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A curry compound could help to keep diabetes at bay among people most at risk, a small new study shows.
The research, published in the journal Diabetes Care, found that people with prediabetes who took capsules containing curcumin -- a compound found in the curry spice turmeric -- were less likely to go on to develop Type 2 diabetes, compared with people who didn't take the curcumin capsules, Reuters reported.
"This study demonstrated that the curcumin intervention in a prediabetes population may be beneficial," Thai researchers wrote in the study.
Nearly 26 million adults have diabetes in the United States, while as many as 79 million adults are estimated to have prediabetes, according to the National Diabetes Education Program.
The study included 240 people who all had prediabetes. They were assigned to take either the curcumin capsules or a placebo for nine months. The researchers followed up with them after three, six and nine months.
