Targeting Cognitive Aging with Curcumin Supplementation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - 17/06/25

Doi : 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100248

Lirong Yu ^a,^{^{1
These authors contributed equally}} , Na Li ^b,^{^{1
These authors contributed equally}} , Bin Li ^c,^{^{1
These authors contributed equally}} , Kaisy Xinhong Ye ^d,^e,^f , Jiuyu Guo ^d,^e,^f , Jiatong Shan ^d,^e,^f , Luwen Cao ^d,^e,^f , Mei Song ^g , Yanyu Wang ^h , Tih-Shih Lee ⁱ , Andrea B Maier ^d,^j,^k,^⁎ , Lei Feng ^d,^e,^f,^⁎
^a School of Nursing, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
^b Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules of Chinese Medicine, Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, China
^c Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
^d Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
^e Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
^f Centre for Healthy Longevity, @AgeSingapore, National University Health System, Singapore
^g Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecology Oncology, Qingdao Central Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
^h School of Psychology, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China
ⁱ Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
^j NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
^k Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands

^⁎Corresponding authors.

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Highlights

•	Curcumin improves memory acquisition and retention in rodent AD models.
•	No significant effect was observed in humans, but benefits were noted for working memory.
•	Curcumin enhances processing speed in human studies, though results are mixed.
•	Higher incidence of adverse events in the curcumin treatment group.
•	Evidence from animal studies suggests curcumin may be a promising cognitive intervention for AD.
•	Animal studies show cognitive benefits of curcumin, but clinical relevance remains uncertain.

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Abstract

Background

Cognitive aging is a growing public health concern, and curcumin, a bioactive compound derived from turmeric, has been proposed as a potential intervention to support cognitive function due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Objectives

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin on cognitive outcomes related to aging.

Methods

A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted to identify studies published up to June 18, 2024, including both in vivo preclinical animal studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing curcumin's effects on cognitive function. In vivo animal studies using Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models and RCTs in human participants were included. Data were extracted and analyzed using meta-analytic techniques.

Results

In preclinical in vivo murine studies (n = 25; total animals = 572), curcumin consistently improved both acquisition memory (SMD = -1.78, 95% CI: -2.12 to -1.43) and retention memory (SMD = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.72 to 3.00) in rodent models of AD. Ten human studies include 531 participants. Overall, curcumin showed no significant effect on global cognitive outcomes compared to placebo (SMD = 0.14, 95% CI: -0.78 to 1.07). Subgroup analyses revealed significant improvements in working memory (SMD = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.15 to 1.87) and processing speed (SMD = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.67). The incidence of adverse events was higher in the curcumin group than in the control group.

Conclusions

Preclinical in vivo evidence suggests curcumin enhances cognitive function in AD models. However, human studies show inconsistent findings with benefits limited to specific cognitive domains. Larger, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to establish curcumin's efficacy and safety in cognitive aging.

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Keywords : Cognitive function, Curcumin, Aging, Meta-analysis