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Curcumin for depression: A meta-analysis
Since curcumin has been hypothesized to effectively treat symptoms of various neuropsychiatric disorders, this 2020 systematic review was focused on finding articles that tested curcumin on participants affected by mental disorders. Curcumin, a constituent of turmeric (a spice frequently used in Asian countries), in fact has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Seven articles were found to involve individuals affected by major depressive disorder, while two other studies had subjects who suffered from depression secondary to a medical condition. This review discovered that curcumin had an overall significant effect on depressive and anxiety symptoms (with large effect size) while causing limited adverse effects. The findings suggest that curcumin might improve depressive and anxiety symptoms in those affected with depression, but this data should be cautiously interpreted given its small sample size. Additional testing is recommended, particularly in Western countries where curcumin does not form a part of the usual dietary regimens. [NPID: curcumin, turmeric, spices, herbs, herbal, alternative, medicines, depression, anxiety, review, Asia, Asian, major depressive disorder, MDD]
Year: 2020
