By Dr. Mercola
About 34 percent of Americans have metabolic syndrome,1
which is a term used to describe a cluster of symptoms that
increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and other
chronic disease.
Those symptoms include a large waistline, high blood pressure,
high blood sugar, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and high levels of
triglycerides. Though they may seem, at first, to be very different
symptoms.
They have a common underlying thread, as does metabolic syndrome
and related heart disease… in a word “inflammation.” Chronic
inflammation is associated with metabolic syndrome, with researchers
in one journal noting:2
“It has become evident that the inflammatory condition
that is associated with obesity and overweight plays an
important part in the aetiology of the metabolic syndrome and
largely contributes to the related pathological outcomes.”
It makes sense, then, that curcumin – one of the most potent
anti-inflammatories in nature – would also help to lower
inflammation in people with the disorder.
Daily Curcumin Lowers Inflammation and Blood Sugar Levels in People
Researchers enrolled 117 people diagnosed with metabolic syndrome
in a study to determine curcumin’s effects on inflammation. Curcumin
is the active ingredient in the yellow curry spice turmeric. Half of
the participants took one gram of curcumin powder daily for eight
weeks while the other half received a placebo pill.
At the end of the study, the curcumin group had lower levels of
three blood markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein
(CRP), along with lower fasting blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a
measure of longer term blood sugar levels).3
For comparison, the placebo group had higher blood sugar levels
and increased inflammation after the eight weeks. When the
researchers evaluated eight previous studies, they, too, confirmed
that curcumin lead to reductions in CRP levels.
They concluded that short-term supplementation with bioavailable
curcumin significantly improves oxidative and inflammatory status in
people with metabolic syndrome, and could be regarded as a “natural,
safe and effective CRP-lowering agent.”4
Curcumin May Have Over 150 Therapeutic Properties
Researchers have previously investigated curcumin for its
potential role in improving
Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s disease, and
stroke damage. It can also promote brain health in general,
courtesy of its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
– the same ones that show promise for improving metabolic syndrome.
Curcumin exhibits over 150 potentially therapeutic activities,
including potent
anti-cancer properties.5
Curcumin is also capable of crossing your blood-brain barrier, which
is one reason why it holds promise as a neuroprotective agent in a
wide range of neurological disorders.
One of the ways it works, which is similar to
vitamin D, is by
modulating large numbers of your genes. Previous research has also
demonstrated that curcumin acts by inserting itself into your cells'
membranes where it changes the physical properties of the membrane
itself, making it more orderly.6
As for its anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin can inhibit
both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and
5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been
implicated in inflammation.
A 2006 study also found that a turmeric extract composed of
curcuminoids (curcumin is the most investigated
curcuminoid) blocked inflammatory pathways, effectively
preventing the launch of a protein that triggers swelling and pain.7
If You Want to Try One Herb… Try Curcumin
Turmeric may very well be one of the most useful herbs on the
planet, and in India is often referred to as “the spice of life.”
Curcumin in turmeric has the ability to modulate genetic activity
and expression—both by destroying cancer cells and by promoting
healthy cell function.
It also promotes anti-angiogenesis, meaning it helps prevent the
development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell
growth. Curcumin appears to be universally useful for just about
every type of cancer. In addition, according to an
ever-expanding clinical body of studies, curcumin may help:
Support healthy cholesterol levels |
Prevent low-density lipoprotein oxidation |
Inhibit platelet aggregation |
Suppress thrombosis and myocardial infarction |
Suppress symptoms associated with type 2 diabetes |
Suppress symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis |
Suppress symptoms of multiple sclerosis |
Suppress symptoms of Alzheimer's disease |
Inhibit HIV replication |
Suppress tumor formation |
Enhance wound healing |
Protect against liver damage |
Increase bile secretion |
Protect against cataracts |
Protect against pulmonary toxicity and fibrosis |
A study published in Natural Product Reports in 2011
makes it even clearer why curcumin may be useful for the cluster of
conditions that make up metabolic syndrome, as it describes curcumin
as being therapeutic for a wide range of diseases, including:
Lung and liver diseases |
Neurological diseases |
Metabolic diseases |
Autoimmune disorders |
Cardiovascular diseases |
Inflammatory diseases |
Will Eating Turmeric Provide the Same Benefits?
