One of the most marked effects of Curcumin is on lipids; more commonly known as fats.
This means that Curcumin helps you mobilize and burn fat. But it also means that it can have drastic effects on lipid-related conditions.
How it works…
Let’s take a look at its mode of action. The effect it has on fat is through 3 different but synergistic pathways.
First, it boosts AMPK. 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase or AMPK for short, is an enzyme involved in homeostasis. More precisely in glucose and fatty-acid regulation. It is triggered when glycogen stores in the body are low. When it is activated, it helps switch the body’s metabolic furnace from sugar-burning to fat-burning. AMPK also inhibits another enzyme that promotes fat storage. Think of it as fat-burning fairy dust for your metabolism.
Curcumin also promotes the release of cAMP. This molecule is in charge of releasing fat from the adipocytes, the fat-storing cells of the body. This makes it readily available as a fuel source.
Finally, it ramps up levels of PGC-1 and CTP-1, two enzymes that acts of the mitochondria. Those are the literal fat-burning engines of the cell in charge of producing energy.
Conclusion:
As you can see, Curcumin has many ways to promote fat loss by increasing fat mobilization and oxidation (fat release and fat burning, respectively).
But it also reduces the activity of another enzyme, glycerol-3-phosphate acyl transferase-1 and NFK-B, which are responsible for storing fatty acids circulating in the body.
And just as if that was not enough, at least one study showed that Curcumin promotes the transformation of white fat-storing adipose tissue into the fat-burning brown adipose tissue. Although the latter one needs more research to confirm, it’s a nice addition to the fat loss arsenal Curcumin is packing.
This being said, Curcumin is a colorant that comes from a plant and India is the main producer of this plant from which the final product (what we can buy now at many places as a food supplement) is considered a Superfood.