Groundbreaking Study Finds Turmeric Extract May Be Superior to Prozac for Depression

By Sayer Ji

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

A 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.[1]

The research was performed at the Department of Pharmacology, Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India, and involved patients already 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.

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%) than in the  fluoxetine  [Prozac] (64.7%) and the curcumin (62.5%) 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.”

Discussion

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,[2]  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. Unless a substance has passed through the approximately 800 million dollar financial gauntlet of phase I, II, and III clinical trials required to apply for FDA drug approval, and has actually received that approval, there is  scant legal protection for those who use natural medicines  to prevent or treat disease, and who might face a lawsuit (frivolous or genuine) as a result of a claim of injury.

Curcumin, of course, is extremely safe, with a 2010 phase I safety study finding that oral doses as high as 8 grams a day were well tolerated.[3]   Fluoxetine, on the other hand, is highly controversial due to its well-known toxicity, and its laundry list of side effects, which include suicidal ideation (not a good side effect for someone already depressed!).

Also, even though it would appear the study found that curcumin and Prozac were equivalent in effectiveness, the fact that curcumin comes “… without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders,” clearly proves its superiority over Prozac. There are also a wide range of additional side benefits that come with using curcumin, including its powerful neuroprotective properties. You will find no less than 109 studies on GreenMedInfo’s database documenting curcumin’s ability to protect, and in some cases restore brain function.   [see research here:  curcumin’s neuroprotective properties]

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 are: (1) curcumin is approximately 3-4% of the whole root powder by weight. (2) curcumin  is poorly bioavailable, as it is alcohol and not water or fat soluble, so 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.

For additional information on the topics covered here read: 600 Reasons Turmeric May Be The World’s Most Important Herb

[1]  Jayesh Sanmukhani, Vimal Satodia, Jaladhi Trivedi, Tejas Patel, Deepak Tiwari, Bharat Panchal, Ajay Goel, Chandra Bhanu Tripathi.  Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.  Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. Epub 2013 Jul 6. PMID:  23832433

[2]  GreenMedInfo.com,  Animal Research on Curcumin’s Anti-Depressive Properties

[3]  Masashi Kanai, Kenichi Yoshimura, Masanori Asada, Atsushi Imaizumi, Chihiro Suzuki, Shigemi Matsumoto, Takafumi Nishimura, Yukiko Mori, Toshihiko Masui, Yoshiya Kawaguchi, Kazuhiro Yanagihara, Shujiro Yazumi, Tsutomu Chiba, Sushovan Guha, Bharat B Aggarwal.  A phase I/II study of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy plus curcumin for patients with gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer.  Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2010 Sep 22. Epub 2010 Sep 22. PMID: 20859741

Further articles by Sayer Ji

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• 10 Natural Substances That Could Help Cure Type-1 Diabetes
• Natural Compound Prevents Breast Cancer Gene (BRCA1) Malignancy
• Science Confirms Turmeric As Effective As 14 Pharmaceutical Drugs
• USDA Organic Infant Formula Contains Pesticide Labeled As A “Nutrient”
• Glyphosate (Roundup) Carcinogenic In the PARTS PER TRILLION Range
• How to Clean Your Arteries With One Simple Fruit
• 7 Ways to Prevent and Even Reverse Heart Disease with Nutrition
• 13 Evidence-Based Medicinal Properties of Coconut Oil

About the author:
Sayer Ji is the founder and director of www.GreenMedInfo.com and an advisory board member at the  National Health Federation, an international nonprofit, consumer-education, health-freedom organization.

He co-authored the book  Cancer Killers: The Cause Is The Cure, and is currently co-authoring another book with Tania Melkonian entitled  EATomology: An Edible Philosophy of Food.

Check out Sayer Ji’s new collaborative project  EATomology.