Efeitos da suplementação de curcumina na diminuição da frequência dos episódios de enxaqueca

Abstract

Objective: To perform a review of the literature on the effects of curcumin supplementation in reducing the frequency of migraine episodes for a better understanding of the disease and alternative treatments from the knowledge of nutrition. Method: A search was conducted in the PubMed and Virtual Health Library databases combining in pairs and using Boolean logic AND the descriptors Migraine Disorders, Headache Disorders, Curcumin, Food and Nutrition in the Portuguese, English and Spanish languages. Articles published between 2013-2023, conducted with human beings, adults and in English, Portuguese and Spanish languages were included and those published outside the determined period, experimental research with animals, pregnant women and children were excluded. Results: In the search and selection process, 6 clinical trials were identified that show a beneficial relationship of curcumin and nanocurcumin supplementation with decreasing episodes, frequency, duration, intensity of headache and the expression of TNF-alpha, a marker involved in neuron hyperexcitability, nociceptor activation, neuroinflammation and neurogenic pain. Nanocurcumin proved more effective than curcumin in these assays, showing a 27 times higher absorption. Conclusion: Curcumin has positive effects decreasing the frequency of migraine episodes, and when associated with other nutraceuticals showed better results. It is important to stress that there is a lack of further studies and dissemination of its effects on neurological diseases. The small number of studies found was a limiting factor for this systematic review.