Global obesity is rising at an alarming rate, with the number of obese adults projected to increase from 524 million in 2010 to 1.13 billion by 2030, highlighting an urgent need for effective interventions. Recent research demonstrates that curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, can reduce visceral fat accumulation by inhibiting gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) release induced by hypoxic intestinal injury, as shown in high-fat diet-induced MASH rat models. Curcumin decreases perirenal fat mass, modulates GIP signaling, and protects intestinal and vascular barriers, thereby suppressing fat formation and inflammation. Beyond its anti-obesity effects, curcumin exhibits potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, musculoskeletal pain-relieving, and cardiovascular-supporting activities. These findings underscore curcumin’s potential as a natural dietary supplement for promoting metabolic health and preventing obesity-related complications.
In recent years, global obesity has become an increasingly severe issue. According to the World Obesity Atlas 2025 published by the World Obesity Federation, the total number of obese adults worldwide is projected to rise from 524 million in 2010 to 1.13 billion by 2030, an increase of over 115%. Against this backdrop, more and more consumers are seeking natural ingredients that can help combat obesity.
Recent studies highlight curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, as a promising natural compound capable of reducing visceral fat accumulation by inhibiting the release of gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) caused by hypoxic intestinal injury. This article reviews the anti-obesity mechanisms of curcumin and its broader health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular support.
1. How Curcumin Inhibits Visceral Fat Accumulation
Visceral fat accumulation refers to abnormal or excessive fat deposition. High-carbohydrate, high-fat diets and lack of exercise can lead to energy imbalance, resulting in excess visceral fat. The gastrointestinal tract is a key site for fat absorption, and visceral fat accumulation is an important feature of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). This study analyzed the mechanism by which curcumin counteracts visceral fat in MASH rats induced by a high-fat diet.
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into seven groups. Except for the control group, all rats were fed a high-fat diet continuously for 12 weeks.
The study found that compared with the control group, body weight in the HFD group increased significantly from the fourth week, and from the sixth week, body weight in the Cur and OST groups was significantly lower than that in the HFD group. Furthermore, from week nine, body weight in the Abx group and Abx+Cur100 group also decreased significantly after administration of an aqueous Abx solution compared with the HFD group. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that both curcumin and antibiotics reduce body weight in MASH rats, and curcumin and antibiotics exhibit a synergistic effect.
Mechanistic studies revealed that curcumin primarily reduced the weight of visceral fat, especially perirenal fat tissue. Curcumin inhibits GIP release, lowers the perirenal fat tissue index, and thereby suppresses weight gain. The curcumin-induced reduction in intestinal GIP release prevents GIP receptor activation, alleviating fat formation and inflammation in perirenal fat tissue. In addition, curcumin protects the intestinal epithelium and vascular barrier, reducing hypoxia in the small intestine and consequently decreasing GIP release. In summary, the pharmacological effect of curcumin on visceral fat is mainly mediated by inhibiting GIP release through protection against gut barrier damage and hypoxia.
2. Curcumin: A Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Curcumin, primarily derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L., is a low-molecular-weight polyphenol commonly used as a spice in various foods. In 1815, Vegel and colleagues first reported the isolation of an “orange-yellow substance” from turmeric rhizomes, which was later named curcumin. In 1910, Kazimierz and other scientists confirmed its chemical structure as diferuloylmethane.
Evidence shows that curcumin has remarkable anti-inflammatory effects. It can inhibit the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway and its downstream nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, reducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).
Its anti-inflammatory properties are considered the basis for multiple bioactivities, and numerous preclinical and clinical studies have explored its therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, psoriasis, depression, atherosclerosis, and COVID-19.
With the development of modern markets, dietary intake of curcumin alone is insufficient to achieve effective doses, and supplementation is required. Consequently, the demand for curcumin in health foods and dietary supplements has grown significantly. According to the WISH GUY Global Curcumin Supplement Market Research Report, the market for curcumin supplements is expected to reach USD 2.64 billion by 2032, with North America and Europe gradually dominating.
3. Additional Health Benefits of Curcumin
Studies have shown that curcumin not only combats obesity but also offers antioxidant, neuroprotective, musculoskeletal pain-relief, and cardiovascular-supporting effects.
Antioxidant: Curcumin can directly scavenge free radicals and improve mitochondrial function via activation of pathways such as sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), thereby reducing excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation at the source and mitigating cellular oxidative damage.
Neuroprotection: Inflammation is closely associated with depression. Curcumin may alleviate depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients. It helps resist neuron damage induced by IL-1β and mitigates depression-like behaviors triggered by chronic stress, supporting brain health and emotional regulation.
Musculoskeletal Pain Relief: Research indicates that curcumin improves clinical symptoms in animal models of arthritis by reducing inflammatory responses and protecting joint and muscle tissues. Its ability to alleviate musculoskeletal pain is mainly attributed to the inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, thereby reducing local inflammation, swelling, and pain.
Cardiovascular Support: In the cardiovascular system, curcumin regulates lipid profiles by reducing serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol while increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Additionally, curcumin inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and inflammatory responses, contributing to the prevention of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
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