Curcumin May Improve Vascular Endothelial Function
Researchers have found that 2000 mg/day of curcumin may provide vascular endothelial benefits to adults aged 45–74 years.
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A new study suggests curcumin may improve vascular endothelial function in middle-aged and older adults by enhancing nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability.
Researchers at the University of Colorado (Boulder, CO) investigated the effect of Verdure Sciences’ (Noblesville, IN) Longvida optimized curcumin on 29 adults aged 45–74 in a 12-week, placebo controlled study.
Participants consumed either 2000 mg/day of curcumin or a placebo for 12 weeks. Utilizing conduit and resistance artery endothelial-dependent dilation (EDD), researchers assessed participant brachial artery flow-mediation dilation (FMDba) and forearm blood flow in response to incremental brachial artery infusion of acetylcholine (FBFach).
By comparing measurements from before and after the 12-week supplementation period, researchers found that the curcumin group showed a 34% increase in FMDba and a 44% increase in FBFach. The placebo group, on the other hand, experienced no change to FBFach or FMDba.
The FBFach improvement in the curcumin group was found to be mediated in part by an increase in NO bioavailability. Researchers also noted that neither the curcumin group nor the placebo group experienced a change to conduit and resistance artery endothelium-independent dilation, suggesting “an endothelium-specific effect of curcumin.”
“Our findings indicate that 12 weeks of curcumin supplementation improves EDD in [middle-aged and older] adults, and this is mediated, in part, by an increase in NO bioavailability,” concluded researchers.
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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com
References:
Santos-Parker JR et al., “Biomarkers of aging and age-associated disease: cucumin supplement improves vascular endothelial function in middle-aged and older adults,” The Gerontologist, vol. 55, suppl. 2 (December 2015): 195
