The effectiveness of turmeric supplementation in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults

This review reports the findings of seven systematic reviews and meta-analyses evaluating the effectiveness of turmeric/ curcumin as a dietary supplement in reducing LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). PubMed was searched for publications between January 1st, 2018 and August 23th, 2023, reporting on the anticholesteremic effects of turmeric. Turmeric demonstrates antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticholesteremic activity. A dosage of 850 mg/d for 10 weeks reduced LDL-C in adults over 50 years old at risk for cardiovascular disease. One study reported curcumin reduced LDL-C by a mean of 39.83 mg/dL. Yet, other reports conflicting findings on the effectiveness of turmeric supplementation, likely due to high-heterogeneity in between-study endpoints, dosage, duration, and participant characteristics. Turmeric has potential as a safe, effective, inexpensive, lipid-lowering functional food. Future studies must clarify the degree to which turmeric improves lipid indices, its mechanism of action, and the most effective form, dose, route, and duration in reducing LDL-C.