Curcumin, blood sugar and inflammation in type 2 diabetes
What it found
In 18 trials in people with type 2 diabetes, curcumin lowered fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and C-reactive protein compared with a placebo.
The authors rate the evidence as low to moderate certainty.
What they found
Studies in people
Fasting blood glucose
Across 16 trials, fasting blood glucose fell by about 11.48 mg/dL more with curcumin than with placebo. The authors rate this evidence as low certainty.
Glycated hemoglobin
Across 14 trials, glycated hemoglobin fell by about 0.54% more with curcumin than with placebo. The authors rate this evidence as moderate certainty.
C-reactive protein
Across 10 trials, C-reactive protein fell more with curcumin than with placebo. The authors rate this evidence as low certainty and note signs of publication bias.
Gender and CRP
Gender was the only factor the authors found linked to the change in C-reactive protein. Age, dose, treatment length and trial quality were not linked to the changes in fasting blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin.
Other findings
Dose and duration
The trials used many different doses and treatment lengths, so the authors say the exact effective dose cannot be identified from this evidence.
Where trials were done
The 18 trials came from six countries, with eleven from Iran. No trials were from African countries, where the authors note type 2 diabetes is very common.
What the authors conclude
“The obtained results suggest that T2D patients can use curcumin as a supplement to reduce hyperglycemia and inflammation.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that curcumin can improve hyperglycemia and inflammation in type 2 diabetes by reducing fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin and C-reactive protein.
- They say people with type 2 diabetes can use curcumin as a supplement to reduce hyperglycemia and inflammation.
- They recommend that future trials focus on finding the effective dose and ideal duration of treatment, and on using formulations that improve curcumin's absorption.
How it was done
The authors say curcumin's effects on blood sugar and inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes have been inconsistent across trials, possibly because individual trials were small.
They pooled 18 randomized controlled trials published between 2008 and 2024, covering 1382 adults with type 2 diabetes (some also with high blood lipids) in six countries. Curcumin doses ranged from 80 mg to 2100 mg per day, and treatment lasted from 8 weeks to about 52 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- The trials used many different curcumin doses and treatment lengths, so this paper cannot say which dose or duration works best.
- The evidence comes from only a few countries, so the results may not apply to people everywhere.
- The authors rate the evidence for fasting blood glucose and C-reactive protein as low certainty, so these results may change with more research.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NRF Special Transformation Awards; Research Development Grants for nGAP Scholars; Black Academics Advancement Programme PhD Track (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, South Africa; University of Limpopo, South Africa
The paper
- Title
- Curcumin Attenuates Hyperglycemia and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Quantitative Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial
- Type
- Systematic review and meta-analysisThe authors follow a set, published method to find every relevant study, then combine the numbers from them into one result.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Mokgalaboni K, Mashaba RG, Phoswa WN, Lebelo SL (2024). Curcumin Attenuates Hyperglycemia and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Quantitative Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16234177Free full textPubMed 39683570DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error