Lee Swanson Research Update

Curcumin May Offer Benefits for Diabetics

Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, could have benefits for diabetics, a joint Korean-American study suggests.

A mouse model of diabetes was used to test the effects of curcumin on various variables and significant improvements were reported for insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, scientists from Sunchon National University and Kyungpook National University in Korea and Columbia University in the U.S. reported. If results of the study, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, can be repeated in humans, it may suggest potential for the spice for diabetes management or prevention.

The researchers, led by Mi-Kyung Lee, used diabetic mice, so-called db/db mice, and non-diabetic controls, named db/+. The animals were fed diets with or without added curcumin for six weeks. The study found that diabetic mice supplemented with curcumin experienced lower blood glucose levels than the controls. The animals also lost less weight.

Also, activity of the glucokinase enzyme in the liver was higher in the diabetic mice following the curcumin-supplemented diet than in the diabetic control group. This enzyme plays a key role in the conversion of glucose into glycogen, the body’s main carbohydrate stores This would blunt the glucose rise following the meal.

The spice was also linked to reduced activity for other enzymes associated with the production of markers of cardiovascular health, such as free fatty acids, cholesterol and triglyceride, which were also significantly lower following curcumin supplementation in the diabetic animals.

Importantly, no effects were observed on blood glucose, plasma insulin and glucose-regulating enzyme activities in the non-diabetic animals, stated the researchers. “These results suggest that curcumin seemed to be a potential glucose-lowering agent and antioxidant in type 2 diabetic db/db mice, but that had no affect in non-diabetic db/+ mice,” they concluded.

Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, published online ahead of print

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