Is depression is one of the most common mental health conditions?
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in Dutch society. Especially after a long period of lockdowns and the resulting feelings of loneliness, depressive symptoms, both young and old, have increased dramatically. Many people are looking for natural remedies to treat these symptoms. Turmeric is an interesting supplement in that respect. The active ingredients in turmeric seem to be able to reduce the symptoms of depression.
When is depression present?
Gloom, lethargy, feeling lonely, a lack of motivation, everyone has periods when things are not going so well. You can then say you are depressed, but that word is used rather quickly. You are only really depressed when there is mental suffering and that you suffer from it every day and when it persists for more than 2 weeks.
With depression, you can’t actually enjoy what you do anymore. You are gloomy, feel restless or easily irritated, or very sluggish. You may suffer from insomnia and lack of energy. But it may also be that you just want to sleep all day. Life is tough, you may even have thoughts of death or be thinking about suicide. Depression is a serious condition that impacts all facets of your life. Fortunately, it can be treated.
Psychotherapy is often recommended and antidepressants, such as citalopram or fluoxetine, may also be prescribed. These can help you feel better by preventing the breakdown of serotonin (a neurotransmitter). This increases the serotonin level in the brain and this has a positive effect on your mood. However, these types of drugs come with a lot of side effects and in addition they are addictive. So using a natural remedy like turmeric for depression can have many benefits.
The active substances in turmeric
Turmeric, the well-known yellow spice, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. It was used for fevers, infections, inflammations and digestive complaints. The Western world is now also discovering the benefits of turmeric and many studies are being set up to find out what all turmeric can be used for.
The active ingredients in this yellow spice are curcuminoids. The most important of these is curcumin. All curcuminoids are antioxidants, but curcumin has the most potent effect. Thus, once this substance enters a cell, it could call it to order, so to speak. A cell that is malfunctioning (for example, a cancer cell) can be quietened down by curcumin, after which it can pass on signals again and start behaving normally.
Research shows that turmeric can inhibit the progression of the disease, for example, in leukemia. Furthermore, curcumin is said to be good for memory and healthy cholesterol levels. The question remains, of course, whether turmeric also has benefits in depression.
Turmeric at
depression: what research shows
There have now been some studies showing that turmeric could help with depression. This may be because curcumin inhibits a particular enzyme (monoamine oxidase, MAO) while promoting the activity of certain other substances, such as dopamine and serotonin. These substances play a role in motivation, emotions and learning.
In 2014, a study was conducted in which 60 patients who suffered from depression participated. They were divided into three groups, with the first group receiving Prozac (regular antidepressants), the second group receiving 1 gram of turmeric, and the third group receiving both drugs. After 6 weeks, the people who were given turmeric were found to benefit as much as those who were given Prozac. Taking both drugs together was found to have the greatest positive effect. The researchers conclude that turmeric is a safe and effective drug to use for depression.
The recording
of curcumin improve
For a drug to work properly, the body must be able to properly absorb the active ingredients. This is just as true for natural remedies as it is for regular medication. Research shows that the human body cannot absorb curcumin very well. This is because the substance cannot pass through the intestinal wall into the blood undamaged. And also the liver is in the way, it will break down curcumin, so it cannot be effective. Therefore, it doesn’t make much sense to add extra turmeric to your food. In that case, you should take 30 grams of turmeric for good effectiveness.
People have been researching ways to improve the absorption of curcumin. When combined with black pepper (peperine), it increases absorption by up to 2000%. Together’s high-quality turmeric supplement is highly recommended. The Curcumin & Turmeric Complex contains black pepper in addition to turmeric, allowing the compounds to be absorbed quickly and effectively by your body.
If you are suffering from depression, don’t keep walking around with it. If you have complaints, it is best to contact your family doctor or a therapist. Do you want to use turmeric for depression? It can potentially help relieve your symptoms. First, seek advice from your doctor about whether turmeric is a suitable supplement for you, especially if you are already taking medication. Piperine, which improves turmeric absorption, may also affect the way your body absorbs medications.