https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4082484/
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.
Published online 2014 Jun 28. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-67
Abstract
Background
Curry,
one of the most popular foods in Japan, contains spices that are rich
in potentially antioxidative compounds, such as curcumin and eugenol.
Oxidative stress is thought to impair endothelial function associated
with atherosclerosis, a leading cause of cardiovascular events. The aim
of this study was to determine whether a single consumption of curry
meal would improve endothelial function in healthy men.
Methods
Fourteen healthy male subjects (BMI 23.7 ± 2.7 kg/m2;
age 45 ± 9 years) were given a single serving of curry meal or
spice-free control meal (180 g of curry or control and 200 g of cooked
rice; approximately 500 kcal in total) in a randomized, controlled
crossover design. Before and 1 hr after the consumption, fasting and
postprandial flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) responses and other
parameters were measured.
Results
The consumption of the control meal decreased FMD from 5.8 ± 2.4% to 5.1 ± 2.3% (P = 0.039). On the other hand, the consumption of the curry meal increased FMD from 5.2 ± 2.5% to 6.6 ± 2.0% (P = 0.001), and the postprandial FMD after the curry meal was higher than that after the control meal (P
= 0.002). Presence of spices in the curry did not alter significantly
the systemic and forearm hemodynamics, or any biochemical parameters
including oxidative stress markers measured.
Conclusions
These
findings suggest that the consumption of curry ameliorates postprandial
endothelial function in healthy male subjects and may be beneficial for
improving cardiovascular health. What about unhealthy subjects like stroke survivors? Followup needed that will never occur.
Trial registration
UMIN Clinical Trials Registry
000012012.
Keywords: Curry,
Spice, Antioxidant, Endothelial function, Postprandial hyperglycemia,
Flow-mediated vasodilation, Prevention, Cardiovascular events
Background
Curry originated in Indian traditional diet, and has become widely eaten throughout the world, especially in Asia
[1]. In fact, curry is one of the most popular foods in Japan
[1].
Japanese curry is often milder in flavor and thicker in consistency
than the traditional Indian curry, and usually is served with cooked
rice
[1].
With a good amount of meat and vegetables in it, Japanese curry can
make a convenient and nutritious meal for people of all ages
[1].
While
being mild in flavor, Japanese curry still contains an abundant amount
of spices, some of which are high in antioxidants. For example, turmeric
contains antioxidant yellow pigment, curcumin, which is known to have
many health benefits such as vasoprotective, antiinflammatory,
anticarcinogenic, and neuroprotective effects
[2,3].
Clove contains antioxidant aromatic oil, eugenol, which is also known
to have some health benefits such as vasoprotective and pulmonary
protective effects
[4,5]. Epidemiologic studies have shown that curry improves pulmonary function in Asian elderly adults
[6] and curry consumption improved cognitive performance of nondemented elderly Asians
[7]. However, few intervention studies about curry have been reported.
It
is well known that postprandial hyperglycemia is a contributing factor
to the development of atherosclerosis and is a risk factor for
cardiovascular events. A meta-regression analysis showed that the
progressive relationship between glucose levels and cardiovascular risk
extends even in subjects with normal glucose tolerance below the
diabetic threshold
[8].
Although
mechanism by which postprandial hyperglycemia induces vascular
dysfunction is not fully understood, a review by Mar and Bruno points
out that oxidative stress-mediated disruptions in nitric oxide
homeostasis have been implicated as key events leading to vascular
dysfunction
[9].
Glucose loading produced a decrease in endothelial function and an
increase in a marker of oxidative stress in normal and diabetic subjects
[10,11].
Hyperglycemia in response to oral glucose loading rapidly suppressed
endothelium-dependent vasodilation, probably through increased
production of oxygen free radicals
[11-13].
Accumulating
evidence suggests that endothelial dysfunction plays a crucial role in
the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The endothelium is
suggested to be a target of damage in the postprandial state
[14-16].
The
aim of this study was to determine whether a single consumption of a
dish of Japanese curry and rice would improve postprandial endothelial
function in healthy men.