CURCUMIN SUPPLEMENTATION IN THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF METABOLIC SYNDROME: CURRENT EVIDENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.3(51).2026.6135Keywords:
Turmeric, Curcumin, Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, Glycemic Control, Inflammation, NutraceuticalsAbstract
Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a clinically important cluster of cardiometabolic abnormalities, including central obesity, insulin resistance, dysglycemia, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Because these disturbances are strongly influenced by chronic low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress and lifestyle-related risk factors, interest has grown in adjunctive nutritional strategies, including curcumin supplementation.
Aim: This review aimed to evaluate current clinical evidence on curcumin supplementation in metabolic syndrome and related cardiometabolic disorders, with particular attention to its potential role in prevention-oriented healthcare.
Material and Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies published between 2008 and 2025 were considered, with priority given to randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. A total of 25 studies were included.
Results: The strongest evidence concerns glycemic and inflammatory outcomes. Meta-analyses report reductions in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and C-reactive protein, while effects on lipid profile and anthropometric indices appear more variable and generally modest. Enhanced-bioavailability formulations may produce stronger effects, but they also complicate comparison between studies and raise additional safety considerations.
Conclusions: Curcumin may be considered a potentially useful adjunct to lifestyle-based prevention and cardiometabolic risk management. However, it should not be presented as an alternative to established interventions. Larger, longer and better-standardized randomized trials are needed before firm clinical recommendations can be made.
References
Ashtary-Larky, D., Rezaei Kelishadi, M., Bagheri, R., Moosavian, S. P., Wong, A., Davoodi, S. H., Khalili, P., Dutheil, F., Suzuki, K., & Asbaghi, O. (2021). The Effects of Nano-Curcumin Supplementation on Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Antioxidants, 10(7), 1015. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10071015
Chuengsamarn, S., Rattanamongkolgul, S., Luechapudiporn, R., Phisalaphong, C., & Jirawatnotai, S. (2012). Curcumin extract for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes care, 35(11), 2121–2127. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc12-0116
Den Hartogh, D. J., Gabriel, A., & Tsiani, E. (2019). Antidiabetic Properties of Curcumin II: Evidence from In Vivo Studies. Nutrients, 12(1), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010058
Ekor M. (2014). The growing use of herbal medicines: issues relating to adverse reactions and challenges in monitoring safety. Frontiers in pharmacology, 4, 177. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2013.00177
Gopi, S., Jacob, J., Varma, K., Jude, S., Amalraj, A., Arundhathy, C. A., George, R., Sreeraj, T. R., Divya, C., Kunnumakkara, A. B., & Stohs, S. J. (2017). Comparative Oral Absorption of Curcumin in a Natural Turmeric Matrix with Two Other Curcumin Formulations: An Open-label Parallel-arm Study. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 31(12), 1883–1891. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5931
Gorabi, A. M., Abbasifard, M., Imani, D., Aslani, S., Razi, B., Alizadeh, S., Bagheri-Hosseinabadi, Z., Sathyapalan, T., & Sahebkar, A. (2022). Effect of curcumin on C-reactive protein as a biomarker of systemic inflammation: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 36(1), 85–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7284
Govindarajan, V. S., & Stahl, W. H. (1980). Turmeric — chemistry, technology, and quality. C R C Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 12(3), 199–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398009527278
Gregory, J. W. (2019). Prevention of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in Children. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00669
Halegoua-DeMarzio, D., Navarro, V., Ahmad, J., Avula, B., Barnhart, H., Barritt, A. S., Bonkovsky, H. L., Fontana, R. J., Ghabril, M. S., Hoofnagle, J. H., Khan, I. A., Kleiner, D. E., Phillips, E., Stolz, A., & Vuppalanchi, R. (2023). Liver Injury Associated with Turmeric—A Growing Problem: Ten Cases from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network [DILIN]. The American Journal of Medicine, 136(2), 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.09.026
Heidari, H., Bagherniya, M., Majeed, M., Sathyapalan, T., Jamialahmadi, T., & Sahebkar, A. (2023). Curcumin-piperine co-supplementation and human health: A comprehensive review of preclinical and clinical studies. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 37(4), 1462–1487. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7737
