A 2025 systematic review in the European Journal for Integrative Medicine explored whether curcumin, a natural antioxidant and the main compound in turmeric, could help prevent or treat cataracts. A leading cause of blindness, cataracts occur when the eye’s lens becomes cloudy, often because of damage from oxidative stress.

The researchers evaluated the results of 17 studies conducted on animals (in vivo), lab-grown cells (in vitro), or both. All the studies showed that curcumin helped prevent cataracts from forming or slowed their progress by reducing damage to fats in cells and by boosting antioxidant enzymes that protect the eye.

While curcumin seems promising, no human clinical trials have been conducted yet because it does not dissolve well in water, making it difficult for the body to absorb efficiently through the digestive system. The scientists believe that making curcumin easier to absorb will be the key to determining if it can be used to treat cataracts.