First Evidence of Lp(a) Reduction 

A pivotal study that further consolidates the ameliorating role that Sabinsa’s C3 Complex®/BioPerine® combination plays in the context of diabetes has just been published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine Panahi et al 33(2017)1-5  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.05.006. The study demonstrated the protective role the C3 Complex®/BioPerine® combo play in maintaining HDL functionality, reducing non-HDL-C and for the first time in curcumin research, improvements in Lp(a) [Lipoprotein(a)], a structural component of LDL.

The results of a 12-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial on subjects with type-2 diabetes showed promising outcome of using a combination of Sabinsa’s proprietary branded ingredients Curcumin C3 Complex® (1000mg/day) and BioPerine® (10mg/day). Fifty subjects in the active group and an equivalent number in the placebo group successfully completed the trial. The analysis of the results showed that the Curcumin C3 Complex®/BioPerine® combination reduced the atherogenic lipid indices including non-HDL-cholesterol and Lp(a) while showing an increase in HDL-levels and improving HDL-functionality.

While the importance of lowering non-HDL-cholesterol fraction has long been recognized, nutritional intervention to reduce Lp(a), a protective armor of the bad cholesterol LDL, has never been demonstrated in a clinical trial for curcuminoids. The absence of effective drug therapy to reduce Lp(a), especially in diabetic patients who are more prone to cardiac events, further accentuates the importance of C3 Complex®/BioPerine® combo in such a scenario.

The only drug intervention to reduce Lp(a) is the recently introduced PCSK9 inhibitors that are extremely expensive and available only as an injectable. Lp(a) has been recognized as an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis, hence a nutritional intervention to reduce Lp(a) is immensely welcome.

"The overall conclusions in this study together with earlier studies on C3 Complex® / BioPerine® combination add to the body of science on its positive role in the health maintenance of diabetic subjects," said Sabinsa founder Dr. Muhammed Majeed, who contributed to the published study.