Formulated Curcumin Benefits Liver Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study results suggest improvement of different features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after a short-term supplementation with curcumin.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, also known as alcohol steatohepatitis, affects 2 to 5% of Americans. It resembles alcoholic liver disease (fat in the liver, along with inflammation and liver damage) but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. It is also regarded as a “silent” liver disease because most people feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. However, if left untreated, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis, permanently damaging the liver ¹.

The prescribed treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is lifestyle modification ², focusing on blood sugar control and minimizing cell damage ^3,4. Fortunately, research has started to highlight certain foods and supplements that may benefit liver health, including 1,500 milligrams of cinnamon per day ⁵ and antioxidants with silybin ⁶. Now, research suggests that curcumin, an antioxidant found in the yellow Indian spice turmeric and shown to help maintain brain health ⁷, cellular health ⁸, healthy levels of inflammation ⁹, and even nerve function ¹⁰ may also benefit liver health.

A 2016 study ¹¹ involved 80 subjects (38 men, 42 women) aged 35 to 57 with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (as diagnosed with ultrasonography). They received either 500 milligrams of a formulation of curcumin called an “amorphous form” (totaling 70 mg of actual curcumin) or a placebo per day for 8 weeks. Before and after the study, blood samples were drawn and liver ultrasonography was performed.

The researchers used the amorphous form in the study because regular curcumin is known to have poor rates of absorption ¹² but the amorphous form of curcumin has been found to improve absorption ¹³.

After 8 weeks, liver ultrasonography showed a 78.9% improvement in overall liver fat content in the amorphous curcumin group compared to a 27.5% improvement in the placebo group (p < 0.01). In addition, significant decreases in cholesterol levels (total, LDL), body mass index, and liver enzymes (AST), and blood sugar control (HbA1C):

For the researchers, these results “suggest improvement of different features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease after a short-term supplementation with curcumin”, that “the use of this phytochemical in patients with NAFLD is recommended” but that future studies are warranted to elucidate if the anti-steatotic properties of curcumin are dose dependent.”

Source: Rahmani, Sepideh, Sedigheh Asgary, Gholamreza Askari, Mahtab Keshvari, Mahdi Hatamipour, Awat Feizi, and Amirhossein Sahebkar. “Treatment of Non‐alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Curcumin: A Randomized Placebo‐controlled Trial.” Phytotherapy Research 30, no. 9 (2016): 1540-1548.

© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Posted November 2, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

1. NIH. Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.
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