Turmeric and Ginger Together: Dangers, Precautions and Interactions

Taken in everyday culinary use — a pinch of turmeric and ginger in cooking, an occasional tea — this combination poses no particular danger for the vast majority of people. Precautions become important, however, once you combine concentrated extracts of both plants, in capsule or high-dose supplement form, or if you're on ongoing medication.

This article complements our article on the duo's proportions and uses with the safety angle, drawing on the precautions already documented for each herb taken separately.

What research shows about turmeric's interactions

A review by Bahramsoltani, Rahimi and Farzaei, published in 2017 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, surveys the documented pharmacokinetic interactions of curcuminoids — ginger-review/">turmeric's active compounds — with conventional treatments. The authors identify several possible interaction mechanisms, notably with anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, as well as with certain liver-metabolized medications, whose effect can be altered by concurrent high-dose curcumin intake (see the review on Google Scholar). Ginger, also studied for a possible mild blood-thinning effect, adds a comparable mechanism: combined at concentrated doses, the two plants together carry a theoretical risk of interaction with anticoagulant or antiplatelet treatments.

Precautions that stack up in concentrated extracts

Situation	Precaution
Anticoagulant or antiplatelet treatment (warfarin, cardiovascular aspirin…)	Medical advice required before combining concentrated extracts of both plants
History of gallstones	ginger-how-long-to-work/">Turmeric stimulates bile secretion; caution and medical advice before a course
Marked reflux or gastric acidity	Warming ginger can worsen existing acidity; see our article on acid reflux and heartburn
Scheduled surgery	Stop concentrated extracts at least one to two weeks beforehand, in coordination with the medical team, given the theoretical bleeding risk

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

The usual culinary amounts of both roots — those used in everyday cooking — pose no particular problem during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Concentrated extracts of both plants combined, however, require prior medical advice, since high-dose ginger is traditionally discouraged late in pregnancy and concentrated turmeric extract lacks sufficient safety data for this period.

Treated diabetes

Turmeric and ginger are sometimes linked to a mild effect on blood sugar in preliminary literature. In a person on antidiabetic treatment, adding concentrated extracts of both plants warrants closer blood-sugar monitoring, in agreement with the treating physician, to avoid throwing off the treatment's balance.

What remains safe

It's important not to overstate the risk: in everyday culinary use, this duo is one of the oldest and best-tolerated in Indian cuisine. The precautions above concern specifically concentrated and combined uses, not the pinch of turmeric and ginger added to a curry or an occasional tea.

Precautions

• In everyday cooking, this combination poses no particular danger for most people.
• In combined concentrated extracts, medical advice is required for anyone on anticoagulant treatment, with a history of gallstones, or with treated diabetes.
• Stop concentrated extracts before scheduled surgery.
• For general guidance, see our safety and precautions guide.