Curcumin Helps Heart Health

The endothelial wall is a layer of cells that lines the inside of the heart and blood vessels. It is not as much talked about for heart health as cholesterol and blood pressure, but it is just as important. If the endothelial wall gets damaged, cholesterol can be deposited on it and plaque can develop. This process can lead to blocked arteries and atherosclerosis. The endothelial wall plays a key role in maintaining healthy blood vessel tone and structure.

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a measure of endothelial dysfunction and blood vessel. It is an important indicator of early stage atherosclerosis. Each 1% increase in FMD translates into a 13% reduction in the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event.

In this double-blind study, 59 healthy people were given either a placebo, 50mg of curcumin or 200mg of curcumin every day for 8 weeks. . . . .

The people who got the 200mg dose of curcumin had improvement in endothelial function, as measured by FMD. Compared to the placebo, FMD improved by a “clinically substantial” 3%. As seen above, that would translate into a 39% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. The 50mg dose produced a 1.7% reduction, but that was not “clinically decisive”.

The researchers praised the efficacy of curcumin by saying that it “may present a simple lifestyle strategy for decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.”

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism 2016;dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/1089653

For the latest research to keep your family healthy, get The Natural Path delivered to your inbox each month: Subscribe!