Childhood obesity and curcumin: a possible effective anti-obesity adjunct

Abstract

Obesity, a largely intractable health condition with incalculable health, financial and social costs and ramifications and often emerging in the context of early childhood and without amelioration thereafter, remains an immense challenge to mitigate effectively, despite years of study. Consequently, interventions that can limit the early onset of obesity, or help to reduce this to any degree where present, remain of high significance. Studied now for over 20 years, the role of spices such as turmeric that contains a yellow pigment known as curcumin, a derivative employed widely in Asian dietary and health contexts for centuries appears promising for purposes of combating obesity and its analogues such as diabetes. Based on available data, this mini review specifically discusses some findings regarding curcumin and obesity, and what has been observed to date. Extracted from current literature, it is concluded that this is a field of significant promise, but one requiring more research among young people as well as diverse obesity associated conditions across time.