A combination of turmeric and omega 3 fat could help in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes, says a research team led by Professor Manohar Garg from the University of Newcastle's Nutraceuticals.

The researchers believe that a compound present in turmeric called curcumin, when combined with omega 3 fat, could potentially prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. Curcumin, which is also used for food coloration, is a part of the ginger family.

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Garg noted, "The root cause of type 2 diabetes is systemic inflammation, which impacts insulin secretion and function." He added that "We want to nip the inflammation in the bud. This study will use two bioactive compounds that we find in food - curcumin and omega-3 fat. Both are very important anti-inflammatory agents," reported NDTV Food.

Garg explained that the diabetes treatment involving turmeric would be tested in human volunteers divided into four groups. Group one will be given curcumin without omega 3 fat and the second group will be tested with omega 3 fat without curcumin and the group three will be given both curcumin and omega 3 fat while keeping the fourth group as the control, elaborated Garg, according to Te Cake.

The participants of the study would be people prone to diabetes either with impaired glucose tolerance or with impaired fasting glucose aged between 30 and 70, noted Garg. The participants will be given capsules containing 200 grams of curcumin and one gram of omega 3 fat, reported The News Recorder.

Turmeric is an important spice used in India for centuries to cure inflammation, wounds, sprains and bruises. The spice with abundant of medicinal value is ignored with westernisation in food resulting in increased type 2 diabetes cases in the country making it an epidemic, noted the researcher.

Garg also noted, "The anti-inflammatory mechanisms surrounding curcumin and omega-3 fats are different, so we want to test if they complement each other and have treatment synergies beyond their individual effects. Our thinking is that the combination is safe, free of any side-effects and may prove to be as effective as drugs used for management of diabetes," according to NDTV Food. 

TagsTurmeric, Diabetes Treatment, Type 2 diabetes, Diabetes mellitus, Curcumin