G-3031

Curcumin ’s Therapeutic Potential in Improving Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus :A Systematic Review

 Farzad Kahrizi ¹ ©, Seyed Zahra Amini ² ℗, Zahra Yahyanezhad Roshan ³, Fatemeh Jafarnezhad ³, Shadi Moradi ⁴, Mohadeseh Safaei Sisakht ²   

 
Abstract

Introduction Controlling blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is an important issue for us. Some studies suggest that curcumin may help control blood sugar, but conflicting results have also been reported. In this review, we aim to determine the effect of this substance on blood sugar factors in people with type 2 diabetes. Search Strategy A search for this systematic review was conducted in PubMed , ScienceDirect , Cochrane Library ,and DOAJ(Directory of Open Access Journals) . We focused on clinical trials that gave curcumin to patients with type 2 diabetes and were reported between 2021 to April 2025. The search terms were “Diabetes Mellitus” OR “T2DM” AND “Curcumin” OR “Turmeric”. Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by five reviewers. We conducted this review based on the PRISMA checklist. We used Zotero software to remove duplicate studies during the initial reading of the articles. We also used the Jadad scale to assess the quality of the selected clinical studies. Results After applying search filters, 382 articles were identified and after reviewing them, we finally reached 11 clinical trial articles. It should be noted that four articles were reports of a clinical study, and we reviewed one of them to avoid bias. In 6 trials, We observed a significant improvement in glycemic control in diabetic patients treated with curcumin, but this significant improvement was not observed in 2 cases. 3 trials reported a decrease in HOMA-IR , 1 trial reported no change, and 5 studies did not report this factor. In 4 trials, a significant reduction in HbA1c was observed. In one case, this index did not change compared to people who did not take curcumin, and in 3 cases, this index was not examined. Overall, 6 studies reported a positive effect and the remaining 2 reported no effect. Discussion and Conclusion Based on the available evidence, curcumin, whether used alone or in combination with other substances, on diabetes control in people with type 2 diabetes can be considered positive. It should be used in addition to prescribed diabetes medications under the supervision of a physician. Further clinical trials are necessary to definitively assess its effects, particularly regarding insulin resistance, glycemic indices, and other blood sugar parameters.

Keywords: Curcumin •Type 2 diabetes mellitus • Tumeric • Insulin resistance