Close to 1 in 4 women is on an antidepressant. For the period , Antidepressants, do improve symptoms for a subset of women, but like all medications, there is always the risk of unintended consequences — a.

With antidepressants, this can include:. Note those last three side-effects. In fact, a known side-effect is worsening of symptoms related to depression and anxiety. Antidepressants have also been associated with more severe emotional reactions and dangerous behaviors. We also know that not all of us want to be on pharmaceuticals when there are alternatives — and in this case, there are.

As an herbalist in practice now for over 30 years, it always delights me when what so recently was fringe — using plants as medicines — gets recognized for its value. It also thrills me when science validates what women have known for millennia — that plants heal.

One of my favorite herbs for digestion and inflammation — turmeric — has now been found in several studies to be beneficial in treating depression.

Depression has many roots — some circumstantial and some spiritual. We have been taught, as a culture, that depression is a result of a deficiency in neurotransmitters — particularly serotonin and norepinephrine.

But most of the theories that have been advanced about neurotransmitter deficiencies as the cause of depression have never been proven. What we do know is that study after study shows us that neuroinflammation is an underlying cause of depression and other emotional and mental health challenges — and that there really is no separation between the immune and nervous systems — and this includes as a root cause of depression.

You don't have a neurotransmitter deficiency. Understand brain-flammation and get to a major root cause of depression. That is, until you cut it open and you see the bright yellow inside!

Curcumin, which is one of the principal active ingredients derived from the spice turmeric, has particularly powerful anti-inflammatory effects and these have been found to be effective in treating depression. At least 4 high quality studies, plus a recent review of the literature on turmeric, demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin, either alone or in combination with antidepressant medication or other botanicals, for the treatment of mild to moderate, atypical, and major depressive disorder; significant improvements in anxiety have found with curcumin use as well.

In one study , forty patients with a first episode of depression participated in a 5-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

The results based on standard depression rating scales were significant positive changes in both groups throughout the length of the study. The changes became significant after 7 days of treatment. No adverse effects were reported.

In , a randomized control study included three groups of 20 participants, all with major depression. The group on curcumin alone did just as well as the group on Prozac only — the combination group had the best outcomes, though there was not a major statistical difference among any of the three groups.

This study demonstrated that curcumin was just as effective as Prozac, and that its use was quite safe even at a high dose of 12g daily. Yet another study showed that curcumin also benefitted major depression disorder.

This study concurred with a previous study that when used as a standalone treatment, curcumin can be beneficial for patients with mild or moderate depression. In a recently published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, individuals with major depressive disorder were allocated to one of four treatment groups: placebo, low-dose curcumin extract mg twice daily high-dose curcumin extract mg twice daily.

Standard depression rating scales were used to assess results. The combined treatments were associated with significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms compared to placebo.

Improvements were also seen in anxiety. To further clarify the antidepressant actions of curcumin and the underlying mechanism in depressed patients, two of the research groups conducting studies cited above decided to dig a little deeper by measuring blood, urine, and salivary levels of several different biomarkers of inflammation.

Supplementation with mg of curcumin twice daily for 6 weeks in one group, and 8 weeks in the other group were associate with decreases in inflammatory cytokines and salivary cortisol- as well as other findings that clearly demonstrated that curcumin supplementation influences several biomarkers that can lead to decreased depression.

Additionally, along with its anti-inflammatory effects, curcumin possesses adaptogen-like effects on the HPA Axis leading to cortisol regulation and stress modulation, neurotransmitter imbalances, modulation of mitochondrial function improving cellular energy function , and reduction of oxidative stress — all of which exert a powerful antidepressant effect —even in those with major depression.

An article by Loprest i , Curcumin for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, illustrates these many likely mechanisms of action. Curcumin is readily available and relatively absorbable. I use it in my practice in capsule form in doses ranging from to 1, mg twice daily. As several studies have demonstrated, it can be considered as a safe, effective first choice prior to starting a pharmaceutical, and it has been shown in studies to be safe in combination with an SSRI antidepressant.

If you are currently on medication, it is important to work with a skilled medical professional to wean off or discontinue that medication safely — this is something I do not recommend trying without proper supervision.

You can also use a couple of teaspoons of turmeric powder in your cooking or in your smoothies. Or you can check out my delicious Turmeric Chai Latte right here. Bergman J and Miodownik C, et al. As a result, curcumin has garnered increasing attention as a dietary supplement, as it is believed to offer a range of health benefits.

Turmeric, enriched with curcumin, its active compound, shows potential in alleviating depressive symptoms. While research is ongoing, anecdotal evidence suggests improved mood and reduced depression with turmeric use.

