An estimated 537 million adults worldwide have type II diabetes, and the numbers are rising.¹

The high blood sugar that defines diabetes can lead to a host of dangerous conditions including heart disease, vision loss, kidney failure, and other major health problems.² All of which significantly contribute to accelerated aging.³

Curcumin, derived from the turmeric root, has been clinically shown to help reduce multiple risk factors for type II diabetes and to lower elevated blood sugar in those with diabetes or prediabetes.^4-6

Managing type II diabetes can be challenging for both patient and doctor.  While physicians usually recommend diet, exercise, and medications for treating patients with type II diabetes, research is showing that curcumin can provide additional support.⁶

Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

When we take in food, our blood sugar rises. That signals the pancreas to release a hormone called insulin, which helps cells use that glucose for energy. As a result, blood sugar falls again.

Type II diabetes results from insulin resistance when cells don't respond properly to the hormone. Blood sugar levels stay elevated, which is known as hyperglycemia.⁷ 

Hyperglycemia can lead to systemic complications including diseases of the heart, blood vessels, kidneys, eyes, and nervous system, and an increased risk for cancer.²

How Diabetes Harms the Body

Inflammation likely contributes to the development of insulin resistance, and worsens hyperglycemia, in diabetes. ^8,9

That high blood sugar triggers more inflammation, which drives accelerated aging10 and risk for chronic illness, including heart disease and cancer.^9,11,12

Excess glucose also leads to oxidative stress, which can severely damage cells and tissues.^8,13 Among other problems, oxidative stress results in:¹⁴

• Decreased glucose transport and insulin secretion,
• Protein and DNA damage,
• Increased vascular permeability.

How Curcumin Helps

For thousands of years, turmeric root has been used as a traditional Asian medicine.

The most studied compounds in turmeric are curcuminoids, which include curcumin and related compounds.^15-17

Scientists have discovered that curcumin has multiple molecular targets that make it ideal for modulating certain molecular pathways to help reduce the risk of elevated blood sugar.^18,19

Specifically, curcumin has many health-promoting properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood sugar lowering effects.^18,19

Curcumin can help protect against the development of diabetes and the harm diabetes can do in multiple ways, including:¹⁸

• Activating PPAR-gamma, a metabolic regulator that increases insulin sensitivity and lowers insulin resistance,^18,20
• Anti-inflammatory actions, including inhibiting signaling molecules that increase inflammation,¹⁸
• Improving the function and health of cells that make insulin,^18,21
• Reducing the formation of advanced glycation end products and protecting against the damage they can do,^22,23
• Antioxidant activity, which reduces oxidative stress, and
• Improving lipid levels, reducing some markers of metabolic dysfunction and heart disease.

In animal models, curcumin extract shows promise in helping to prevent diabetes development and decreases insulin resistance.^15,18,19,24

Human Trials

Clinical trials and meta-analyses have shown that curcumin intake can benefit those with type II diabetes or prediabetes, and even those who are completely healthy.^6,21,25-27

In a randomized controlled trial of overweight people with type II diabetes, taking 1500 mg of curcumin for 10 weeks resulted in significantly lower fasting blood glucose of 7mg/dl in those taking the curcumin supplements as compared to the baseline group.

In the placebo arm of this study, a 3 mg/dl rise was observed as compared to baseline. Additionally, there was a decline in body weight by 1.4 lbs. in average body weight in the group that received curcumin as compared to the baseline.²⁵

Another trial of patients with type II diabetes found that taking 1500 mg of curcumin for 10 weeks decreased triglycerides and inflammatory markers. Interestingly, it also increased levels of adiponectin, a hormone that enhances insulin sensitivity.²⁶ Low levels of adiponectin are associated with type II diabetes and obesity.²⁸

Wide-Ranging Antidiabetic Benefits

Many reviews and analyses of clinical trials have also concluded that curcumin can be a beneficial support to help manage diabetes and metabolic health.

In a review of seven clinical studies of people with type II diabetes, taking curcumin at doses ranging from 80 mg to 1500 mg led to improvements across a range of health markers related to type II diabetes:⁶

• Improvement in lipid levels, including reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, a lipid that increases risk of heart disease, and
• Reduction in HbA1c levels (frequently used to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes) on average 0.42 mg/dl in treatment groups as compared to baseline.

Additional reviews of trials in people with type II diabetes and prediabetes found that taking curcumin led to improvements in insulin and blood sugar levels, Increased levels of adiponectin, the hormone that improves insulin sensitivity, liver enzymes, lipid levels, and more.^5,29

Taken together, these studies and reviews show that curcumin may lower the chances of developing type II diabetes to begin with and can reduce some of its consequences in those who already suffer from diabetes.

Summary

Type II diabetes is an escalating epidemic.

Curcumin has shown an ability to help prevent its development.

It also lowers damaging high blood sugar and prevents some of its unhealthy effects in those who already have type II diabetes or prediabetes.

References

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