Highly bioavailable micellar curcuminoids accumulate in blood, are safe and do not reduce blood lipids and inflammation markers in moderately hyperlipidemic individuals

Scope: Curcuminoids are poorly bioavailable, but potentially lipid- and inflammation-lowering phytochemicals. We hypothesized that curcuminoids, when administered as a micellar formulation with hundredfold enhanced bioavailability, decrease blood lipids and inflammation in subjects with moderately elevated cholesterol and C-reactive protein concentrations.

Methods and results: We carried out a randomized, double-blind, crossover study (4-wk washout phase) with 42 subjects consuming 294 mg curcuminoids per day (as micelles) or placebo for 6 wk. At the beginning, after 3 wk and at the end (6 wk) of each intervention, we collected fasting blood samples to determine curcuminoids, blood lipids, and markers of inflammation, glucose and iron homeostasis, and liver toxicity. Daily ingestion of 98 mg micellar curcuminoids with each principal meal for as little as 3 wk resulted in fasting curcuminoid plasma concentrations of 49 nmol/L. Neither blood lipids, nor markers of inflammation, glucose and iron homeostasis, or liver enzymes differed between curcuminoid and placebo interventions.

Conclusion: Consumption of 98 mg of highly bioavailable curcuminoids with each principal meal sufficed to achieve curcuminoid accumulation in the blood, was safe, and did not alter blood lipids, inflammation, glucose, or iron homeostasis in healthy subjects with slightly elevated blood cholesterol and C-reactive protein.