Hot Water Extract of Turmeric Helps Alleviate Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation

by | Sep 9, 2019 | 2019, Blood Pressure, Obesity

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Study results suggest that consumption of a hot water extract of Curcuma longa may have the potential to improve general health by reducing chronic low-grade inflammation and improving associated metabolic disorders. 

turmeric - curcuminChronic low-grade inflammation is a persistent inflammatory response that has been linked to obesity, hypertension, and a generally unhealthy lifestyle 1,2.  A large body of research has highlighted the role of low-grade inflammation in a spectrum of conditions, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer 3-5. At the physiological level, the inflammatory response involves the release of inflammatory mediators, namely C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 6,7. While turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is commonly ingested in its whole herb form or that of a powdered extract, findings show that aqueous extracts of the herb also retain the medicinal benefits for which turmeric is most well-known, including its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects 8 and its anti-depressant properties 9. Research suggests that a hot water extract of C. longa (WEC) can improve hepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in animals by reducing inflammatory cytokine activity 10, though the effects of WEC on chronic inflammation is still unknown in humans. In a 2019 study 11 published in Nutrients, an investigation looking at the impact of WEC on chronic inflammation was carried out, specifically examining inflammatory markers in relation to general health and mood in patients who were overweight or hypertensive.

Using a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study design, researchers recruited a total of 90 middle-aged to elderly subjects (aged 50 to 69 years) with a body mass index (BMI) between overweight and obese (≥ 23 to < 30 kg/m2) or blood pressure (BP) between prehypertension and mild hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 120 to < 160 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 80 to < 100 mmHg). Subjects were randomly allocated to receive 900 mg WEB tablets (400 µg bisacurone, 80 µg turmeronol A, and 20 µg turmeronol B) or matching placebo tablets daily for 12 weeks. At baseline and Weeks 4, 8, and 12, participants completed hematology tests to measure serum inflammatory markers (CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, VCAM-1), as well as serum metabolic markers (glucose; triglycerides, TG; cholesterol; hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c). Subjects also completed the Short-Form 36 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36) evaluating health-related quality of life and the Profile of Mood State Scale (POMS) measuring affective states.

Results indicated that in the WEC group vs. placebo, serum levels of CRP (p < 0.01), TNF-α (p < 0.01), IL-6 (p < 0.01), and sVCAM-1 (p < 0.05) were significantly diminished from baseline to the end of the study period. Compared to the placebo group, WEC treatment was associated with significantly lower levels of glucose (p < 0.01), HbA1c (p < 0.01), and TG (at Week 8) (p < 0.05), and significantly higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (at Week 8) (p < 0.01). Finally, the WEC group, compared to placebo, also demonstrated significant improvement on SF-36 scores (general health, vitality, mental health, and mental component summary subscales) (p < 0.01 for all) and POMS scores (vigor-activity and friendliness subscales) (p < 0.05 for both) from baseline to the end of the study.

Findings indicate a beneficial role of WEC on chronic inflammation, metabolic health, and overall health in subjects who are overweight or suffer from prehypertension/mild hypertension. In the span of 12 weeks, WEC demonstrated the ability to improve not only serum inflammatory markers, but also had a favorable impact on metabolic markers, as well as quality of life and general mood. Turmeric, in the form of WEC, appears to suppress chronic low-grade inflammation and benefit lipid metabolism, however, it would be important to examine at the cellular level the exact pathways by which WEC positively influences inflammatory cytokine activity and whether this differs at all from the mechanisms associated with other forms of turmeric. Potential limitations to note are the lack of data on subjects’ history of supplement use (including turmeric supplements) and the relatively short follow-up period employed in the study.

Source: Uchio R, Muroyama K, Okuda-Hanafusa C, et al. Hot water extract of Curcuma longa L. improves serum inflammatory markers and general health in subjects with overweight or prehypertension/mild hypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019; 11: 1822. DOI: 10.3390/nu11081822.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted September 9, 2019.

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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