Nonetheless, consulting a healthcare professional before using turmeric for depression is crucial for personalized guidance. Turmeric, the vibrant spice from the Curcuma longa plant, has gained recognition for its potential to mitigate depressive symptoms. Here are several ways to incorporate turmeric into your daily regimen:.

Turmeric powder, rich in curcumin, offers a versatile means to integrate this potent spice into your daily diet. Curcumin, renowned for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may contribute to mood improvement.

Simply sprinkle it onto various dishes, stir it into soups, or infuse it into curries. This convenient approach allows you to harness the potential mood-enhancing effects of turmeric seamlessly.

Crafting turmeric tea combines the soothing qualities of tea with the potential benefits of turmeric. By boiling water with turmeric powder, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper which enhances curcumin absorption , you can create a comforting and therapeutic beverage.

This warm infusion is believed to help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, offering both physical and emotional comfort. Preparing this beverage involves heating milk and blending in turmeric powder, honey, and a dash of black pepper.

The result is a warm, soothing drink that not only comforts but may also contribute to a more balanced mood. Turmeric paste presents a concentrated form of this spice, achievable by mixing turmeric powder with water.

This versatile paste can be applied topically or incorporated into your culinary creations. Some individuals choose to apply it to their skin, believing that it can absorb curcumin and exert a positive influence on mood.

Curcumin supplements, extract from turmeric , are available as a convenient option, but their use for depression should be guided by healthcare professionals. Fresh turmeric root offers a potent source of curcumin and can be included in various recipes or employed to craft pastes for a more direct and natural way to incorporate this beneficial compound.

Turmeric, along with its potent component, curcumin, holds promise as a natural support in addressing depressive symptoms. Their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities provide optimism for those seeking complementary mental well-being solutions.

Nevertheless, it is essential to emphasize that these options should never serve as substitutes for professional medical guidance and treatment. Depression is multifaceted, demanding a comprehensive approach. Therefore, consulting a healthcare provider is crucial to uncover the most suitable strategies tailored to your unique situation.

Remember, your well-being is a collaborative effort that combines informed self-care with expert medical advice. The formula targets primary dysmenorrhea, offering a holistic solution to manage discomfort and enhance daily activities for women.

Conducted at Smt. Meva Chaudhary Hospital, the study involved women with moderate FOSTAC Training at CBE Division. The Food Safety Training and Certification FoSTaC program, initiated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI in July , was implemented by Arjuna Natural in their Coimbatore division.

This training and certification ecosystem for food businesses is designed to enhance awareness and The event provided a unique platform for cultivating relationships, exploring new suppliers and vendors, and connecting with colleagues, all in one comprehensive Background: Osteoarthritis OA is a progressive arthritis that decreases quality of life.

This disease can not be cured and is limited and can only reduce pain experienced by patients. The drug that is often used is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , these medicines can not be separated from side effects if used in the long term. Established in , the company has grown Read More.

For sales enquiries please email us at sales arjunanatural. In total, 54 subjects were screened, 30 subjects were enrolled and 28 completed the study.

The treatment was well tolerated and did not produce any adverse effect in subjects, as judged by the vital the of signs, hemogram, liver and renal function tests.

The formulation at mg administered twice a day, was more successful than in administration of the COX-2 inhibitor in mg twice a day for symptom scorin and clinical examination. The formulatio was found to be safe and no dose-related toxicity was found.

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J Clin Psychiatry ;75 10 :ee doi Ms Q, a year-old woman, is experiencing her third episode of major depression. She does not wish to receive conventional antidepressant medications because, although these had been effective during her previous episodes, the treatment-emergent adverse effects had been distressing.

She asks whether there are complementary and alternative medicine options that might be effective for her. She is particularly interested in curcumin as a potential treatment.

Many herbs and nutritional supplements have been proposed for clinical disorders in psychiatry. Examples include Ashwagandha for anxiety, 1 Brahmi for cognitive decline, 2 colostrinin for dementia, 3 and ginseng for sexual dysfunction.

Turmeric is a spice obtained from the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa. Turmeric contains a number of bioactive substances, including polyphenols, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenoids, sterols, and alkaloids.

Turmeric has long been used by herbal medical practitioners to treat gynecologic, gastric, hepatic, hematologic, and infectious diseases. Laboratory studies indicate possible benefits of turmeric in proinflammatory diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, depression, diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis.

Laboratory studies suggest that curcumin has potential as an antimicrobial, insecticidal, larvicidal, antimutagenic, radioprotector, and anticancer agent. Curcumin modulates several cellular signaling pathways. Curcumin is widely available as a nutritional supplement, and a simple Internet search shows that it is advertised for a large number of health-related problems.

