A typical diet in the United States, also known as Western diet, is very high in sugars and saturated fat, and poor in food such as fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains. This type of diet is associated with higher risk to develop obesity and other health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Western diet can also cause changes in the gut that allow bacteria that are typically only present in the gut to leak out into the bloodstream. It is thought that having gut bacteria in the bloodstream may play a role in the development of diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Curcumin is a dietary supplement that comes from the root of the turmeric plant, and it may have an effect on the function of the gut and the leakage of gut bacteria into the bloodstream. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the effects of daily curcumin dietary supplements on the function of the gut in subjects who are at risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, for example they have increased blood pressure, increase waist circumference and high triglycerides (fat in the blood).
