Curcumin: One Nutrient, Over 20 Benefits

While there may be no “magic bullet” when it comes to health, this should not dissuade patients or practitioners from seeking out ingredients that offer multiple health benefits. When it comes to dietary supplements, there are thousands upon thousands of choices. So, why not choose one that can address pain and assist with mental health? A supplement that can address inflammation, while also preventing certain types of cancer.

Fortunately, herbal ingredients offer multiple mechanisms of action, resulting in multiple health benefits. There may be no greater example of this than curcumin.

Curcumin comes from the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa) and is classified as a polyphenol.¹ With more than 24,000 published studies listed on the National Institutes of Health database, curcumin is one of the most well-studied botanically derived ingredients in the world. In fact, with so much information to choose from, it’s almost difficult to narrow down curcumin’s benefits to 20.

Safely Relieves Pain

In a 2021 study, people with osteoarthritis were given 500 mg, twice per day, of curcumin with turmeric essential oil or 650 mg of paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen) for six weeks. The change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores (pain subscale) were similar between the two groups and curcumin was shown to be non-inferior to paracetamol.

Additionally, 18% of the patients receiving curcumin had a 50% improvement in their symptoms, while no one in the paracetamol group reached that threshold.² Not to mention that paracetamol is the most common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in the United States.³

1. Curcumin is non-inferior to paracetamol for pain relating to OA.
2. Curcumin is generally well-tolerated: less than 6% of the curcumin group experienced mild side effects, while almost 13% of the paracetamol group had adverse effects.
3. Curcumin can reduce C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-ɑ) levels.⁴ Higher CRP levels have been correlated with increased severity of lower back pain,⁵ fibromyalgia pain, and overall higher pain sensitivity ratings.⁶
4. Other research has found that curcumin can reduce paracetamol-related liver injury by preserving mitochondrial function, liver histopathology, and glutathione levels.⁷

Improves Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis

People with active rheumatoid arthritis were divided into three groups: 500 mg twice per day of curcumin, 50 mg twice per day of diclofenac sodium (one brand name is Voltaren), or a combination of the two for eight weeks. All groups experienced significant reductions in their Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28 and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria.

The curcumin monotherapy group experienced the highest overall improvement in DAS (45% improvement) and ACR scores, proving to be significantly better than the diclofenac monotherapy scores. Plus, 14% of the participants in the diclofenac sodium group dropped out because of adverse effects.

5. Curcumin can be safely combined with certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like diclofenac sodium.
6. Curcumin safely reduces painful and swollen joints associated with active rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Curcumin can work quickly for pain, with a 60% reduction in visual analog scale (VAS) scores in just eight weeks.⁸
8. Other research has shown that curcumin can attenuate RA progression, partially through its downregulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kiase (PI3K) / protein kinase B (Akt) pathway.⁹

Alleviates Anxiety and Depression

In a clinical trial involving 60 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), participants were given 1,000 mg of curcumin, 20 mg of fluoxetine, or a combination for six weeks. Overall, the combination group experienced the highest response rate, albeit not statistically significant. The mean change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-item version (HAM-D17), was similar for all three groups.

9. Curcumin can have similar efficacy to fluoxetine for MDD.
10. Curcumin has clinical research in combination with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the first-line pharmaceutical treatment for MDD.
11. Other research has also found that curcumin can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is important for mood disorders and neurodegenerative conditions like dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.¹⁰

In a multi-arm clinical trial involving curcumin and saffron, 123 participants with MDD were included. Participants received either 250 mg twice per day of curcumin, 500 mg twice a day of curcumin, 250 mg of curcumin plus 15 mg of saffron twice per day, or placebo. All the active treatment groups experienced significant reductions in depression symptomology and anxiety scores, plus those with atypical depression had a 65% response rate.

12. Curcumin significantly improves anxiety scores alone and in combination with saffron.
13. Curcumin is beneficial for people with atypical depression.¹¹
14. Other research has found that curcumin may play a therapeutic role in other neuropsychiatric disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.¹²

Enhances Cancer Remission

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2022 clinical trial involving people with multiple myeloma who were ineligible for a bone marrow transplant demonstrated curcumin’s ability to increase remission rates.

All patients received melphalan (a chemotherapeutic) and prednisone, while half of the group also received eight grams of curcumin and the other half received placebo. After just 28 days, 75% of the curcumin group entered remission versus 33% of the placebo group.

