by Paul Fassa
Health Impact News
Past research clearly demonstrates that turmeric is a powerful natural preventative and therapeutic agent for diabetes 2. The most commonly prescribed pharmaceutical approach with diabetes 2 or diabetes myelitis (DM) is Metformin, which is fraught with side effects even though it is considered safer than other diabetic drugs with worse side effects.
The whole time Metformin and other more toxic diabetes drugs were on the market gathering heat from class action lawsuits for serious side effects, there has been research proving the efficacy and safety of turmeric or its extracted active ingredient curcumin on both preventing diabetes among prediabetic persons, and reversing diabetes type 2 among those afflicted.
Explaining Diabetes 2
Diabetes 2 or diabetes myelitis impedes one’s cells from utilizing insulin to fully metabolize glucose from sugars and starches. This disease is based on insulin resistance, which makes the cells unable to utilize adequate insulin production. Diabetes 1 is the lack of insulin production from an autoimmune disease damaged pancreas. (Source)
Prediabetes is the final step to fully developed diabetes 2. It’s technically known as metabolic syndrome. The Mayo clinic defines metabolic syndrome as “… a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”
According to maverick cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, MD:
“The statistics on prediabetes and diabetes in this country are utterly frightening. About 25 million Americans have diabetes, including a whopping 20 percent over the age of 60. Nearly 80 million have prediabetes, also known as insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome. These conditions lead to inflammatory and artery-destroying processes that produce serious cardiovascular problems.”
Here are two examples of studies demonstrating turmeric/curcumin’s ability to prevent and reverse diabetes 2 that were in existence while Metformin and other drugs were being prescribed.
Study: “Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes”
This study was conducted in a Thailand university circa 2012. After carefully screening many prediabetic patients to exclude those taking several medications and educating them on the same dietary and exercise protocols for the first three months prior to initial interventions, 240 were chosen for a 12 month double-blind placebo test.
Baseline markers for all 240 were measured at the beginning and three month, six month, and nine month stages of the clinical trial. The mean age for the trial’s participants was around 35. They were divided into placebo and curcumin extract capsules. All the participants took three of the look-alike capsules daily.
By the end of nine months, 16.4 percent of the prediabetes placebo group had developed full blown diabetes 2. None of the curcumin group developed diabetes 2. Among those who had taken the curcumin capsules, several other markers, such as serum glucose levels and insulin resistance indicators had improved and were significantly better than the placebo group.
From the study text:
“The differences were significant, particularly at the 6- and 9-month visits. Levels of adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, in the placebo-treated group were virtually unchanged, whereas those of the curcumin-treated group were gradually elevated (at 3 and 6 months) and became significantly different from that of placebo-treated group at the final visit.”
“HOMA-IR level is a clinical representative of insulin resistance. HOMA-IR from both placebo and curcumin-treated groups was examined. The means of HOMA-IR of the curcumin-treated group were lower than those of placebo group at all follow-up visits (3, 6, and 9 months).” (Full study text)
But what about curcumin for those diagnosed with diabetes 2 or myelitis?
Study – “Curcuminoids exert glucose-lowering effect in type 2 diabetes by decreasing serum free fatty acids: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.”
This was a human trial conducted on 100 diabetes 2 patients in China in 2013, shortly after the Thailand prediabetes human trial. The Chinese study was inspired by several animal studies prior to their human study. The 100 diabetic patients were divided into 560/50 placebo and curcuminoid (300 mg) daily for three months.
After only three months, the researchers noted the following:
Curcuminoids supplementation significantly decreased fasting blood glucose … , and insulin resistance index … in type 2 diabetic patients. Curcuminoids also led to a significant decrease in serum total FFAs [free fatty acids] …, triglycerides …, [and] an increase in LPL [lipoprotein lipase] activity… .
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a glucose-lowering effect of curcuminoids in type 2 diabetes, which is partially due to decrease in serum FFAs, which may result from promoting fatty acid oxidation and utilization (Abstract source)
From a 2016 British paper proposing an multi-national coordinated mega-study on turmeric/curcumin titled “Curcumin, the golden nutraceutical: multitargeting for multiple chronic diseases,” which is calling for sorting out different population:
Although the current database indicates almost 9000 publications on curcumin, until 1990 there were less than 100 papers published on this nutraceutical. At the molecular level, this multitargeted agent has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity through the suppression of numerous cell signaling pathways… .
Numerous studies have indicated that curcumin is a highly potent antimicrobial agent and has been shown to be active against various chronic diseases including various types of cancers, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and autoimmune diseases. (…) To date, over 100 different clinical [human] trials have been completed with curcumin, which clearly show its safety, tolerability and its effectiveness against various chronic diseases in humans. (Source)
The fact that so many studies on turmeric/curcumin are ignored could be because turmeric is used primarily in Southeast Asian cuisine, especially India, where many of these studies have taken place. More likely, perhaps the potential medical application range turmeric/curcumin would put a serious dent into the pharmaceutical industries bottom line.
How You Can Benefit from This Information
It is important to consider that a ketogenic diet is very helpful for preventing and reversing diabetes as well. It’s wise to those concerned about preventing or eliminating diabetes 2 to also increase one’s consumption of healthy fats along with adding turmeric/curcumin to the diet. This ketogenic dietary approach is explained in the following Health Impact News hyperlinked article:
Study finds that patients with diabetes can discontinue their medication if they follow a low carb, ketogenic diet
Incidentally, coconut oil is used to formulate what’s known as Golden Paste. In order to fully assimilate turmeric’s curcumin, fat, heat, and piperine from black pepper is used. It doesn’t get any cheaper than this.
Golden Paste:
- 1/2 cup organic turmeric powder
- 1 cup water
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper
- 5 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
In a stainless steel pot, cook the water, turmeric and black pepper until it forms a thick paste, stirring and cooking for about 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and add virgin coconut oil, using a whisk to fully mix in the coconut oil.
Transfer the Golden Paste into a glass jar with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You will use this paste to make your Golden Milk below.
Golden Milk:
- 1 teaspoon Golden Paste
- 2 cups milk (raw milk would be optimum)
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
- honey, to taste (optional)
- pinch cinnamon (optional)
In a stainless steel pot, gently heat, but do not boil, 2 cups of milk with 1 teaspoon of golden paste. A whisk is helpful to fully mix the paste into the milk. Add optional vanilla, honey and/or cinnamon. (Source)
For those of you who are less kitchen motivated and more convenience oriented, there are curcumin capsules. Make sure they contain piperine and are encased with enteric coated capsules. Enteric coating prevents stomach acids from degrading curcumin and allows it to go into the small intestines intact. This is also the function of coconut oil in Golden Paste.
Caveat: Extremely excessive chronic intake of curcumin can cause liver problems. It takes a lot over time. So stay within normal usage zones when administering it.
Health Benefits of Turmeric:
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