Thirty days of receiving one gram per day of Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex led to significant decreases in triglyceride levels in obese people, according to findings published in Phytotherapy Research.
Abnormal amount of lipids (dyslipidemia) is a common feature of obesity, explained researchers from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in Iran and the University of Keele in England, and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
However, no changes were observed for HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol, they added.
Curcumin
The study adds to the list of potential health benefits of curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color.
The compound has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with research groups around the globe investigating its potential benefits for reducing cholesterol levels, improving cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of Alzheimer's, and potential protection against cancer.
Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex is a combination of curcuminoids with the natural bioavailability-enhancer BioPerine.
Study details
The researchers recruited 30 obese people to participate in their placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or one gram per day of the curcumin complex for 30 days. This was followed by a two-week washout period and the participants were then assigned to the other group for a further 30 days.
Results showed that curcumin supplementation reduced triglyceride levels by between 10 and 13% (first period, from 105.7 to 95.1 mg/dL, and second period, from 120.7 to 104.7 mg/dL), while no significant changes on other lipid profile parameters were observed. In addition, no significant changes to body mass index and body fat were recorded.
Mechanism?
The triglyceride-lowering activity is probabaly linked to curcumin’s insulin sensitizing effects, said the researchers.
“There is a pile of evidence indicating an increased risk of insulin resistance syndrome and diabetes mellitus in obese individuals,” they added , and this is attributed to changes in the secretion of adipokines and inflammatory cytokines by the fat (adipose) tissue.
“Improvement of adipokine status together with antiinflammatory effects of curcumin are potential mechanisms, which might be responsible for its beneficial impacts in the mitigation of insulin resistance.”
The study was funded by the Mashhad University of Medical Science.
