Karkuma Immune Plus boosts diabetic patients' immunity by 27%: Study
The study, jointly conducted by the DU and Birdem Hospital, also found that this organic food has no side effects on the body
Karkuma Immune Plus, a natural food product, increases the immune system of diabetic patients by around 27%, finds a recent study.
The Institute of Nutrition and Food Science of Dhaka University and Birdem General Hospital jointly conducted the study on patients who are suffering from Type 2 diabetes – a medical condition in which the body does not use insulin properly, resulting in unusual blood sugar levels.
According to the findings of the research, Type 2 diabetic patients are easily affected by various diseases due to low immunity and take a long time to recover. Karkuma Immune Plus, a formulated functional food based on turmeric, helps boost the immunity of such patients.
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Prof Dr Khaleda Islam, director of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Dhaka, was the principal investigator of the study titled "Effect of 'Karkuma Immune Plus' (A turmeric-based formulated functional food) on Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant and Liver Function Status in Type 2 Diabetic Adult Patient".
"Amid a massive change in our lifestyles, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cancer has increased. So, in addition to medicine, we should try to prevent these diseases with food components or other natural methods," Khaleda Islam said, adding that Karkuma Immune Plus is one such natural product which is neither whole food nor whole medicine.
"It does not cure diabetes but studies have shown that it greatly improves immunity in diabetic patients, which means it will also work for non-diabetic people. Besides, it does not cause any side effects in kidneys, lungs or any other organ," said the physician.
When asked whether the food should be taken with caution, she said, "Karkuma Immune Plus also acts as a blood thinner. In other words, it works to prevent blood clotting. So, those who are already taking blood thinners should avoid it. Besides, those who witness allergic symptoms after consumption should also avoid it."
Clinical trials of the study were conducted at Birdem General Hospital under the direct supervision of Prof Dr M Sawkat Hassan, director of the Division of Laboratory Science of the hospital.
The double-blinded randomised controlled trial – in which neither the participants nor the researcher knows which treatment or intervention participants are receiving until the clinical trial is over – was conducted on 94 Type 2 diabetic patients aged 18 to 60 years in a period of 30 days.
The study found that after 30 days of consumption of Karkuma Immune Plus, the Malondialdehyde (MDA) level in participants decreased by about 23%.
MDA concentration is a bio-marker of oxidative stress as such it is concluded from this result that Karkuma Immune Plus reduces oxidative stress in the body.
Besides, the level of antioxidants (TAC, SOD and GSTM1) in participants have increased by 45%, 63% and 100%, respectively. Serum SGPT, SGOT and Creatinine showed no significant changes, which indicates that Karkuma Immune Plus has no side effects on the liver or kidneys of Type 2 diabetic adult patients, according to the study.