Turmeric is a wonderful spice with a warm earthy, peppery flavor.
Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine
and Ayurveda, have valued turmeric for its medicinal properties and
flavor for more than 5,000 years.
This is one spice I recommend keeping in your kitchen at all
times, as it works well added to tomato sauces, soups, stews, leafy
greens, stir fries,
cauliflower and other veggies, and even eggs.
Choosing high-quality turmeric powder in lieu of curry powder
will help you get more of the active curcumin, however, if you’re
looking for therapeutic effects a supplement may be in order.
It’s difficult to get the doses of curcumin used in research
studies from your diet alone. The featured study used a dose of one
gram of curcumin, while typical anti-cancer doses are up to three
grams of bioavailable curcumin extract, three to four times daily,
and this is difficult to achieve using standard curcumin powders.
The turmeric root itself contains only about 3 percent curcumin
concentration.
One method to increase absorption is to make a microemulsion by
combining a tablespoon of curcumin powder with 1-2 egg yolks and a
teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a hand blender on
high speed to emulsify the powder.
Another strategy you can use to increase absorption is to put one
tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It
must be boiling when you add the powder, as it will not work as well
if you put it in room temperature water and heat the water and
curcumin together. After boiling it for 10 minutes, you will have
created a 12% solution and you can drink this once it has cooled
down. The curcumin will gradually fall out of the solution over time
and in about six hours it will be a 6% solution, so it is best to
drink the water within four hours.
Curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently
discolor surfaces if you aren't careful. To avoid "yellow kitchen
syndrome," I recommend you perform any mixing under the hood of your
stove with the blower on to make sure no powder gets into your
kitchen. Alternatively, it is far easier to take curcumin in
supplement form – just make sure it’s a high-quality brand that is
formulated to increase bioavailability. And look for a turmeric
extract with at least 95% curcuminoids. Just be aware that these are
relatively rare and hard to find.
Insulin Resistance Also Plays a Role in Metabolic Syndrome
If you have metabolic syndrome, you’re most likely insulin
resistant. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatric
endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco (USCF),
whatever organ becomes insulin resistant ends up manifesting its own
chronic metabolic disease. For example, when you have insulin
resistance of the liver, you end up with type 2 diabetes. When you
have insulin resistance of the brain, you end up with
Alzheimer’s disease. Insulin resistance of the kidney leads to
chronic renal disease, and so forth. All of these diseases are
insulin-resistant states. The question is what causes the insulin
resistance in the first place?
"[W]e have some new data that we are very excited about,
which demonstrate that if you overload the mitochondria, the
little energy-burning factories within cells, in any given
organ, you'll end up manifesting various forms of chronic
metabolic disease," Dr. Lustig says. “The chemical that
overloads the mitochondria best is trans-fats. But the chemical
that overloads the mitochondria next best is sugar. Trans fats
and sugar pretty much characterize the processed food diet.”
Excessive dietary sugar, particularly
fructose, which has adverse effects on all of your metabolic
hormones, is driving the high rates of insulin resistance in the US.
So it's important to address the fructose in your diet, keeping it
below 25 grams per day and, if you have metabolic syndrome, below 15
grams a day. Simply put, you’ve got to cut processed foods
from your diet and focus on real food (which, beneficially,
will also help to lower your levels of chronic inflammation).
Intermittent fasting may be another way to address insulin
resistance, as is exercise.
Exercise is crucial to resolving metabolic syndrome because it
increases muscle mass, which increases mitochondria, and this in
turn improves insulin sensitivity. Also important is optimizing your
gut flora, ideally by eating traditionally fermented foods. Keep
in mind that processed foods in general tend to destroy
healthy microflora, so if you switch to a low-sugar whole-food diet
you’ll automatically be supporting your gut health as well. For more
information on how overloading your liver with more sugar than it
can safely metabolize leads to chronic metabolic disease – and what
to do about it – please watch my interview with Dr. Lustig below.
Copyright 1997- 2015 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.