Curcumin-rich curry consumption and life expectancy: Singapore longitudinal ageing study

Abstract

The therapeutic potential of curcumin for many diseases are intensively investigated. However, real-world observational data documenting health and longevity effects associated with dietary curcumin in turmeric from consuming curry in food is lacking. A prospective cohort study of 4551 adults aged 55 + assessed curry consumption (never or < once/year, ≥ once/year to < once/month, ≥ once/month to < once/week, ≥ once/week to < daily, ≥ once daily), prevalent health conditions, blood biomarker indexes of atherogenicity, insulin resistance, and inflammation at baseline, and mean (SD) 11.6 (3.8) year follow up of all-cause, CVS and cancer mortality. There were linear positive associations of increasing curry consumption with waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, TyG, AIP, CRI-1, CRI-2, central obesity and diabetes prevalence, and inverse association with eGFR. There were non-linear associations with FEV₁/height² and COPD prevalence, GDS score and depression, MMSE score and cognitive impairment, comorbidity count, serum albumin and haemoglobin, being most favourable with moderate consumption. The levels of NLR, PLR and SII indices of systemic and immune inflammation decreased linearly with curry consumption. Total mortality HR adjusted for baseline co-variables, decreased across curry consumption, 0.68 (95%CI 0.56-0.82), 0.54 (95%CI 0.43-0.69), 0.70 (0.52-0.93), and 0.62 (0.41-0.95), being lowest in the middle categories. Among participants with cardio-metabolic and vascular diseases (CMVD), at least occasional curry consumption was associated with decreased mortality risk by 39%, and increased life expectancy by 1.0 years. Among those without CMVD, the associated life expectancy increase was 1.9 years. Moderate curry consumption may confer meaningful longevity benefits.

Keywords: Biomarkers; Cancer; Cardio-metabolic; Health; Mortality; Observational study.

Fig. 1

12-year mortality rate and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) associated with curry consumption (Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study). Footnote: Usual curry consumption frequency. ‘Never or rarely’: < once a year), ‘occasionally’: at least once/year to less than once/month, ‘often’: at least once/month to less than once/week, ‘very often’: at least once a week or daily. Hazard ratio (HR): Adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, housing type, education, marital status, living alone, instrumental social support score, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, social activity, productive activity, comorbidity count, metabolic syndrome, waist circumference, SBP, DBP, fasting blood glucose, eGFR, GDS score, MMSE score, FEV1/Ht, albumin, haemoglobin, TyG, AIP, CRI-1, CRI-2, and blood inflammatory indices. Reference exposure category: ‘never or rarely’

Fig. 2

Kaplan–Meier cumulative survivals by curry consumption at least one a year to daily versus never or rarely (less than once a year) among participants with cardio-metabolic and vascular diseases (top panel) and those without (bottom panel)