. On the other hand, cinnamon only had a 2.6% absorption rate. ⁶

Does Turmeric Cause Kidney Stones?

In the preceding sections, we determined a few important points: ³⁴⁵⁶

Oxalate (when it binds to calcium) produces the most common type of kidney stone
How well your body absorbs a food determines how much oxalate it absorbs
A high-oxalate diet can increase your risk of kidney stones

Furthermore, the study that examined the bioavailability of oxalates in cinnamon versus turmeric found that turmeric supplements lead to “a significantly higher” urinary oxalate excretion. As a result, it was determined that supplemental turmeric "increases the risk of kidney stone formation in susceptible individuals." ⁶

On the other hand, other studies suggest that turmeric may actually benefit the kidneys. It’s thought that this directly relates to curcumin (a key constituent of turmeric) and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. But these studies did not take into account turmeric’s oxalate content, instead focusing on curcumin in the body. ⁷

This means that the final answer to our question is a tentative – and circumstantial – yes. In the studies that have been performed thus far, the results have found that turmeric may cause kidney stones by way of increasing oxalate availability in the body. However, this is most prudent for "susceptible individuals." Simultaneously, more studies are needed to fully vet and examine this topic concerning the non-susceptible population.

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