In the modern world, where a person is exposed to daily stress, increased physical exertion, the toxic effect of various substances, including drugs. The task of modern science is to find antioxidants for the body. These can be additives obtained both synthetically and the active substances that we get daily from food. Such a striking example is turmeric, obtained from the plant Curcuma longa. Recently, it has been known that curcumin has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer effect and, thanks to these effects, plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, in particular, from cancer to autoimmune, neurological, cardiovascular and diabetic diseases. In addition, much attention is paid to increasing the biological activity and physiological effects of curcumin on the body through the synthesis of curcumin analogues. This review discusses the chemical and physical characteristics, analogues, metabolites, the mechanisms of its physiological activity and the effect of curcumin on the body.