Curcumin extract shows good results in type 2 diabetes trial

A curcumin extract improved insulin function and helped subjects lose weight in a long-term trial conducted in Thailand.

The new research was published in the research publication Nutrition Journal. It was the work of a group of researchers associated with hospitals and medical and pharmacy schools in Thailand.

The goal of the research was to evaluate a curcumin extract in improving various parameters in moderately obese patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The intervention was an ethanolic extract of turmeric rhizomes that had been grown in western Thailand.  Both the intervention and the placebo were manufactured by the Thailand Government Pharmaceutical Organization.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem worldwide. According to a 2020 study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), more than 6% of the world’s population — or about 462 million people — suffer from the ailment. In 2017, more than 1 million deaths were attributed to the condition, making it the ninth leading cause of death that year. That’s a stunning rise since 1990, the NIH study said, when type 2 diabetes was the 18^th leading cause of death.

Type 2 diabetes is most prevalent in Western Europe and North America (including Mexico). However, the prevalence in Thailand, while lower than the regions just mentioned, is the highest in Southeast Asia.

More than 200 subjects were recruited for the trial, which was notable in its duration of 12 months. All the subjects were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and all were being treated with metformin. To avoid introducing confounding factors, all patients being treated with other medications were excluded.

The subjects were all moderately obese with an average BMI (body mass index) of about 27. The average weight of both arms of the cohort was about 154 pounds.

The subjects received nutrition and lifestyle counseling at the beginning of the yearlong trial.

They took 1,500 mg of the curcumin extract or an equivalent placebo daily for the duration of the 12-month study.

The primary outcome was evaluated by changes of the beta cell functions as measured by a mathematical approach known as HOMA-β. According to the National Institutes of Health “HOMA2-β is a validated mathematical tool commonly used to estimate beta cell function in type 2 diabetes using fasting glucose and insulin.”

Secondary outcomes of the study involved measurements of fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), body weight, body mass index, insulin, insulin resistance, adiponectin and leptin. 

Adiponectin is a hormone related to insulin function, while leptin — another hormone — is connected to obesity.

The researchers found a significant improvement in beta cell function in the curcumin group. They also saw significant weight loss in this group, with the average dropping from about 154 pounds at the start of the study to 145 pounds by the end. The placebo group’s beta cell function and weight measurements remained unchanged.

“Curcumin treatment in type 2 diabetes patients with obesity appeared to improve overall β-cell functions and reduce both of IR (insulin resistance) and body weight, with very minor adverse effects,” the study authors concluded.