Jazayeri-Tehrani, S. A., Rezayat, S. M., Mansouri, S., Qorbani, M., Alavian, S. M., Daneshi-Maskooni, M., & Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J. (2019). Nano-curcumin improves glucose indices, lipids, inflammation, and Nesfatin in overweight and obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutrition & metabolism, 16, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-019-0331-1
Kemppainen, L. M., & Kemppainen, T. T. (2025). Changes in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use from 2014 to 2023: Findings from a cross-national population-based survey in Europe. Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-025-02494-1
Kim, J. H., Kim, O. K., Yoon, H. G., Park, J., You, Y., Kim, K., Lee, Y. H., Choi, K. C., Lee, J., & Jun, W. (2016). Anti-obesity effect of extract from fermented Curcuma longa L. through regulation of adipogenesis and lipolysis pathway in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Food & nutrition research, 60, 30428. https://doi.org/10.3402/fnr.v60.30428
Konaktchieva, M., Stojchevski, R., Hadzi-Petrushev, N., Gagov, H., Konakchieva, R., Mitrokhin, V., Kungulovski, G., Mladenov, M., & Avtanski, D. (2025). Curcumin and Tetrahydrocurcumin as Multi-Organ Modulators of the Adipose Tissue–Gut–Liver Axis: Mechanistic Insights, Therapeutic Potential, and Translational Challenges. Pharmaceuticals, 18(12), 1791. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph18121791
Luthra, P. M., Singh, R., & Chandra, R. (2001). Therapeutic uses ofCurcuma longa (turmeric). Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry, 16(2), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02864854
Mokgalaboni, K., Mashaba, R. G., Phoswa, W. N., & Lebelo, S. L. (2024). Curcumin Attenuates Hyperglycemia and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Quantitative Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 16(23), 4177. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234177
Moradi Baniasadi, M., Arzhang, P., Setayesh, A., Moradi, M., Nasli-Esfahani, E., & Azadbakht, L. (2025). The effect of turmeric/curcumin supplementation on anthropometric indices in subjects with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition & diabetes, 15(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41387-025-00386-7
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) (2017). Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults. Lancet (London, England), 390(10113), 2627–2642. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3
Pacholczyk, M., Ferenc, T., & Kowalski, J. (2008). The metabolic syndrome. Part I: definitions and diagnostic criteria for its identification. Epidemiology and relationship with cardiovascular and type 2 diabetes risk. Postepy Higieny I Medycyny Doswiadczalnej (Online), 62, 530–542. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18936729.
Qiu, L., Gao, C., Wang, H., Ren, Y., Li, J., Li, M., Du, X., Li, W., & Zhang, J. (2023). Effects of dietary polyphenol curcumin supplementation on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress indices in patients with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in endocrinology, 14, 1216708. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1216708
Sahebkar, A. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of curcumin on blood lipid levels. Clinical Nutrition, 33(3), 406–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2013.09.012
Tabrizi, R., Vakili, S., Akbari, M., Mirhosseini, N., Lankarani, K. B., Rahimi, M., Mobini, M., Jafarnejad, S., Vahedpoor, Z., & Asemi, Z. (2019). The effects of curcumin-containing supplements on biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 33(2), 253–262. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6226
Unhapipatpong, C., Polruang, N., Shantavasinkul, P. C., Julanon, N., Numthavaj, P., & Thakkinstian, A. (2023). The effect of curcumin supplementation on weight loss and anthropometric indices: an umbrella review and updated meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 117(5), 1005–1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.006
Vafaeie, F., Farkhondeh, T., Samarghandian, S., & Miri-Moghaddam, E. (2025). Protective Effect of Curcumin on Metabolic Syndrome Components through the Microbiota. Current medicinal chemistry, 32(39), 8913–8927. https://doi.org/10.2174/0109298673371503250210092741
Visseren, F. L. J., Mach, F., Smulders, Y. M., Carballo, D., Koskinas, K. C., Bäck, M., Benetos, A., Biffi, A., Boavida, J.-M., Capodanno, D., Cosyns, B., Crawford, C., Davos, C. H., Desormais, I., Di Angelantonio, E., Franco, O. H., Halvorsen, S., Hobbs, F. D. R., Hollander, M., & Jankowska, E. A. (2021). 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice. European Heart Journal, 42(34), 3227–3337. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab484
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Piotr Wiśniewski, Wiktor Buczko, Natalia Paszke, Jan Gajewski, Grzegorz Machelski, Marzena Mędrek, Mariola Mika, Kacper Mąkosa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
