- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Know Your Asthma Triggers
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- New Insights Show Ginseng Fights Inflammation
- U.S. Spends Billions On Alternative Medicine
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- BONES & JOINTS
- Yoga Can Ease Lower Back Pain
- 'Snowbirds' Beware the Climate Changes
- Health Tip: Back Pain in Children
- CANCER
- Smoking Ups Risk of Second Breast Cancer
- Bitter Melon Extract May Slow, Stop Breast Cancer
- U.S. Reported 25,000 Cases of HPV-Related Cancers Annually
- CAREGIVING
- Recession Scrambling Health Spending in U.S.
- Mom's Smoking May Lead to SIDS
- For Dialysis Patients, More Pills = Lower Quality of Life
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Secondhand Smoke Quickly Affects Blood Vessels
- Smog Tougher on the Obese
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- COSMETIC
- Get Sugared!.... Its a sweet choice for hair removal
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- Periodontal Disease Impacts Whole Health
- Gum Disease Might Boost Cancer Risk
- DIABETES
- Lifestyle Factors Tied to Older Adults' Diabetes Risk
- Diabetes Linked to Cognitive Problems
- Exercise Protects Black Women From Type 2 Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Mediterranean Diet Enriched With Nuts Cuts Heart Risks
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Restaurant Sushi May Have More Mercury Than Store-Bought Fare
- Heavy Traffic Can Be Heartbreaking
- Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Kids Think Glasses Make Others Look Smart, Honest
- Magnetic Pulses to Brain Improve Lazy Eye in Adults
- Eye Problems, Hearing Loss May Be Linked
- FITNESS
- Weak Muscles May Cause 'Runner's Knee'
- Marathoners Go the Distance on Heart Health
- Exercise Helps Reduce Falls in Young and Old
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Traditional Nonsurgical GERD Treatments Not Impressive
- Bowel Prep Harder on Women Than Men
- Japanese Herbals May Ease Gastro Woes
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Vitamin E Helps Treat Common Liver Disease
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- 15-Point Test Gauges Alzheimer's Risk
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- Subway Defibrillators Save Lives
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- More Steps a Day Lead to Better Health
- Polyunsaturated Fats Really May Lower Heart Risk
- Boosting Vitamin D Can Do a Heart Good
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- The HPV Vaccine: Preventative Medicine or Human Sacrifice?
- Chinese 'Devil Dung' Plant Could Be a Swine Flu Fighter
- KID'S HEALTH
- Even Young Kids Can Learn CPR
- Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit From Exercise
- Better Sleep, Grades Seem to Go Up
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Music Soothes Anxiety as Well as Massage Does
- Eight Spiritual Universal Principles in the Art of Practice
- Meaningful Conversations Boost Kids' Language Skills
- PREGNANCY
- Breast-Feeding Benefits Moms and Babies
- Exercise Boosts Bone Density in Breast-Feeding Moms
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- SENIORS
- Laughter Can Stimulate a Dull Appetite
- Friends, Not Grandkids, Key to Happy Retirement
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
Study Shows Turmeric May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
By eHolistic.com Published: 10/30/2008
The common cooking spice turmeric may help prevent against Type 2 diabetes, as well as reducing the dangerous inflammation associated with obesity, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center, published in the journal Endocrinology and presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in San Francisco.
The effect is believed to come from curcumin, a key ingredient in turmeric that is known to function as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
"It's too early to tell whether increasing dietary curcumin - via turmeric - intake in obese people with diabetes will show a similar benefit," researcher Drew Tortoriello said. "Although the daily intake of curcumin one might have to consume as a primary diabetes treatment is likely impractical, it is entirely possible that lower dosages of curcumin could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment."
The researchers fed high doses of dietary curcumin to obese male mice that had been fed a high-fat diet and to obese female mice that had been bred to be deficient in the appetite-regulating hormone leptin. Mice that were fed the curcumin experienced a small but statistically significant decrease in body weight and body fat percentage, even though their diet had not changed. They exhibited improved glucose tolerance and blood sugar levels, indicating a reduced risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. They also showed lower levels of inflammation in their fat tissue and livers.
Turmeric has long been used as a dietary supplement, natural medicine and even as an antiseptic applied directly to wounds. Recent research suggests that it may have benefits for the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver problems. There are no known negative side effects to consuming the spice in quantities of up to 12 grams (0.42 ounces) per day.
-David Gutierrez