Curcumin or combined curcuminoids are effective in lowering the fasting blood glucose concentrations of individuals with dysglycemia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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#blood-glucose #curcumin #drug-therapy-combination #fasting #glucose-metabolism-disorders

Curcumin or combined curcuminoids are effective in lowering the fasting blood glucose concentrations of individuals with dysglycemia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

de et al., 2018 | Pharmacol Res | Meta Analysis

Citation

de Melo Ingrid Sofia Vieira, Dos Santos Aldenir Feitosa, Bueno Nassib Bezerra. Curcumin or combined curcuminoids are effective in lowering the fasting blood glucose concentrations of individuals with dysglycemia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2018-Feb;128:137-144. doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2017.09.010

Abstract

Curcuminoids have received considerable attention as therapeutical adjuvants in the treatment of dysglycemia. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate whether the supplementation of turmeric extract, curcuminoids and/or isolated curcumin is more effective than placebo in decreasing fasting blood glucose (FBG) in adults. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, ScienceDirect and gray literature databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials with the following criteria were included: (1) studied individuals older than 18 years, supplemented with curcumin, curcuminoids and/or turmeric extract (2) had a follow-up ≥4 weeks (3) used a placebo group. Titles and abstracts were screened and potentially eligible articles were retrieved. The primary outcome was FBG. The secondary outcomes were HbA1c and HOMA-IR. Eleven studies were included. In the overall analysis, turmeric, curcuminoids and curcumin supplementation led to a decrease in FBG (-8.88, 95% CI: [-5.04 to -2.72] mg/dL, p = 0.005). Supplementation of curcuminoids and/or curcumin decreased the concentrations of HbA1c (-0.54, 95% CI: [-1.09 to -0.002] %, p = 0.049) but were not able to decrease HOMA-IR (-1.26, 95% CI: [-3.71 to -1.19], p = 0.31). Sensitivity analyses revealed that baseline FBG was an important covariate. Heterogeneity was high in the overall analyses and there was evidence of publication bias. Supplementation of isolated curcumin or combined curcuminoids were both effective in lowering the FBG concentrations of individuals with some degree of dysglycemia, but not in non-diabetic individuals. Isolated curcumin lead to significant decreases of the HbA1c compared to placebo.

Key Findings

Isolated curcumin lead to significant decreases of the HbA1c compared to placebo.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population some degree of dysglycemia
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Blood Glucose
  • Curcumin
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fasting
  • Glucose Metabolism Disorders
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: curcumin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09