12/18/2025
New meta-analysis provides robust evidence for curcumin's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in diabetes management. Published in Inflammopharmacology, this systematic review analyzed 28 randomized controlled trials examining curcumin/turmeric supplementation in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
The findings were substantial across multiple biomarkers: curcumin supplementation significantly reduced C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-6, and oxidative stress markers while increasing glutathione and total antioxidant capacity. These aren't marginal changes—the reductions in inflammatory markers were clinically meaningful, particularly for TNF-α and IL-6.
What's especially relevant for clinical practice? Higher doses (≥1g/day) and unformulated curcumin showed greater improvements in CRP, glutathione, and antioxidant capacity. This gives practitioners specific guidance on dosing strategies when recommending curcumin for patients with metabolic concerns.
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress drive the progression of diabetes and its complications. This meta-analysis reinforces curcumin's role as an evidence-based intervention for addressing these underlying mechanisms—not just managing symptoms, but targeting root causes. For integrative practitioners working with diabetic and prediabetic patients, curcumin represents a well-researched, accessible therapeutic tool backed by pooled data from multiple high-quality trials.
Study: Bahari H, Omidian K, Asadi Z, Golafrouz H, Rafiei H. Efficacy of curcumin/turmeric on inflammation and oxidative stress in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Inflammopharmacology. 2025. doi:10.1007/s10787-025-02038-9. PMID: 41240262.