Results from a recent Thai study conducted by researchers at Srinakharinwirot University in Bangkok demonstrate that a supplement found in curry spice can help people with Pre-diabetes, elevated blood sugar levels that may develop into Type 2 diabetes. Patients at high risk of contracting diabetes were given daily dosages of curcumin, a compound found in the curry spice, turmeric, over a nine month period. Results showed that the Pre-diabetic patients were able to avoid progression to diabetes with the help of these supplements.
Curcumin has long been known to fight harmful processes such as inflammation and oxidative damage to body cells, which are related to various diseases, including Type 2 diabetes. “Because of its benefits and safety, we propose that curcumin extract may be used for an intervention therapy for the prediabetes population,” wrote study leader Somlak Chuengsamarn of Srinakharinwirot University in Nakomnayok, Thailand. The study consisted of two groups, one of which would take six curcumin capsules daily while the other would take placebo capsules for nine months. Results showed that 19 of the 116 placebo patients developed Type 2 diabetes. Conversely, none of the patients who took curcumin capsules developed the disease.
Despite the exciting implications that come with discovering the immediate health benefits of a commonly consumed supplement, more research and studies must be conducted. Considering that this study was conducted over just a nine month period, researchers must continue to work to find the long term results of trying to prevent progression to diabetes with curcumin. “This looks promising, but there are still a lot of questions,” said Constance Brown-Riggs, a certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
This does not mean, however, that those with Pre-diabetes have no hope in preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Experimenting on and researching the effectiveness certain foods can have against diseases will undoubtedly take quite a while. In the mean time, Pre-diabetic patients can look to exercise and consumption of fewer calories as safe and proven methods of fighting Type 2 diabetes. According to Brown-Riggs, “If I was talking to a patient about this, I’d say concentrate on eating healthy and overall lifestyle.”
whoop i love curry so good news for me!
your article was well organized and easy to go through, although i thought you could have split the paragraphs more (ex: a quote is supposed to be its own paragraph) so it didn’t seem too text-heavy.
g’job!
You delivered the message well. Something I would consider changing is the first sentence of the article, which was a mouthful.
I like this article!
However, it would be nice to see some other person’s perspective other than the researcher’s, such as a quote from a diabetic or somebody who has to take care of somebody with diabetes.
Personally, this sounds like a simple recap of the study – however, it’s thorough and well done. A hook would be a nice addition to the article, because the article would sound cut and dry for somebody who isn’t very interested in science, and it might be useful to define type 2 diabetes in a short sentence – people know it exists, but a lot of people don’t know about it in depth.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed this article. Good job!