However, laboratory data and successes in animal models are insufficient grounds to recommend a medication to patients; safety and efficacy data from randomized controlled trials RCTs are necessary. Several clinical trials, including RCTs, have examined the antidepressant action of curcumin.

These trials are briefly examined in the next section. One curcumin-treated patient dropped out reason not specified. The curcumin group showed nonsignificantly greater improvement during the first week of treatment; otherwise, outcomes on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale HDRS , Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale MADRS , and Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale CGI-S were similar in the curcumin and placebo groups.

No adverse effects were reported by the patients. This study was industry-independent. Patients were assessed using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology self-rated version IDS-SR30 and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI.

One placebo and 3 curcumin patients dropped out of the study, with only 1 dropout in the curcumin group due to adverse effects. There were no IDS-SR30 or STAI differences between curcumin and placebo groups either in the whole sample or in a subsample of 8 curcumin and 10 placebo patients who were considered to have atypical depression based on items extracted from the IDS-SR In secondary analyses, the authors found that, during the last 4 weeks of the trial but not during the first 4 weeks , curcumin outperformed placebo on the IDS-SR Curcumin did not outperform placebo during any time period on the STAI.

There were also minor advantages for curcumin during the second half of the study on some total or subscale ratings in the patients with atypical depression. Twelve curcumin and 14 placebo patients reported adverse events; these were mostly minor.

This study was industry-supported. Twenty-nine patients dropped out: 14 in the curcumin group 5 due to adverse events and 15 in the control group all lost to follow-up.

At the end of the 6-week trial, there were improvements in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS and Beck Depression Inventory II BDI-II scores in both treatment groups. However, improvements in HADS total scale and anxiety and depression subscale scores were far greater in the experimental group than in the control group.

Similarly, improvements in BDI-II total scale and somatic and cognitive but not affective subscale scores were greater in the experimental group than in the control group.

Adverse events were not recorded in this study. Dropout accounted for 6, 4, and 5 patients in these groups, respectively; all of these patients but 1 were lost to follow-up. Global outcomes were also comparable across groups. Two patients in each monotherapy arm and 5 patients in the combined treatment arm reported treatment-emergent adverse events; all were minor.

In none of the trials reviewed was curcumin associated with more treatment-emergent adverse events than placebo. There are at least 2 possible interpretations. The clinical trials described in the previous section had several limitations.

Sample sizes were mostly small. One RCT 15 did not have a placebo or untreated control arm, and so there was no way of knowing how much of the improvement was related to nonspecific factors 17 and how much was treatment-related; in addition, in this RCT, only raters and not patients were blinded to treatment assignment.

The antidepressant augmentation RCTs 12 , 15 may have failed to identify treatment benefits because of an antidepressant-related ceiling effect in nonrefractory patients.

The only trial that found a clear advantage for curcumin 14 was not randomized, not blinded, and not placebo-controlled, and so the results cannot be interpreted. All patients in this study 14 were taking at least 1 antidepressant, some were taking more than 1 antidepressant, and some were taking benzodiazepines, as well.

Lastly, the comparison group in this trial may have been atypical because the contained patients showed a clinically negligible improvement at the 6-week study endpoint. There were individual limitations in the other studies, too. Antidepressants, ranging from monoamine oxidase inhibitors to recently developed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, are prescribed for alleviating the symptoms of depression.

When taken long term, these synthetic antidepressants often associate with a plethora of side effects including sedation, weight gain, physical sensations of numbness or pain, and a propensity for abuse.

The role of immune activation in MDD was for the first time reported more than 20 years ago, 6 and since then, it has become apparent that chronic inflammation plays a major role in this psychiatric illness. Not surprisingly, there is an imperative need to develop novel approaches for the identification of more efficacious and safe drugs for the treatment of major depression.

The present study by Lopresti and colleagues is clearly a significant step forward in this direction because the authors have undertaken first ever, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to demonstrate that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric Curcuma longa , has a significant antidepressive effect vis-à-vis placebo treatment in individuals suffering from MDD.

These results also support a previous study that demonstrated that curcumin was equally effective as the pharmaceutical antidepressant fluoxetine Prozac for the treatment of depression. Another important point worth noting about this study was that the researchers used a very specific type of curcumin, BCM, which has unique specifications, including high absorption and inclusion of turmeric essential oil not found in standard curcumin.

Therefore, one must be cautious that the results may not be reproducible when using other forms of curcumin. The observations made in this article build upon the well-established antiinflammatory and antioxidant activity of curcumin, as this naturally occurring Ayurvedic medicine has been used for healing mania and depression-related conditions for centuries.

Moreover, preclinical studies in animal models have shown that curcumin enhances neurogenesis, notably in the frontal cortex and hippocampal regions of the brain.

