Curcumin is a polyphenol found in large quantities in the spice turmeric.
Besides being a component of many “pungent” spices found in foods, curcumin has long been prized for its health-boosting abilities, including but not limited to its potential for anti-inflammatory effects and its antioxidant capabilities.
But could this curcumin also aid in weight loss?
Multiple meta-analyses seem to say yes!
In fact, a meta-analysis published in 2023 found that curcumin supplementation resulted in significant reductions in body weight, BMI, and waist circumference. [1]
Even more promising, another meta-analysis published in 2019 found that curcumin supplementation led to a significant reduction in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and leptin levels, while also leading to a significant increase in adiponectin. [2]
These results are very important on two fronts.
Why is leptin important?
For one, an increase in leptin is significant because leptin is a hormone that is highly responsible for regulating body weight.
Leptin signals to your brain (the hypothalamus specifically) to regulate your hunger over the long term. Being sensitive to leptin’s signals can help prevent unnecessary hunger and, thus, overeating.
(Do not confuse leptin with ghrelin, which signals to your brain when to stop eating in the short term.)
If you are not sensitive to leptin’s signals, you could find yourself unnecessarily hungry since you don’t have an effective “off switch” for your appetite anymore.
Why is adiponectin important?
The other finding in the 2019 meta-analysis referenced above was that study subjects showed a significant increase in adiponectin.
Adiponectin is important at it is a hormone that helps with insulin sensitivity.
An insensitivity to insulin, the “fat-storing hormone” as well as low levels of adiponectin, is associated with conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, perhaps among others.
Proper leptin and adiponectin production and efficacy are of the utmost importance when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.
Which of course leads directly to all the health benefits that go along with that.
How should we take curcumin?
When taking curcumin supplements, it is important to note that curcumin on its own is not very absorbable by the body. That is why most supplements on the market these days combine curcumin with black pepper, or an extract from black pepper called piperine. This helps the body absorb the curcumin.
And while supplementation can be beneficial, oftentimes consuming whole foods in their original form can be a far superior way to absorb nutrients and obtain the benefits from the compounds in them.
That may also be the case with turmeric and its powerful constituents like curcumin.
God gave us wonderful healing foods with many compounds wrapped up in beautiful packages, meant to work synergistically for our benefit. So consuming turmeric in its own original form, rather than from an isolated compound derived from it, may be something to consider as well.
But those types of decisions, as well as any that affect your diet, healthcare, and wellness routines, should be made in consultation with your licensed healthcare practitioner, to determine what is safe and appropriate for you specifically. Not only in terms of what food or supplements to choose in the first place, but how much of them to consume as well. What is right for one may not always be right for another.
I hope you found this information helpful.
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