Turmericis a golden yellow spice that has been widely used for its medicinal properties. It contains a polyphenol called curcumin that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Insulin is a hormone that pulls glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into cells to be used for energy. When there isn’t enough insulin to do that, it causes an ongoing state of elevated blood sugar, also known ashyperglycemia, and results in metabolic disruption and inflammation.
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Benefits of Turmeric for Diabetes
Regulating Lipid Metabolism
Why Your Cholesterol and Triglycerides Levels Are Important
Oxidative Stress
Curcurmin can also increase the activation of enzymes, like lipid peroxides and glutathione peroxidase, that break down harmful free radicals.Free radicalssuch as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are unstable molecules that can cause widespread cell damage throughout the body.
Inflammation
Inflammationunderlies many chronic conditions, including diabetes, and increases oxidative stress and complications. Increased oxidative stress can also cause free radicals to turn on cell signaling pathways that increase the activation of inflammatory responses throughout the body, resulting in a chronic cycle of inflammation.
Tumor necrosis factor is an inflammatory protein that becomes elevated with inflammatory conditions like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Tumor necrosis factor becomes activated in the presence of high blood sugar that occurs with diabetes.
Effect of Specific Organ Systems As They Relate To Diabetes
Liver Disorders
It is common for patients with diabetes to havefatty liver diseaseor other liver disorders. Research suggests that curcumin can help regulate liver enzymes that control the levels of lipids and glucose due to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Natural Remedies for Fatty Liver Prevention
Adipose Tissue Dysfunction
Diabetes is often associated with dysfunction of adipose, or fat tissue, which controls the levels of glucose throughout the body. Adiponectin is a hormone primarily found in fat tissue that regulates blood sugar levels and the breakdown of fatty acids. In type 2 diabetes, secretion of adiponectin is disrupted and reduced due to high blood sugar levels.
Adipose (Fat) Tissue Benefits and Risks
Diabetic Neuropathy
Urinary Problems and Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetic Vascular Disease
These include suppressing accumulation of inflammatory AGE proteins and inhibiting activation of certain cells that promote oxidative stress and cell damage. Curcumin can also improve wound healing and formation of new blood vessels and reduce tumor necrosis factor that causes excessive contraction of blood vessels.
Other Diabetes-Associated Complications
Managing and Preventing Complications of Diabetes
Turmeric Challenges
Bioavailability
Side Effects
Curcumin may also have potential interactions with certain medications such as blood thinners (anticoagulants), antibiotics, antidepressants, cardiovascular medications, and cancer drugs.
A Word From Verywell
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pivari F, Mingione A, Brasacchio C, Soldati L.Curcumin and type 2 diabetes mellitus: prevention and treatment.Nutrients.2019;11(8):1837. doi: 10.3390/nu11081837Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS.Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health.Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi:10.3390/foods6100092Yuan F, Dong H, Gong J, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of turmeric and curcuminoids on blood lipids in adults with metabolic diseases.Adv Nutr. 2019;10(5):791-802. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz021Panahi Y, Hosseini MS, Khalili N, Naimi E, Simental-Mendía LE, Majeed M, Sahebkar A.Effects of curcumin on serum cytokine concentrations in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Biomed Pharmacother. 2016;82:578-82. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.05.037Mansour-Ghanaei F, Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Joukar F.Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(1):57-61. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.004Zhang DW, Fu M, Gao SH, Liu JL.Curcumin and diabetes: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:636053. doi:10.1155/2013/636053Grover M, Shah K, Khullar G, Gupta J, Behl T.Investigation of the utility of Curcuma caesia in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.J Pharm Pharmacol.2019;71(5):725-732. doi: 10.1111/jphp.13075.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pivari F, Mingione A, Brasacchio C, Soldati L.Curcumin and type 2 diabetes mellitus: prevention and treatment.Nutrients.2019;11(8):1837. doi: 10.3390/nu11081837Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS.Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health.Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi:10.3390/foods6100092Yuan F, Dong H, Gong J, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of turmeric and curcuminoids on blood lipids in adults with metabolic diseases.Adv Nutr. 2019;10(5):791-802. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz021Panahi Y, Hosseini MS, Khalili N, Naimi E, Simental-Mendía LE, Majeed M, Sahebkar A.Effects of curcumin on serum cytokine concentrations in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Biomed Pharmacother. 2016;82:578-82. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.05.037Mansour-Ghanaei F, Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Joukar F.Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(1):57-61. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.004Zhang DW, Fu M, Gao SH, Liu JL.Curcumin and diabetes: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:636053. doi:10.1155/2013/636053Grover M, Shah K, Khullar G, Gupta J, Behl T.Investigation of the utility of Curcuma caesia in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.J Pharm Pharmacol.2019;71(5):725-732. doi: 10.1111/jphp.13075.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Pivari F, Mingione A, Brasacchio C, Soldati L.Curcumin and type 2 diabetes mellitus: prevention and treatment.Nutrients.2019;11(8):1837. doi: 10.3390/nu11081837Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS.Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health.Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi:10.3390/foods6100092Yuan F, Dong H, Gong J, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of turmeric and curcuminoids on blood lipids in adults with metabolic diseases.Adv Nutr. 2019;10(5):791-802. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz021Panahi Y, Hosseini MS, Khalili N, Naimi E, Simental-Mendía LE, Majeed M, Sahebkar A.Effects of curcumin on serum cytokine concentrations in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Biomed Pharmacother. 2016;82:578-82. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.05.037Mansour-Ghanaei F, Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Joukar F.Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(1):57-61. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.004Zhang DW, Fu M, Gao SH, Liu JL.Curcumin and diabetes: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:636053. doi:10.1155/2013/636053Grover M, Shah K, Khullar G, Gupta J, Behl T.Investigation of the utility of Curcuma caesia in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.J Pharm Pharmacol.2019;71(5):725-732. doi: 10.1111/jphp.13075.
Pivari F, Mingione A, Brasacchio C, Soldati L.Curcumin and type 2 diabetes mellitus: prevention and treatment.Nutrients.2019;11(8):1837. doi: 10.3390/nu11081837
Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS.Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health.Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92. doi:10.3390/foods6100092
Yuan F, Dong H, Gong J, et al.A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effects of turmeric and curcuminoids on blood lipids in adults with metabolic diseases.Adv Nutr. 2019;10(5):791-802. doi:10.1093/advances/nmz021
Panahi Y, Hosseini MS, Khalili N, Naimi E, Simental-Mendía LE, Majeed M, Sahebkar A.Effects of curcumin on serum cytokine concentrations in subjects with metabolic syndrome: A post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Biomed Pharmacother. 2016;82:578-82. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2016.05.037
Mansour-Ghanaei F, Pourmasoumi M, Hadi A, Joukar F.Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on liver enzymes in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.Integr Med Res. 2019;8(1):57-61. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.07.004
Zhang DW, Fu M, Gao SH, Liu JL.Curcumin and diabetes: a systematic review.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:636053. doi:10.1155/2013/636053
Grover M, Shah K, Khullar G, Gupta J, Behl T.Investigation of the utility of Curcuma caesia in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.J Pharm Pharmacol.2019;71(5):725-732. doi: 10.1111/jphp.13075.
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