Curcumin may reduce body weight and improve cardiometabolic outcomes Original paper

In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, supplementation with curcumin slightly reduced body weight and improved cardiometabolic biomarkers in adults with metabolic disorders

The effect of supplementation with curcumin on a range of outcomes in the context of metabolic disorders.

Specifically, the following outcomes were studied:

• Anthropometric parameters: Body weight, BMI, and waist circumference
• Biomarkers of glycemic control: Fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin, and insulin resistance
• Blood lipids: Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; a biomarker of inflammation)
• Adiponectin (low levels of which are associated with metabolic abnormalities)

A total of 2,462 men and women (average ages of 35–70), including 1,455 participants with impaired glycemic control (prediabetes or type 2 diabetes), 701 with metabolic syndrome, and 306 with hyperlipidemia.

A meta-analysis of 31 randomized controlled trials was performed. The trials were conducted in Iran, Thailand, China, Italy, Pakistan, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Brazil. Four trials administered nanocurcumin (a form of curcumin with high-bioavailability) at a daily dose of 80 mg, 14 trials used other curcumin formulations with high bioavailability (such as curcumin phytosome and curcumin + piperine), and 13 trials used curcumin formulations with low bioavailability (such as turmeric powder and curcumin powder). The comparator was a placebo in all of the trials. The intervention duration ranged from 4 to 36 weeks.

Compared to placebo, supplementation with curcumin reduced (improved) body weight (−0.94 kg), BMI (−0.40), fasting glucose (−0.50 mg/dL), HbA1c (−0.42%), insulin (−1.70 µIU/mL), insulin resistance, and hs-CRP (−1.11 mg/L), and increased (improved) HDL cholesterol (+1.73 mg/dL).

The risk of bias was unclear in all of the trials.

Although the researchers performed dose-response analyses and subgroup analyses based on the type of curcumin formulation used, the benefits of curcumin could not be clearly attributed to a specific type of formulation or range of doses.