Scientists from Urmia University of Medical Sciences have found that a turmeric compound and vitamin D supplementation may help improve blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.
Curcuminoids, especially curcumin, are the active ingredients in turmeric, a spice widely used in Indian and Asian cuisines.
Curcumin has been studied for many years because of its strong anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant properties.
Vitamin D is both a nutrient and a hormone produced by the body. It is well known for helping the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, two minerals essential for bone health.
In recent years, research has also shown that vitamin D may help reduce cancer cell growth, support immune function, control inflammation and benefit several organs and systems throughout the body.
Previous animal studies have suggested that both curcuminoids and vitamin D can improve blood pressure and body weight in diabetes, but consistent evidence in human patients has been limited.
In the new study, the researchers examined how curcuminoids and vitamin D, whether taken separately or together, affect blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes who also had insufficient vitamin D levels.
The team tested 80 adults with type 2 diabetes over a 12-week period. Participants were randomly assigned to receive curcuminoids, vitamin D3, a combination of the two, or placebos. Their blood pressure was measured before and after the intervention.
The results showed that vitamin D alone lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Curcuminoids had a strong effect on reducing diastolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart rests between beats.
Interestingly, curcuminoids appeared to prevent vitamin D from reducing systolic blood pressure, which is the pressure when the heart beats. However, when taken together, vitamin D and curcuminoids produced a combined benefit for reducing diastolic blood pressure.
These findings suggest that the two supplements may influence blood pressure through different biological pathways, particularly when comparing their effects on systolic and diastolic pressure. The researchers note that more studies are needed to understand why curcuminoids and vitamin D interact differently in these two measurements.
Curcuminoids naturally occur in foods such as turmeric, mango ginger, curry powder and curry dishes. Vitamin D can be found in salmon, sardines, herring, cod liver oil, canned tuna, egg yolks, mushrooms and a variety of fortified foods.
The study was published in Clinical Nutrition ESPEN and conducted by Shirin Ebrahimkhani and colleagues.
