Curry Compound Curtails Cholesterol

A risk factor for diabetes and heart disease, Metabolic Syndrome is a condition involving a large waistline, high triglycerides level, low HDL cholesterol level, high blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugar.  The active ingredient in turmeric – the spice that lends curry its characteristic color, curcumin has been found by previous studies to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammation effects.  Yi-Sun Yang, from Chung Shan Medical University Hospital (Taiwan), and colleagues enrolled 65 men and women with Metabolic Syndrome in a study in which subjects received 630 mg of curcumin 3 times a day, or placebo, for 12 weeks.  The team observed significant increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL; “good”) cholesterol levels (rose from 41 to 43 mg/dL), while low-density lipoprotein (LDL; ‘bad”) cholesterol decreased (from 121 to 107 mg/dL).  As well, triglycerides were reduced significantly.  The study authors submit that: “Daily curcumin consumption may be an alternative choice to modify cholesterol-related parameters, especially in metabolic syndrome patients.”