Curcumin May Benefit Heart Health to Same Extent as Exercise

A number of studies suggest that curcumin, a spice compound extracted from the rootstalks of the turmeric plant and gives curry its yellow color and pungent flavor, exerts potential protective effects against Alzheimer’s Disease, certain cancers, diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic inflammation-related disorders.  Nobuhiko Akazawa , from the University of Tsukuba (Japan), and colleagues enrolled 32 post-menopausal women, in an eight week long study, assigning each subject to one of three groups: one group receiving curcumin supplements (25 mg per day); a second group instructed to engage in aerobic exercise; and the third group acting as controls. Flow mediated dilation (FMD), a marker of vascular health and potentially a predictor of future adverse cardiovascular events, increased by a significant 1.5% in both the curcumin-supplemented and exercise groups, with no changes in the control group. The study authors report that: “Our results indicated that curcumin ingestion and aerobic exercise training can increase flow-mediated dilation in postmenopausal women, suggesting that both can potentially improve the age-related decline in endothelial function.”