I’ve touched on turmeric before regarding studies done for its anti-cancer properties and also working with diabetes.  A study published in Psychotherapy Research says that not only is turmeric effective at treating depression, but it may also even be more effective than some of the most common anti-depressant drugs currently on the market. Researchers with the Department of Pharmacology at the Government Medical College in India compared the effects of turmeric and Prozac, both used together and individually in 60 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. According to greenmedinfo.com, the researchers used the Hamilton depression rating scale to measure their results.

They observed that curcumin was well tolerated by all patients. Curcumin is turmeric. The proportion of responders as measured by the Ham D17 scale was higher in the combination group by 77.8% than the Prozac at 64.7 and the curcumin 62.5 groups. However, this data was not statistically significant. Interestingly, the mean change in the Ham D17 score at the end of six weeks was comparable in all three groups. The study provides the first clinical evidence that curcumin (AKA turmeric) may be used as an effective and safe modality for treating patients with depression without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders. One of the common symptoms and side effects of Prozac when treating depression is actual suicidal thoughts.

What’s interesting is that this study is done in India. It’s very rare that studies like these are done in America because they conflict with the drug companies.  You won’t see or hear of these studies broadcasted on any news programs because, if you happen to notice, most of the commercials advertise and promote the use of various drugs.  So it obviously conflicts.  Therefore, I would really encourage everyone to research this info on the web. We have access to so much information, especially from overseas, where they do more of this progressive studies rather than here in America.

Again, a new study shows that turmeric can be much more effective, with no side effects, when treating depression than Prozac would. Turmeric has anti-cancer properties, as well as working with diabetes.  People suffering from inflammatory flare-ups, arthritis, joint pain, etc., can also benefit from the use of turmeric. Turmeric is also very good for inflammation.