Daily supplements of curcumin may help cut LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people with metabolic syndrome, says a new study from Taiwan.
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 HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels (rose from 41 to 43 mg/dL), while 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.”