15. Curcumin improves remission rates in people with multiple myeloma.
16. Curcumin can be safely combined with certain chemotherapeutics, like melphalan.¹³
17. Other research has found that curcumin can target cancer stem cells, act as a chemo- and radiosensitizer, and reduce side effects from conventional cancer treatments.^14-15

Improves Glycemic Control

A meta-analysis of curcumin’s medicinal activities for type 2 diabetes found it can significantly reduce fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and body mass index; plus, improvements in lipid profiles were inflammatory markers.¹⁶

18. Curcumin can reduce blood sugar and HbA1c in people with type 2 diabetes.
19. Other research has found that curcumin can reduce symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and promote the activity of nerve growth factor (NGF).¹⁷

A Multitargeted Approach

Practitioners of many holistic modalities (chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy) are seeking treatments that can offer simultaneous resolution of multiple health conditions and have been verified in clinical research. Patients and clients are looking to maximize their dollar and perhaps reduce their pill count. When it comes to meeting (and exceeding) these goals, it seems like curcumin may truly be the all-in-one solution.

20. Curcumin offers a multitargeted approach (transcription factors, growth factors, protein kinases, inflammatory cytokines, etc.) that has shown to be useful as a monotherapy, combination therapy, or adjunctive treatment for many – if not all – of the common health conditions seen today.¹⁸

References

1. Kotha RR, Luthria DL. Curcumin: biological, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and analytical aspects. Molecules, 2019 Aug 13;24(16):2930.
2. Singhal S, et al. Bioavailable turmeric extract for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized, non-inferiority trial versus paracetamol. Trials, 2021;22:105.
3. Rotundo L, Pyrsopoulos N. Liver injury induced by paracetamol and challenges associated with intentional and unintentional use. World J Hepatol, 2020 Apr 27;12(4):125-136.
4. Singhal S, et al, Op Cit.
5. da Cruz Fernandes IM, et al. Low back pain, obesity, and inflammatory markers: exercise as potential treatment. J Exerc Rehabil, 2018 Apr;14(2):168-174.
6. Afari N, et al. C-reactive protein and pain sensitivity: findings from female twins. Ann Behav Med, 2011 Oct;42(2):277-283.
7. Somanawat K, et al. Curcumin attenuated paracetamol overdose induced hepatitis. World J Gastroenterol, 2013 Mar 28;19(12):1962-7.
8. Chandran B, Goel A. A randomized, pilot study to assess the efficacy and safety of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Phytother Res, 2012 Nov;26(11):1719-25.
9. Xu Z, et al. Curcumin alleviates rheumatoid arthritis progression through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway: an in vitro and in vivo study. Bioengineered, 2022;13(5):12899-12911.
10. Kandezi N, et al. Novel insight to neuroprotective potential of curcumin: a mechanistic review of possible involvement of mitochondrial biogenesis and PI3/Akt/GSK3 or PI3/Akt/CREB/BDNF signaling pathways. Int J Mol Cell Med, 2020 Winter;9(1):1-32.
11. Lopresti AL, Drummond PD. Efficacy of curcumin, and a saffron/curcumin combination for the treatment of major depression: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Affect Disord, 2017;207:188-196.
12. Lopresti AL. Curcumin for neuropsychiatric disorders: a review of in vitro, animal and human studies. J Psychopharmacol, 2017 Mar;31(3):287-302.
13. Santosa D, et al. Curcumin as adjuvant therapy to improve remission in myeloma patients: a pilot randomized trial. Casp J Int Med, 2022;13:375-384.
14. Farghadani R, Naidu R. Curcumin as an enhancer of therapeutic efficiency of chemotherapy drugs in breast cancer. Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Feb 15;23(4):2144.
15. Ashrafizadeh M, et al. Curcumin in cancer therapy: a novel adjunct for combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and alleviation of its adverse effects. Life Sci, 2020 Sep 1;256:117984.
16. Marton LT, et al. The effects of curcumin on diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. Front Endocrinol, 2021 May 3;12:669448.
17. Zhang W-X, et al. Curcumin ameliorates the experimental diabetic peripheral neuropathy through promotion of NGF exxpression in rats. Chem Biodivers, 2022 Jun;19(6):e202200029.
18. Zhou H, et al. Targets of curcumin. Curr Drug Targets, 2011 Mar 1;12(3):332-347.