Some may argue that the sample size of the present study was small and the treatment duration with curcumin was relatively short. However, both of these potential limitations could be easily addressed in follow-up studies. Nonetheless, this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with a clearly unbiased study design, which highlights the potential clinical usefulness of curcumin in the treatment of individuals suffering with depression.

These data without a doubt underscore the notion that curcumin has reached a stage where its efficacy is no longer considered a myth, especially in view of the depth and breadth of the scientific and clinical body of literature supporting its safe, inexpensive, and potent use in treating a myriad of inflammatory diseases, including depression in humans.

Wong ML, Licinio J. Research and treatment approaches to depression. Nat Rev Neurosci. From monoamines to genomic targets: a paradigm shift for drug discovery in depression.

Nat Rev Drug Discov. Ferrari AJ, Charlson FJ, Norman RE, et al. Burden of depressive disorders by country, sex, age, and year: findings from the global burden of disease study PLoS Med. Ferrari AJ, Somerville AJ, Baxter AJ, et al.

Global variation in the prevalence and incidence of major depressive disorder: a systematic review of the epidemiological literature. Psychol Med.

Kato M, Chang CM. Augmentation treatments with second-generation antipsychotics to antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. CNS Drugs. Maes M, Bosmans E, Suy E, Vandervorst C, De Jonckheere C, Raus J. Immune disturbances during major depression: upregulated expression of interleukin-2 receptors.

Maes M, Smith R, Scharpe S. You don't have a neurotransmitter deficiency. Understand brain-flammation and get to a major root cause of depression. That is, until you cut it open and you see the bright yellow inside! Curcumin, which is one of the principal active ingredients derived from the spice turmeric, has particularly powerful anti-inflammatory effects and these have been found to be effective in treating depression.

At least 4 high quality studies, plus a recent review of the literature on turmeric, demonstrate the effectiveness of curcumin, either alone or in combination with antidepressant medication or other botanicals, for the treatment of mild to moderate, atypical, and major depressive disorder; significant improvements in anxiety have found with curcumin use as well.

In one study , forty patients with a first episode of depression participated in a 5-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

The results based on standard depression rating scales were significant positive changes in both groups throughout the length of the study. The changes became significant after 7 days of treatment. No adverse effects were reported. In , a randomized control study included three groups of 20 participants, all with major depression.

The group on curcumin alone did just as well as the group on Prozac only — the combination group had the best outcomes, though there was not a major statistical difference among any of the three groups. This study demonstrated that curcumin was just as effective as Prozac, and that its use was quite safe even at a high dose of 12g daily.

Yet another study showed that curcumin also benefitted major depression disorder. This study concurred with a previous study that when used as a standalone treatment, curcumin can be beneficial for patients with mild or moderate depression.

In a recently published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, individuals with major depressive disorder were allocated to one of four treatment groups: placebo, low-dose curcumin extract mg twice daily high-dose curcumin extract mg twice daily.

Standard depression rating scales were used to assess results. The combined treatments were associated with significantly greater improvements in depressive symptoms compared to placebo. Improvements were also seen in anxiety. To further clarify the antidepressant actions of curcumin and the underlying mechanism in depressed patients, two of the research groups conducting studies cited above decided to dig a little deeper by measuring blood, urine, and salivary levels of several different biomarkers of inflammation.

Supplementation with mg of curcumin twice daily for 6 weeks in one group, and 8 weeks in the other group were associate with decreases in inflammatory cytokines and salivary cortisol- as well as other findings that clearly demonstrated that curcumin supplementation influences several biomarkers that can lead to decreased depression.

Additionally, along with its anti-inflammatory effects, curcumin possesses adaptogen-like effects on the HPA Axis leading to cortisol regulation and stress modulation, neurotransmitter imbalances, modulation of mitochondrial function improving cellular energy function , and reduction of oxidative stress — all of which exert a powerful antidepressant effect —even in those with major depression.

An article by Loprest i , Curcumin for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, illustrates these many likely mechanisms of action. Curcumin is readily available and relatively absorbable. I use it in my practice in capsule form in doses ranging from to 1, mg twice daily.

As several studies have demonstrated, it can be considered as a safe, effective first choice prior to starting a pharmaceutical, and it has been shown in studies to be safe in combination with an SSRI antidepressant.

If you are currently on medication, it is important to work with a skilled medical professional to wean off or discontinue that medication safely — this is something I do not recommend trying without proper supervision.

You can also use a couple of teaspoons of turmeric powder in your cooking or in your smoothies. Or you can check out my delicious Turmeric Chai Latte right here. Bergman J and Miodownik C, et al.