Turmeric for Diabetes

Posted on June 25, 2008 in Latest News

Turmeric, an Indian cooking spice may play a vital role in positively influencing diabetes and obesity, according to a new study.

Researchers from Columbia University Medical Centre carried out studies to find that curcumin, the anti-nflammatory, anti-oxidant agent in turmeric acts to significantly reduce insulin resistance and block Type 2 diabetes. This ingredient also reduced inflammation in fat tissue.

In the study using a mouse model, lead researcher Drew Tortoriello, an endocrinologist and research scientist at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Centre found that mice treated with turmeric were less susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes.

Moreover, the turmeric-fed obese mice displayed reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver compared to controls.

The researchers suggest that cur cumin lessens insulin resistance and prevents Type 2 diabetes in these mouse models by dampening the inflammatory response provoked by obesity.

Cur cumin administration was also associated with a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content, despite level or higher calorie consumption, suggesting that cur cumin beneficially influences body composition.

“It’s too early to tell whether increasing dietary cur cumin [through turmeric] intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit,” Dr. Tortoriello said.

“Although the daily intake of cur cumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of cur cumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment,” he added.

Dr. Tortoriello concludes that turmeric reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic problems ssociated with obesity and improves blood-sugar control in mouse models of Type 2 diabetes.

The study was presented at at ENDO 2008, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San rancisco this week.

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