The research, published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, tested the effect and safety of an oral supplement containing Indena’s bioavailable formulation of curcumin known as Meriva on bone density in people suffering from low bone density.
Led by product research manager Antonella Riva, the team of researchers from Indena, Genoa University and Chieti-Pescara University found that heel bone density of those supplemented with one gram of Meriva ‘remarkably’ improved, while those in a control group showed no significant change.
“These new positive clinical data broaden the existing findings on the efficacy of dietary supplementation with Meriva in contributing to manage certain health conditions, potentially impacting on life quality, including bone health,” said Riva.
Indena says the randomised trial is the first to be conducted in humans using a curcumin-based product.
Study details
The study enrolled 57 healthy subjects with a bone mass condition, who were then randomised in to two different groups that were comparable in terms of age and gender.
During the 6-month test period, a control group followed a standard management (SM) that aims to control bone density; while a supplement group combined SM with a daily curcumin-based oral supplementation with 1 gram of Indena’s Meriva.
The bone densities of heel, small finger and upper jaw were measured at baseline then at 4, 12 and
“The bone density of the heel measured by the Sahara densitometer remarkably improved in the Meriva-supplemented group, with a significant decrease of ultrasounds transmission values at week 12 (-18.4%) and at week 24 (-21.0%), compared with baseline values,” wrote the authors.
Furthermore, the bone densities of small finger and upper jaw also significantly increased during the study in supplemented subjects, reaching +7.1% and +4.8%, respectively, at week 24 compared with baseline.
The team said that it is ‘noteworthy’ that no significant changes of heel, small finger and upper jaw densities were observed in the control group and that no safety and tolerability issues were reported during the observational period.
“This preliminary study suggests that a curcumin-based supplementation in combination with an appropriate lifestyle could be beneficial in the prevention and management of osteopenia,” concluded Riva and colleagues.
Cosimo Palumbo, marketing director at Indena noted that more studies are on-going “and we will soon hear again about the benefits connected with the use of our unique, food grade, highly tolerable formulation of curcuminoids.”
Source: European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences
Volume 21, Number 7, Pages 1684-1689
“Effects of a curcumin-based supplementation in asymptomatic subjects with low bone density: a preliminary 24-week supplement study”
Authors: A. Riva, et al