How Combined and Separate Aerobic Training and Turmeric Supplementation Alter Lipid Profile and Glycemic Status? A Clinical Trial in Middle-Aged Females with Type 2 Diabetes and Hyperlipidemia

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the health problems in all societies. Exercise interventions and supplements are among the non-pharmacological approaches to improve the health status of patients with T2DM and hyperlipidemia.

This study aimed to investigate the separate and combined effects of Turmeric Supplementation (TS) and Aerobic Training (AT) on body composition, lipid profile, and glycemic status in patients with T2DM and hyperlipidemia.

In this randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled trial, 42 women with T2DM and hyperlipidemia (age: 45 – 60 years, Body Mass Index (BMI): 25 – 30 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to four groups; i.e., AT + TS (n = 11), AT + placebo (AT; n = 10), TS (n = 11), and Control + placebo (C; n = 10). The AT program consisted of 60 - 75% of HRMax, 20 - 40 min/day, three days/week for eight weeks. The participants in the TS group consumed 2,100 mg powdered rhizome of turmeric daily for eight weeks. Body weight, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), HbA1C, Triglyceride (TG), Total Cholesterol (TC), Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) were measured before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using paired sample t-test and Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) followed by Bonferroni test at the signification level of 0.05.

After eight weeks, significant improvements were observed in body composition, lipid profile, and glycemic status in the AT + TS, TS, and AT groups compared to the C group. Additionally, the AT + TS group showed significantly lower TG, TC, LDL, ApoB, FBS, insulin, HOMA-IR, and HbA1C levels and significantly higher HDL and ApoA1 levels compared to the AT and TS groups. The results also revealed a significant difference between the AT and TS groups in terms of TG, TC, LDL, glucose, HOMA-IR, ApoA1, and ApoB levels.

The findings suggested that AT + TS improved body composition, lipid profile, and glycemic status more effectively compared to TS or AT alone in middle-aged females with T2DM and hyperlipidemia.