Korean turmeric is effective for dyslipidemia in human intervention study

AbstractBackgroundTurmeric is a plant that belongs to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and is one of the main ingredients in curry powder. Turmeric is often called the golden spice and has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Curcumin, which gives turmeric its yellow color, has been confirmed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-infectious effects. It is also known to prevent dementia and promote liver health. For these reasons, turmeric is regarded as a therapeutic food additive with many health benefits beyond its nutritional value. In this paper, the health benefits of turmeric were examined through human intervention studies.MethodsThirty chosen individuals (28 men and 2 women) with slightly elevated alanine aminotransaminase levels consumed 1 g of turmeric powder (TP) as two capsules after each meal, three times a day, during the test period of 12 weeks. Changes in the lipid profile and in the levels of serum glucose, malondialdehyde, and metabolites in the sera were measured prior to and after TP consumption.ResultsThe participants exhibited dyslipidemia, fasting hyperglycemia, and oxidative stress prior to TP treatment, and these symptoms were alleviated after treatment. On metabolomics analysis of sera, levels of branch-chained amino acids (valine and leucine/isoleucine) were decreased, whereas those of aromatic amino acids (tryptophan and phenylalanine) were increased. Pronounced changes were also noted in the levels of total lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) and acylcarnitine: the levels of total lysoPC were decreased whereas those of acylcarnitine were increased. Serum levels of xanthine and hypoxanthine, which are intermediates of purine degradation, were increased in the participants, although that of the final product, uric acid, was decreased.ConclusionOral consumption of TP alleviated dyslipidemia and changed metabolites patterns by accelerating metabolic activities with less oxidative stress in participants with mild liver dysfunction