Does Turmeric Change the Colour of Your Urine?

Updated July 2026

Started taking turmeric and noticed your wee looking a bit different lately? You're not imagining things. Short answer: yes, it can happen, and most of the time it's nothing to fuss over. But there's one specific pattern of symptoms buried in the research that's genuinely worth knowing, so stick with us for a few minutes.

So, does turmeric change your urine?

Yes. Curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric its colour, is an incredibly strong natural dye. Anyone who's ever tried to get a turmeric stain out of a white t-shirt knows this already. Take enough of it, especially in supplement form rather than a spoonful in your cooking, and some of it ends up being processed by your liver and gut and passed out in urine. The result is often a brighter, more golden yellow, sometimes tipping into a darker amber. By itself, that's not something to worry about.

Why does it happen?

It comes down to how concentrated the dose is. A curry has a modest pinch of turmeric spread across a big pot of food. A capsule, on the other hand, can pack in a much more concentrated amount, and supplements that include black pepper extract (piperine) tend to push absorption even higher. More curcumin in, more curcumin has to come back out somewhere, and urine is one of the routes.

What about kidney stones?

Here's a detail that gets missed a lot: a study in the Journal of Urology found that supplemental doses of turmeric raised urinary oxalate levels quite a bit, and oxalate is one of the main building blocks of kidney stones. Cinnamon, tested alongside it in the same study, didn't have that effect. None of this means everyone taking turmeric will end up with a stone, but if you've had kidney stones before, or they run in the family, it's a sensible thing to flag with your GP or pharmacist before you start.

The bit that actually matters: telling harmless from not-harmless

Most articles on this topic stop at "it's just a bit of yellow dye, don't worry." We think that's leaving something important out. Australia's medicines regulator, the TGA, looked into reports of liver problems in people taking turmeric or curcumin supplements (up to mid-2023) and found a rare but real risk, mostly tied to high-dose or "enhanced absorption" products. A handful of the cases they reviewed were serious, and one was fatal. To be clear, the TGA didn't find this risk at normal cooking-level amounts of turmeric, just supplements, and mainly the stronger ones. Case reports elsewhere describe symptoms showing up after roughly one to four months of regular use, and usually clearing up once the person stops taking it.

So how do you tell the difference? A bit more yellow than usual, on its own, is nothing. But dark, tea-coloured urine alongside pale stools, yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain or feeling unusually tired is a different story altogether. If that combination turns up after starting a turmeric or curcumin supplement, stop taking it and get it checked out, ideally the same day rather than waiting it out.

Other things that turn your wee a funny colour

Turmeric has plenty of company here. Beetroot can turn urine pink or red. Fava beans, blackberries and rhubarb can all do something similar. Eat a huge amount of carrots and you might notice a change too. Multivitamins are probably the most common culprit of all, thanks to riboflavin (vitamin B2), which turns urine an almost fluorescent yellow in a lot of people. Food dyes can do it as well. All of these are temporary and nothing to lose sleep over. If your urine changes colour and none of this applies to you, that's when it's worth a chat with your GP.

And what does liver trouble actually look like?

Once you've ruled out the obvious (not drinking enough water is the number one cause of dark urine, by a mile), dark orange, amber or brown urine can point to a build-up of bilirubin, which happens when the liver can't clear it fast enough. Look out for pale, almost clay-coloured stools alongside it, plus jaundice, that yellowish cast to the skin and the whites of the eyes. Any of that combined with stomach discomfort is a reason to see a doctor rather than wait and see.

Turmeric's other side effects

Used as a normal cooking spice, turmeric is well tolerated by most people. Push the dose up with supplements and some people get an upset stomach, nausea, diarrhoea or cramps, usually settling down within a week. If it doesn't, or it's severe, stop and speak to a pharmacist or GP.

It can also interact with medication, warfarin and other blood thinners in particular, and isn't the best idea for anyone with gallbladder issues or an operation coming up. Taking anything else regularly, or managing an existing condition? Check with a pharmacist first.

Is it fine to take every day?

As a cooking ingredient, generally yes, most people can eat turmeric daily without any issue. Supplements are a different amount of it altogether, so stick to whatever dose is on the label rather than assuming more equals better, and if you're planning to take a high-strength or enhanced-absorption version long term, run it past a healthcare professional first.

Quick questions, quick answers

What does turmeric do to your pee?
At supplement strength, curcumin can pass through into urine and turn it a brighter yellow or darker amber. Usually harmless, but see above for the exception worth knowing.

What are the signs of taking too much turmeric?
Stomach upset, nausea, diarrhoea and cramps are the common ones. Dark, tea-coloured urine together with nausea, stomach pain or yellowing skin or eyes is more serious and needs medical attention promptly.

Is turmeric hard on your kidneys?
It can raise urinary oxalate levels at supplement doses, which is a kidney stone risk factor. Worth mentioning to your GP if stones run in your family or you've had one before.

Which urine colour should worry me?
Dark, tea-coloured or brown urine, especially with pale stools, yellow skin or eyes, nausea or stomach pain, is the combination that needs a doctor. Plain bright yellow on its own is usually just diet, supplements or being a bit dehydrated.

Does turmeric change the colour of your poo too?
It can, slightly, though pale, clay-coloured stools specifically point more to a liver or bile duct issue, and paired with dark urine that's worth getting checked rather than putting down to your last curry.

When's the best time to take it?
No firm rule here. Curcumin is fat-soluble, so having it with a meal that includes some fat may help it absorb better, but otherwise just follow whatever your specific product recommends.

One last thing: none of this is medical advice, just general information to help you make sense of what you're seeing. If a urine colour change sticks around, or turns up with any of the symptoms above, please get it looked at by your GP or pharmacist rather than waiting to see if it passes.

More questions about supplements and how your body reacts to them? Have a browse of the rest of our Health Insiders blog, or send us a message on Instagram.