North Korea: High curry-rice consumption is associated with a low prevalence of type 2 diabetes, depression and hypertension, shows a recent study. Findings of the study, published in the Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, indicates the potential health benefit resulting from curcumin intake protects people from the dual burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health.
Dietary and lifestyle changes is shown to a contributing factor to an increase in incidence od NCDs (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases). NCDs worsens when the peak of the third COVID-19 wave occurred in South Korea. People who consumed a well-balanced diet appears to be healthier with robust immune systems and a lower risk of infectious diseases and NCDs.
Curry is used commonly in South Korea as a food ingredient, preservative, and herbal therapy for the treatment of diseases. It is a popular food that contains a high concentration of curcumin. Previous studies have shown major health benefits of curcumin.
Against the above background, Min-Sun Kim, Sunchon National University, Sunchon, Jeonnam, North Korea, and colleagues undertook the study with an objective to evaluate the association between curry-rice consumption, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), type 2 diabetes (T2DB), arthritis, and depression.
For this purpose, the researchers recruited 17,625 participants aged ≥18 years and obtained data on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, lifestyle, current medications, family history, and food consumption. They then examined the association between curry-rice consumption, CVDs, T2DB, arthritis, and depression.
Based on the study, the researchers found the following:
In the logistic model, risks of elevated triglyceride (OR 0.89), elevated HbA1c (OR 0.81), and elevated glucose (OR 0.86) were significantly lower in the high curry-rice consumption group than in the low curry-rice consumption group.
Risk of hypertension (OR 0.88), T2DB (OR, 0.82), and depression (OR 0.82) was significantly lower among the high curry-rice consumption group than in the low curry-rice consumption group.
These findings were consistent with the results of the analysis when curry-rice consumption was treated as a continuous variable.
"The potential health benefits resulting from the intake of curry-rice via an ordinary diet could protect the public from the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health," wrote the authors. "These results highlight an ongoing need to understand the role of curry-rice in NCDs and mental health."
Reference:
Hai Duc Nguyen, Hojin Oh, Min-Sun Kim, The association between curry-rice consumption and hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression: The findings from KNHANES 2012–2016, Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews, Volume 16, Issue 1, 2022, 102378, ISSN 1871-4021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2021.102378.