Drug & supplement interaction

Turmeric + emtricitabine, tenofovir

emtricitabine, tenofovir brand name: Truvada.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Turmeric has a moderate interaction with emtricitabine, tenofovir. Theoretically, turmeric might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Turmeric and emtricitabine, tenofovir

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS

Why this applies to emtricitabine, tenofovir

emtricitabine, tenofovir falls under HEPATOTOXIC DRUGS — the group Turmeric interacts with.

Theoretically, turmeric might increase the risk of liver damage when taken with hepatotoxic drugs.
There is concern that turmeric might cause hepatotoxicity, especially when highly bioavailable formulations are used in high doses.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version of what we're looking at with Truvada (emtricitabine/tenofovir) and turmeric. Both can, in rare cases, be hard on the liver. The worry isn't that turmeric changes how Truvada works in your body. It's that stacking two things that may stress the liver could, in theory, add up to a higher chance of liver irritation.

I'll be honest though: this concern is mostly based on scattered reports, not strong studies. The cases of liver trouble linked to turmeric have generally involved concentrated, high-dose supplements, often the highly absorbable formulas, not the turmeric you sprinkle on food. Cooking amounts are very unlikely to matter. Signs to watch for would be yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine, belly pain, or unusual tiredness. If you want a turmeric supplement, run it past your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Lombardi N, Crescioli G, Maggini V, et al. Acute liver injury following turmeric use in Tuscany: an analysis of the Italian Phytovigilance database and systematic review of case reports. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2020. PubMed
  2. Sohal A, Alhankawi D, Sandhu S, Chintanaboina J. Turmeric-induced hepatotoxicity: Report of 2 cases. Int Med Case Rep J 2021;14:849-852. PubMed
  3. 109288 Halegoua-DeMarzio D, Navarro V, Ahmad J, et al. Liver injury associated with turmeric-A growing problem: Ten cases from the drug-induced liver injury network [DILIN]. Am J Med. 2022:S0002-9343(22)00740-9. PubMed
  4. Arzallus T, Izagirre A, Castiella A, Torrente S, Garmendia M, Zapata EM. Drug induced autoimmune hepatitis after turmeric intake. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Turmeric Also Interacts With Other Medications

Turmeric has 1,057 moderate, 76 minor known drug interactions in our database — the emtricitabine, tenofovir one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,057 Minor 76 No known interaction 1,697 (incl. emtricitabine, tenofovir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Turmeric

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Turmeric. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Turmeric or emtricitabine, tenofovir

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Turmeric or emtricitabine, tenofovir, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With emtricitabine, tenofovir

This page covers Turmeric only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the emtricitabine, tenofovir page lists 64 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 49 moderate · 10 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the emtricitabine, tenofovir page

“Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir) is taken every day to treat or prevent HIV, and its protection depends on steady drug levels and healthy organs to process it, so the 64 supplements on this page warrant real vigilance rather than a quick skim. The largest group, 38 ingredients, can stress the liver, and heavy alcohol leads it (bot…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the emtricitabine, tenofovir interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Turmeric as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 1,368 real supplement products containing Turmeric, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Turmeric. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with emtricitabine, tenofovir too, on top of Turmeric — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Turmeric and emtricitabine, tenofovir Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Turmeric
Top 5%

#27 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication emtricitabine, tenofovir
Top 10%

#158 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Turmeric

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric
  • Joint pain and arthritis
  • Inflammation
  • Digestive upset
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin conditions

Turmeric is a popular spice whose main active compounds, curcuminoids, are studied mostly for inflammation and joint pain. Some research is promising, but quality is mixed and curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own. For most people, dietary amounts are safe, but talk to your pharmacist or doctor before taking concentrated supplements, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition.

Read the full Turmeric monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Turmeric

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Turmeric — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
1,057Moderate
76Minor
1,696No known interaction
1,057 Moderate 76 Minor 1,696 No interaction
Moderate

1,057 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,057 moderate interactions — see all 1,057 on the Turmeric page.

Minor

76 interactions

Showing 60 of 76 minor interactions — see all 76 on the Turmeric page.

No interaction 1,696 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Turmeric against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,696 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Turmeric list.

See the full Turmeric interactions page
See every supplement checked against emtricitabine, tenofovir, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Turmeric monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place emtricitabine, tenofovir supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against emtricitabine, tenofovir, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Turmeric and emtricitabine, tenofovir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Turmeric with emtricitabine, tenofovir?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Turmeric and emtricitabine, tenofovir interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About emtricitabine, tenofovir and Turmeric?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.