Curcumins-Rich Curry Diet and Pulmonary Function in Asian Older Adults

Background Research on the effects of dietary nutrients on respiratory health in human populations have not investigated curcumin, a potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compound present principally in turmeric used in large amounts in Asian curry meals. Objectives To examine the association of curry intake with pulmonary function among smokers and non-smokers. Design The frequency of curry intake, respiratory risk factors and spirometry were measured in a population-based study of 2,478 Chinese older adults aged 55 and above in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Studies. Results Curry intake (at least once monthly) was significantly associated with better FEV 1 (b = 0.045±0.018, p = 0.011) and FEV 1 /FVC (b = 1.14±0.52, p = 0.029) in multivariate analyses that controlled simultaneously for gender, age, height, height-squared, smoking, occupational exposure and asthma/COPD history and other dietary or supplementary intakes. Increasing levels of curry intake (‘never or rarely’, ‘occasional’, ‘often’, ‘very often’) were associated with higher mean adjusted FEV 1 (p for linear trend = 0.001) and FEV 1 /FVC% (p for linear trend = 0.048). Significant effect modifications were observed for FEV 1 (curry* smoking interaction, p = 0.028) and FEV 1 /FVC% (curry*smoking interaction, p = 0.05). There were significantly larger differences in FEV 1 and FEV 1 /FVC% between curry intake and non-curry intake especially among current and past smokers. The mean adjusted FEV 1 associated with curry intake was 9.2% higher among current smokers, 10.3% higher among past smokers, and 1.5% higher among non-smokers. Conclusion The possible role of curcumins in protecting the pulmonary function of smokers should be investigated in further clinical studies.