Summary
Curcumin is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Gulf War Illness; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Curcumin specifically in Gulf War Illness. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 curated references. The dated items are from 2026. Items here are search-derived or curated references rather than classified trial reports; treat them as leads to read, not as graded evidence.
Gulf War Illness is tracked on the OSMF post-viral programme alongside ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS and MCAS. Across the programme, 3 candidate agents are logged for Gulf War Illness, most of them preliminary; this page isolates the record for one of them.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | D · Anecdotal |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 3.0 (trials 0.0, literature 3.0, tier 0, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 curated references) |
| Agent type | Supplement (Supplement / Nutraceutical) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Investigational |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | OSMF therapeutic agent database, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed |
| Also known as | Curcumin |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Curcumin to Gulf War Illness in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Curated reference (OSMF) The comparative ameliorating effects of an amorphous formula of curcumin and α-glycosyl isoquercitrin on hippocampal dysfunction in a rat gu2026
- Curated reference PubMed record PMID 42347851
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
Clinical notes: Investigational for listed conditions. 0 associated trial(s) and 1 study reference(s) in current data. Review primary sources and consult specialists before use.
Safety: Limited specific safety data in these populations. Review full prescribing information and consult specialist. Many agents used off-label or investigational.
Dosing in studies: See linked studies/trials for reported doses and durations; typical protocols vary widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Curcumin approved for Gulf War Illness?
Curcumin is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Gulf War Illness; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Curcumin in clinical trials for Gulf War Illness?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Curcumin specifically in Gulf War Illness. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Curcumin in Gulf War Illness?
The record for Curcumin in Gulf War Illness rests on 2 publications without a registered trial. This is a lead for hypothesis generation, not evidence of efficacy. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is D (Anecdotal), taken from the OSMF therapeutic agent database, which grades agents by the volume and design of condition-specific evidence rather than by effect size.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-10-07. Page built 2026-10-07.