The article reports on new research presented at the 2026 American Physiology Summit, indicating that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, may protect blood vessels from damage associated with Type 1 diabetes in rats. According to the study’s first author, Swasti Rastogi, curcumin not only improves blood sugar levels but also reduces inflammation, restores cellular responses, and preserves the structure and function of the aorta in a Type 1 diabetes model. The research demonstrated that after one month, diabetic rats treated with curcumin exhibited vascular health improvements comparable to those of nondiabetic rats.
The study’s findings suggest that curcumin’s effects include reducing inflammation, normalizing calcium activity in blood vessels, and rebalancing heat shock protein 70, a protein whose regulation is disrupted by diabetes. These effects may help mitigate the structural and functional changes that weaken blood vessels and reduce their elasticity, potentially lowering cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes. However, the researchers caution that these results, derived from a rat model, necessitate further research and clinical trials to determine if similar benefits occur in humans and to establish a safe and effective dosage that minimizes interactions with other medications. Source