Curcuminoids May Lead to Healthier Hearts

Curcuminoids May Lead to Healthier Hearts

SENDAI, Japan--Scientists from Tohoku University GraduateSchool of Life Science and Agriculture studying the effects of dietarycurcuminoid supplementation on lipid metabolism in rats discovered thatcurcuminoids display antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic and hypercholesterolemicactivities (J Nutrition, 131:2932-35, 2001) (www.nutrition.org).Male rats were assigned to three high-fat diet groups for two weeks: 1) .2 gcurcumioids per 100 g diet; 2) 1 g curcuminoids per 100 g diet; and 3) control.Liver triacylglycerol and cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower inthe 1 g group compared to the control. Based on these results, scientistsconcluded that dietary curcuminoids may have lipid-lowering effects.