Effects of curcumin on body weight, glycemic control and serum lipids in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin on body weight, glycemic control and serum lipids in women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods: The current randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 60 subjects with PCOS, aged 18-40 years old. Subjects were randomly allocated to take 500 mg/day curcumin (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Glycemic control and serum lipids were measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. Using RT-PCR method, gene expression related to insulin and lipid metabolism was evaluated. Results: Curcumin significantly decreased weight (-0.8 +/- 0.9 vs. -0.2 +/- 0.8 kg, P = 0.03) and BMI (-0.3 +/- 0.4 vs. -0.1 +/- 0.3 kg/m(2), P = 0.03). Curcumin, compared with the placebo, significantly reduced fasting glucose (beta -2.63 mg/dL; 95% CI, -4.21, -1.05; P = 0.002), serum insulin (beta -1.16 mu IU/mL; 95% CI, -2.12, -0.19; P = 0.02), insulin resistance (beta -0.26; 95% CI, -0.48, -0.03; P = 0.02), and significantly increased insulin sensitivity (beta 0.006; 95% CI, 0.001, 0.01; P = 0.02). In addition, taking curcumin was associated with a significant reduction in total cholesterol (beta -15.86 mg/dL; 95% CI, -24.48, -7.24; P = 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (beta -16.09 mg/dL; 95% CI, -25.11, -7.06; P = 0.001) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (beta -0.62; 95% CI, -0.93, -0.30; P < 0.001), and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (beta 2.14 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.36, 3.92; P = 0.01) compared with the placebo. Additionally, curcumin administration up-regulated gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma) (P = 0.03) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) (P < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Conclusions: Overall, curcumin administration for 12 weeks to women with PCOS had beneficial effects on body weight, glycemic control, serum lipids except triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol levels, and gene expression of PPAR-gamma and LDLR. (C) 2020 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.