Both diabetes and cigarette smoking can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease because they increase oxidative stress in the body. To protect your heart from damage caused by diabetes and smoking, take curcumin supplements. A study published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines found that curcumin protects the heart from the combined oxidative stress induced by diabetes and nicotine.
In the study, researchers from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia assessed the ability of curcumin to ameliorate the combined oxidative stress induced by diabetes and smoking which can cause diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes and cigarette smoking, which both cause oxidative stress, are primary factors that cause cardiovascular diseases. Curcumin is known to have protective effects against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress.