Curcumin Reduces Liver Fat in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

by | Jun 18, 2018 | 2017, Curcumin, Liver Health

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Compared to the control group, phytosomal curcumin supplementation significantly reduced hepatic fat accumulation in the participating subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

liver healthIn the Western population, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition involving the build-up of extra fat in liver cells not caused by alcohol, ranges as high as 30% 1 and for obese individuals, increases up to 90% 2. While the pathogenesis of NAFLD is unclear, excessive fat accumulation and insulin resistance are known to play major roles 3, with researchers identifying lipid deposition in the liver as the primary event leading to the other processes involved in the disease, including inflammatory response and apoptosis (cell death) 4. Experimental evidence from rodent studies investigating diet-induced NAFLD suggests that a viable strategy for reducing hepatic lipid accumulation and further disease progression involves treatment with curcumin 5, a compound isolated from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) rhizomes 6. The beneficial pharmacological properties associated with curcumin are tremendous and include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and lipid-modifying effects 7,8. Besides its ability to interact with different molecular targets and biomolecules 9, this polyphenol also demonstrates the ability to improve insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function and suppress adipogenesis (development of fat cells) 10,11, causal risk factors associated with NAFLD. In a study 12 published in Drug Research (2017), investigators in Iran assessed the efficacy and safety of supplementation with curcumin in patients with NAFLD.

A total of 87 patients diagnosed with NAFLD (grades 1-3 based on liver ultrasonography) were enrolled in an 8-week randomized controlled trial and randomly allocated to receive a phytosomal formulation of curcumin (1100 mg/day in two divided doses) or matching placebo daily. At baseline and at 8-week follow-up, anthropometric measurements were made and serum levels of hepatic enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST; alkaline phosphatase, ALP; and total and direct bilirubin) were analyzed from fasting blood samples to assess liver function. Liver Doppler sonography was also performed to evaluate liver fat content and severity of hepatic steatosis (infiltration of liver cells with fat).

Results indicated that curcumin was associated with significant reduction in body mass index (-0.99 +/- 1.25 for curcumin group vs. -0.15 +/- 1.31 for placebo, p = 0.003) and waist circumference (-1.74 +/- 2.58 for curcumin group vs. -0.23 +/- 3.49 for placebo, p = 0.024). While serum levels of AST and ALT were elevated in the control group (p < 0.001) at the end of the intervention period, the curcumin group demonstrated significant reduction in hepatic enzyme levels (p < 0.001). Findings of Doppler sonography also revealed significant improvement in 75.0% of patients in the curcumin group, but only 4.7% of controls (p < 0.001). Also, while 25.6% of placebo subjects showed increased liver fat content, the frequency of increased liver fat content in the curcumin group was only 4.5% (p = 0.007). Finally, between-group analyses indicated significant improvements in hepatic vein flow (p < 0.001), portal vein diameter (p < 0.001), and liver volume (p < 0.001) in the curcumin group vs. placebo.

Thus, findings from the study suggest that, consistent with previous research, short-term supplementation with curcumin can effectively reduce fatty liver parameters in patients with NAFLD. Evidence confirms the capacity of curcumin to inhibit hepatic fat accumulation, improve body measurements, and support liver function through reduction of transaminase levels. The long-term effects of curcumin on NAFLD warrant further study and future studies will need to determine whether the anti-steatotic effects of curcumin are dose-dependent. 

Source: Panahi Y, Kianpour P, Mohtashami R, et al. Efficacy and safety of phytosomal curcumin in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized controlled trial. Drug Research. 2017; 67: 244-251. DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-100019.

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Posted June 18, 2018.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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