Curcumin-piperine combo may support heart health for diabetics: Study

21-Jun-2017 - Last updated on 23-Jun-2017 at 01:42 GMT

A combination supplement containing curcuminoids plus piperine from black pepper may support heart health for diabetics by improving the levels and functionality of cholesterol, says a new study.

Sabinsa’s C3 Complex plus BioPerine increased HDL-cholesterol levels, reduced total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels, and, for the first time in curcumin research, improved levels of Lp(a) [Lipoprotein(a)], a structural component of LDL.

“Although elevated Lp(a) has been considered as an important risk factor for premature atherosclerotic CVD for quite a long time independently of LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels, until very recently, the possibilities of influencing Lp(a) were extremely limited,” wrote scientists from Iran, Croatia and the USA in Complementary Therapies in Medicine.

“Hence, this finding that curcuminoids as naturally occurring dietary supplements can decrease elevated Lp(a) in patients with [type 2 diabetes] is very important since such supplements are becoming more and more popular and attractive to the patients.”

Study details

Type-2 diabetes is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes is associated with disturbed lipids and lipoprotein metabolism. To assess the effects of 1,000 mg per day of Curcumin C3 Complex plus 10 mg per day of BioPerine, the scientists randomly assigned 118 type-2 diabetics receive the curcumin-piperine supplements or placebo for 12 weeks.

Curcumin poweder pills © iStockPhoto areeya_ann — Numerous studies support the potential health benefits of turmeric and the curcuminoids it contains, including support for brain, cardiovascular, joint, and muscle health.Turmeric/curcumin holds top spot for sales in the natural channel, with total sales of $37,334,821 (up 32% over the previous year’s sales). In the mass channel, turmeric sales grew 118% to hit $15.8 million for 2015.Image © iStock/areeya_ann

Results of the randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial indicated that, for the 100 people who completed the study, the curcumin-piperine combination significantly reduced total cholesterol levels by 22 mg/dL and non-HDL cholesterol levels by 23.4 mg/dL, compared to reductions of 17 mg/dL for both measures in the placebo group.

Lp(a) levels also decreased significantly by 1.5 mg/dL in the curcumin group, compared to decreases of only 0.3 mg/dL in the placebo group.

On the other hand, the curcumin-piperine combination significantly increased HDL levels by 1.56 mg/dL, compared to only 0.2 mg/dL in the placebo group.

“A natural product such as curcuminoids plus piperine might be a useful supplement in treating dyslipidaemias in patients with [type 2 diabetes],” wrote the researchers.

Commenting on the study’s findings, co-author and Sabinsa founder Dr. Muhammed Majeed, said: “The overall conclusions in this study together with earlier studies on C3 Complex / BioPerine combination add to the body of science on its positive role in the health maintenance of diabetic subjects.”

Source: Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Volume 33, Pages 1–5, doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2017.05.006
“Curcuminoids modify lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled trial”
Authors: Y. Panahi, et al.