Groundbreaking Study Finds Turmeric Extract Superior to Prozac for Depression

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A new study published in the journal “Phytotherapy Research” has confirmed for the first time in a randomized, controlled clinical trial that the primary polyphenol in turmeric, known as curcumin, is both safe and effective in treating serious states of depression.

The research was performed at the Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India, and involved patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of the trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of curcumin with fluoxetine (Prozac) in 60 patients diagnosed with MDD. Subjects were randomized to receive either a six week treatment with fluoxetine (20 mg) and curcumin (1000 mg) individually or in combination.

Curcumin is poorly bioavailable, so it must be taken in higher quantities, or in combination with a carrier, such as black pepper.

Success of the treatment was evaluated using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D₁₇). The results were reported as follows:

We observed that curcumin was well tolerated by all the patients. The proportion of responders as measured by the HAM-D₁₇ scale was higher in the combination group (77.8 percent) than in the fluoxetine [Prozac] (64.7 percent) and the curcumin (62.5 percent) groups; however, these data were not statistically significant (P = 0.58). Interestingly, the mean change in HAM-D₁₇ score at the end of six weeks was comparable in all three groups (P = 0.77). This study provides first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe modality for treatment in patients with MDD without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders. [emphasis added]

Discussion

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If the results of this relatively small trial are applicable to a wider population, this is truly groundbreaking news. There was already a rather sizable body of preclinical research indicating that curcumin is an effective antidepressant in the animal model, but this was not enough to sway most physicians who practice so-called “evidence-based medicine” into actually suggesting it to patients as a Prozac or antidepressant alternative. And this is understandable, as the lack of solid human clinical evidence supporting the use of a natural substance is no small matter from a legal-regulatory perspective.

Studies like this are greatly encouraging as they confirm the timeless wisdom of plant, mineral, and nutrient-based medical interventions which were once the norm before pharmaceutical medicine, only recently, attempted to dominate the spectrum of alternatives available to the public.

Some final details that may be of assistance:

1. Curcumin is approximately 3 to 4 percent of the whole root powder by weight.
2. Curcumin is poorly bioavailable, as it is alcohol-soluble and not water- or fat-soluble, so it must be taken in higher quantities or in combination with either carrier molecules, such as the phospholipid phosphatidyl choline, or bioavailability enhancers, such as black pepper or the primary compound responsible for increased absorption in black pepper, piperine.

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Sayer Ji is the founder of GreenMedInfo.com, where this article was originally published. Join their free GreenMedInfo.com newsletter.