Curcumin can Lower Blood Sugar

Introduction

Curcumin —the bright-yellow compound in turmeric—has been studied for its possible benefits on weight, blood sugar, cholesterol, and liver fat. Below are five recent clinical trials with all the key numbers.

1. Brazilian Women With Large Waists (90 days, 500 mg/day)

What was measured?	Result with curcumin	Result with placebo	p-value
Body-weight change	-1.5 kg	-0.5 kg	< 0.05
Fasting blood sugar	-6.7 mg/dL	+6.33 mg/dL	< 0.05
Triglycerides	-17.55 mg/dL	+19.27 mg/dL	< 0.05
Total cholesterol	-15.25 mg/dL	+6.60 mg/dL	< 0.05

No meaningful changes in body-fat %, waist size, exercise, or diet.

2. Thai Adults With Type 2 Diabetes (12 months, 1 500 mg/day)

• Fasting blood sugar: 115.49 mg/dL vs. 130.71 mg/dL (curcumin vs. placebo, p < 0.05)

• HbA1c: 6.12 % vs. 6.47 % (p < 0.05)

• β-cell function (HOMA-β): 136.20 vs. 105.19 (p < 0.01)

• Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): 4.86 vs. 6.04 (p < 0.001)

• Adiponectin: 14.51 µg/mL vs. 10.36 µg/mL (p < 0.001)

• Leptin: 9.42 µg/mL vs. 20.66 µg/mL (p < 0.001)

• BMI: 25.98 kg/m² vs. 27.34 kg/m² (p < 0.001)

  
  

3. Chinese Patients With Simple Fatty Liver (24 weeks, 500 mg/day)

Outcome	Difference vs. placebo
Liver-fat (CAP)	-17.5 dB/m (p < 0.001)
Bodyweight	-2.6 kg (p < 0.001)
BMI	-1.0 kg/m² (p = 0.032)
Fasting glucose	-0.03 mmol/L vs. +0.03 mmol/L (p < 0.05)
Triglycerides & FFAs	Lower (p < 0.05)

Extra findingsBetter gut bacteria balance (lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio), higher Bacteroides, more deoxycholic acid, stronger TGR5 signaling, and higher GLP-1.

4. Healthy Australians After One Meal (single dose, 180 mg)

• 60 min blood sugar drop: -60.6 % with curcumin (p = 0.0007)

• 60 min blood sugar drop: -51 % with curcumin + fish-oil (p = 0.002)

• Glucose AUC: -36 % (curcumin, p = 0.003); -30 % (curcumin + fish-oil, p = 0.004)

• Insulin after meal: -26 % vs. placebo (both curcumin options)

• Fish-oil alone did not help.

  
  

5. Chinese Overweight/Obese Adults With Type 2 Diabetes (3 months, 300 mg/day)

Marker	Curcuminoids (n = 50)	Placebo (n = 50)	p-value
Fasting glucose	7.28 ± 1.77 mmol/L	8.17 ± 2.06 mmol/L	< 0.01
HbA1c	↓ (p = 0.031)	—
HOMA-IR	↓ (p < 0.01)	—
FFAs	↓ (p < 0.01)	—
Triglycerides	↓ (p = 0.018)	—
Lipoprotein-lipase	↑ (p < 0.01)	—

Big-Picture Takeaways

• Blood sugar control: All five studies, across doses from 180 mg to 1 500 mg and durations from one meal to 12 months, showed lower fasting or post-meal glucose and lower HbA1c.

• Insulin & insulin resistance: Curcumin improved β-cell function (HOMA-β) and lowered insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

• Cholesterol & triglycerides: Multiple trials reported drops in triglycerides (-17.55 mg/dL; -17.55 mg/dL; p < 0.05) and total cholesterol (-15.25 mg/dL; p < 0.05).

• Weight & body composition: Modest weight loss (-1.5 kg to -2.6 kg) but no big change in body-fat percentage.

• Liver & gut health: In fatty-liver patients, liver-fat fell by 17.5 dB/m, with healthier gut bacteria and bile-acid signaling.

• Safety: No major side effects were reported in any study.

Summary

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, helped lower blood sugar, improve cholesterol, reduce liver fat, and produce small weight losses in several human trials. Doses ranged from 180 mg once before a meal to 1 500 mg daily for a year. While curcumin is not a stand-alone cure, it appears to be a safe, affordable add-on that can sharpen glucose control and modestly support weight and liver health, especially useful for people with type 2 diabetes or fatty liver disease.

References:

1.         de Sousa Guardiano Reis PC, Alves AGP, Guillo LA, de Sousa MA Neto, Trindade NR, Silva MS. Curcumin supplementation reduces blood glucose and serum lipids of Brazilian women with high waist circumference: a randomized clinical trial. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Nov 17;66(6):800-807. doi: 10.20945/2359-3997000000513. Epub 2022 Sep 20. PMID: 36155119; PMCID: PMC10118764.

2.         Yaikwawong M, Jansarikit L, Jirawatnotai S, Chuengsamarn S. Curcumin extract improves beta cell functions in obese patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2024 Oct 1;23(1):119. doi: 10.1186/s12937-024-01022-3. PMID: 39354480; PMCID: PMC11445938.

3.         He Y, Chen X, Li Y, Liang Y, Hong T, Yang J, Cao Z, Mai H, Yao J, Zhang T, Wu K, Zou J, Feng D. Curcumin supplementation alleviates hepatic fat content associated with modulation of gut microbiota-dependent bile acid metabolism in patients with nonalcoholic simple fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Jul;120(1):66-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.05.017. Epub 2024 May 23. PMID: 38795741.

4.         Thota RN, Dias CB, Abbott KA, Acharya SH, Garg ML. Curcumin alleviates postprandial glycaemic response in healthy subjects: A cross-over, randomized controlled study. Sci Rep. 2018 Sep 12;8(1):13679. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-32032-x. PMID: 30209353; PMCID: PMC6135827.

5.         Na LX, Li Y, Pan HZ, Zhou XL, Sun DJ, Meng M, Li XX, Sun CH. Curcuminoids exert glucose-lowering effect in type 2 diabetes by decreasing serum free fatty acids: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2013 Sep;57(9):1569-77. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201200131. Epub 2012 Aug 29. PMID: 22930403.

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