There are only a few natural products that have demonstrated the wide range of protective properties as curcumin. Turmeric has three main bioactive components which are curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. These curcuminoids have many biological effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

According to a new study published last month in the Complementary Therapies in Medicine, researchers demonstrated that curcuminoid supplementation can reduce lipoprotein(a) and increase HDL-C which may reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event in diabetic patients with dyslipidemia.

This study included a total of 82 patients with type II diabetes 18 to 65 years of age. Each patient took either 1000 mg of standardized curcumin or a placebo for 12 weeks. Baseline lab testing included serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, non-HDL-C, and lipoprotein(a). At the end of the twelve weeks there was a significant reduction of serum lipoprotein(a) and an increase in HDL-C concentrations only seen in the curcuminoid group. There were no significant changes in total cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides in either group.

This is an interesting study since the ability to influence liprotein(a) is very limited. Niacin is one of the only natural agents that can significantly reduce liprotein(a), however, this is not effective for everyone.

Curcumin is used for some many applications and health benefits. This study demonstrates one other application for dyslipidemia in patients with type II diabetes.

Health care providers have many tools today to assess cardiovascular health and support the body’s physiology. It is essential to perform a thorough assessment for these patients. This may include looking at lipid fractionation profiles, chronic inflammatory markers (ferritin, hs-CRP, fibrinogen), nutrient markers (magnesium, potassium, selenium, copper, folate, B12, B6, zinc, and calcium), fat soluble vitamins (CoQ10, vitamin D, vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitmain E), oxidative stress factors (homocysteine, insulin, and lipid peroxidases), heavy metals, and a fatty acid profiles. A successful treatment approach should include investigation into these factors.

By Michael Jurgelewicz, DC, DACBN, DCBCN, CNS

Source: Panahi Y, Khalili N et al. Curcuminoids modif lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized control trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2017 August;22:1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.05.006.

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