This May Be the Strongest Evidence Yet that Curcumin Benefits Diabetics
Type 2 diabetes is becoming alarmingly more common and has become a leading global health problem. Massive evidence continues to mount that the herb turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin, are safe and very effective for treating diabetes. This massive new meta-analysis adds importantly to that evidence.
There are already a great number of studies and meta-analysis supporting the use of turmeric/curcumin for diabetes. In fact, the authors of this study found 14 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2015 and 2022. They put them altogether into a comprehensive umbrella analysis, which is one of the highest levels of evidence. They also conducted an updated meta-analysis of 28 studies that compared curcumin or turmeric to placebo.
The umbrella analysis identified 9 systematic reviews and meta-analyses that looked at fasting blood glucose. 8 of them found significant improvement on turmeric/curcumin. Crucially, of 9 systematic reviews and meta-analysis that measured HbA1c, 8 of them found significant reductions. This finding is crucial because HbA1c is the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control. 3 out of 5 systematic reviews and meta-analysis also found significant improvement in insulin resistance as measured by HOMA-IR.
When it came to the updated meta-analysis of people with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes or metabolic syndrome, the results showed that turmeric/curcumin significantly reduced fasting blood glucose and HbA1c compared to placebo. It also significantly improved insulin resistance.
These results, which put together all previous results, may offer the strongest evidence yet that turmeric and curcumin may significantly improve diabetes.
PLoS One. 2023;18(7):e0288997.
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