Herbs as food vs herbs as medicine: turmeric, andrographis, fingerroot

The turmeric in a yellow curry and the turmeric capsule someone takes every morning share a name, but they are not the same thing. The amount, the concentration, how long you take it and what medicines you take alongside it can change the risk a lot. This article looks at three herbs found in most Thai homes and where the line falls between eating them as food and taking them as medicine.

This is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend doses or claim that any herb treats any disease. If you want to use an herb as medicine, ask a doctor or pharmacist.

What makes food different from medicine?

Kitchen herbs go in a little at a time, eaten with rice, some days and not others. Your body gets small, irregular amounts of the active compounds. As a capsule, compressed tablet or extract, three things change.

	As food	As medicine or supplement
Amount	enough for aroma and flavour	aimed at a large dose of active compounds; some are concentrated extracts
Duration	now and then	daily, for weeks or months
Taken with	the rest of the meal	possibly regular medicines, or several herbs in one formula

“Natural” does not mean “safe at any amount.” The more concentrated, the longer you take it and the more medicines you combine it with, the more reason to ask someone who knows medicines.

Turmeric: in a curry vs in a capsule

Turmeric in curry pastes and food is ordinary eating. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the US says turmeric is generally safe in food and tea, but that supplements are stronger than the herbs used in cooking.

On the supplement side, a few things are worth knowing.

• Liver. The US Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) published 10 cases of liver injury linked to turmeric products in 2023. All were enrolled since 2011, and 6 since 2017. The authors concluded the problem appears to be increasing, perhaps because more people take it and more products add black pepper (piperine), which increases absorption.
• High-absorption formulas. The US NCCIH says liver damage has been reported in some people who took curcumin products formulated to be absorbed better.
• Blood thinners. MSK advises that people on warfarin or other blood thinners should not take turmeric supplements, as they may increase the risk of bleeding.
• Pregnancy. NCCIH says turmeric supplements during pregnancy may be unsafe.

The numbers from those 10 cases

These figures show what “rare, but not minor” looks like.

1. Of 10 patients, 5 were hospitalised and 1 died of acute liver failure.
2. Injury typically began about 1-4 months after starting, not on day one.
3. Of 7 products that could be tested, all contained turmeric and 3 also contained black pepper.

Point 2 matters most for daily users. A month or two without trouble does not mean nothing will happen. NCCIH advises stopping and contacting a doctor if you notice symptoms such as unusual tiredness, dark urine, poor appetite or yellowing of the skin or eyes.

If you have liver disease, or take blood thinners or antiplatelet drugs, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking turmeric supplements.

Andrographis: not a kitchen herb, but in almost every home

Andrographis (fa thalai chon) is not used in cooking; most people take it as capsules when they have a cold, so it sits on the medicine side from the start. Thailand’s National List of Essential Medicines for herbal products, as summarised by Mahidol University’s Faculty of Pharmacy, says:

• Indication: relief of sore throat and common-cold symptoms, that is, once you have symptoms. There is no indication for taking it as prevention.
• Do not use if you are allergic to andrographis, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• After 3 days: if you have used it for 3 days and are not better, or symptoms get worse while using it, stop and see a doctor.
• Other medicines: take care when combining it with anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs and blood-pressure medicines, as it may add to their effect.
• Listed side effects include stomach pain, diarrhoea, nausea, dizziness, palpitations and hives.

Severe allergy: what Australia found

Australia’s medicines regulator, the TGA, has recorded 287 reports of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) linked to andrographis products since 2005, including a fatal case reported in June 2024. The TGA says reactions can happen on first use or after earlier use without problems, often within about 30 minutes. From 17 September 2026 the TGA removed andrographis from the ingredients allowed in Australia’s low-risk listed medicines.

If you get hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or face, trouble breathing or feel faint after taking andrographis or any herb, stop and go to hospital straight away.

Fingerroot: fine as food, extracts still under study

Fingerroot (krachai) in jungle curry, fish-curry sauce for rice noodles or a spicy stir-fry is ordinary food. During COVID, many fingerroot drinks and extract products appeared after news of research showing compounds in fingerroot could inhibit the virus.

What matters is that most of this research has been in the lab and in animals such as rats and dogs, as groundwork for developing a medicine. Safety and the right dose in people still need more study. If you take regular medicines, ask a pharmacist before taking fingerroot extracts or concentrated fingerroot drinks regularly.

General rules for any herb

• Ask first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, giving it to a child, have a chronic condition or take regular medicines, before using an herb as a medicine or supplement.
• Before surgery, tell your care team in advance about every herb and supplement you take. Some increase bleeding risk.
• Tell them everything. When you see a doctor or buy medicines, mention every herb and supplement, not just your prescriptions.
• Buy registered products. If you take an herb as medicine, choose a product with a Thai FDA registration number on the label, check the number on the Thai FDA website or the Oryor Smart Application, and follow the label.
• Stop at any sign of allergy and see a doctor.

The herbs in our kitchen are food: grow them, pick them, put them in the pot and enjoy them. But on the day you reach for a capsule or a bottle of extract, think like someone taking medicine: ask first, read the label, and know when to stop.

Sources

• Q&A on andrographis under Thailand’s National List of Essential Medicines (herbal), Medicinal Plant Information Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (Thai)
• Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric: Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network, The American Journal of Medicine (2023)
• Turmeric: Usefulness and Safety, NCCIH (NIH)
• Turmeric, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• TGA pulls the plug on popular cold and flu ingredient, Australian Pharmacist (2026)