A new study from India found that 1000 mg of turmeric a day was as effective as 20mg of Prozac in a six week trial.  Two recent animal studies from China also showed that turmeric was effective in reducing depressive behaviors as well as glucose consumption.  The mechanism behind turmeric’s efficacy appears to be reducing neuroinflammation.

Side effects of Prozac include weight gain, interference with sexual enjoyment and suicidal ideation.  The side effects of turmeric include reducing inflammation, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease risk.

1.) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23832433

2.) Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Sanmukhani J, Satodia V, Trivedi J, Patel T, Tiwari D, Panchal B, Goel A, Tripathi CB.

Phytother Res. 2013 Jul 6. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5025. [Epub ahead of print]

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Lin Z, Shi L, Lu J, Li J, Hu H, Zuo C, Tang W, Lu Y, Bao A, Xu L.

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013 Aug 1;13(1):202. [Epub ahead of print]

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Jiang H, Wang Z, Wang Y, Xie K, Zhang Q, Luan Q, Chen W, Liu D.

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Jul 20. doi:pii: S0278-5846(13)00150-4. 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2013.07.009. [Epub ahead of print]

5.) Curcumin as an add-on to antidepressive treatment: a randomized, double-blind,  placebo-controlled, pilot clinical study.

Bergman J, Miodownik C, Bersudsky Y, Sokolik S, Lerner PP, Kreinin A, Polakiewicz J, Lerner V.

clin Neuropharmacol. 2013 May-Jun;36(3):73-7. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0b013e31828ef969.