The Effect of Short–Term Nanocurcumin Supplementation on the Anthropometric Indices, Lipid Profile and C-Reactive Protein of Overweight Girls

Objective Studies have shown that the use of herbal medicines can be effective in prevention and treatment of obesity/overweight and its related disorders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of nanocurcumin supplementation on anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile and C-reactive Protein (CRP) in overweight girls. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study with pretest/posttest design. The subjects were 24 overweight students with a mean age of 22.48±1.64 years and body mass index (BMI) of 27.53±3.29 kg/m2.  After receiving written consent from the subjects, they were randomly divided into two groups of supplement (n=12) and placebo (n=12). Supplement group consumed 80 mg nanocurcumin capsule daily for 6 weeks. Anthropometric indicators (weight, BMI and waist-to-hip ratio) were measured before and after the intervention and blood samples were collected to measure lipid profile parameters (low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein) and CRP level. Data were analyzed by dependent and independent t-tests. The significance level of the tests was set at P≤0.05.  Results Nanocurcumin supplementation for 6 weeks did not significantly affect the anthropometric indicators, lipid profile parameters and CRP level (P>0.05).  Conclusion It seems that the short-term nancurcumin supplementation cannot significantly affect anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile, and CRP level in overweight girls. Therefore, long-term use and different doses of this supplement are recommended.