Study finds curcumin effective for depression

According to a new study in the journal Psychotherapy Research, the ingredient curcumin shows promise in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, or MDD.

courtesy of Emory University - Woodruff Health Science Center

Researchers provided subjects with 500mg of curcumin daily and continued to monitor their progress utilizing the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), developed in the 1960s and used to rate the severity of depression in adults by probing mood, feelings of guilt, suicide ideation, insomnia, agitation or retardation, anxiety, weight loss, and somatic symptoms.

Not only did researchers find that the use of curcumin improved subject’s ratings on the HAM-D compared to placebos, but that curcumin performed as well as prescription antidepressants:

The response rate of … curcumin (62.5%) on Hamilton depression scale observed in our study is within the known range of studies with currently prescribed antidepressants (31.6%–70.4%) and was higher than the maximum response rate expected with placebo (12.5%–51.8%).

Researchers also found a lower risk of side effects in patients using curcumin. According to the study’s authors:

[This] is the first randomized clinical trial that clearly highlights that curcumin may be an effective and safe agent when used as a modality of treatment in
patients of MDD. Curcumin … has proved to be safe even at supra-therapeutic doses [and] a combination of curcumin with other antidepressants has shown to synergistically increase the serotonin levels and enhance antidepressant-like activity.

The use of antidepressant medications is growing in the United States, as one out of nine Americans over the age of 12 are currently prescribed some form of antidepressant medication.

These medications, under the supervision of a health professional, can do tremendous good for individuals seeking help. However, between the common side effects of these drugs and the belief among some experts that antidepressants aren’t effectively treating patients, there’s reason to seek alternatives.

According to Dr. Steven Hollon, professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University:

I would say at least half the folks who are being treated with antidepressants aren’t benefiting from the active pharmacological effects of the drugs themselves but from a placebo effect. If people knew more, I think they would be a little less likely to go down the medication path than the psychosocial treatment path.

Natural alternatives for mental and cognitive health have always been on the table, but never fully confirmed through studies. That is, until recently.

Traditionally, curcumin has been known to have poor bioavailability, requiring high doses to promote health. Researchers used a specific curcumin – BCM-95 – due to its high bioavailability, which authors cited as a potential reason for the positive outcomes. In recent years, scientists have heavily researched curcumin for its  neuroprotective properties and has been believed a strong candidate for the promotion of neurological health and cognitive function.

Curcumin can cross the blood-brain barrier and support the normal uptake of amyloid-beta in the brain, supporting the brain’s memory and learning abilities as we age. Another neuroprotective property of curcumin is its ability to promote normal levels of glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase in the brain, helping  maintain the health of neurological tissues.

To read the study in its entirety, click here.

Way Beyond Energy! What Else Do B Vitamins Do?

Whether it’s for increased energy, cognitive performance, stress reduction or cardiovascular health, B vitamins play a critical role in your overall health. Moreso, B vitamin deficiency can lead to fatigue and lethargy, which is why B-complex supplements are excellent energy boosters and anti-stress formulas.

However, the benefits of B-vitamins go much further, playing critical roles in metabolism at the cellular level and hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body

.

The B-complex is a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5) pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cyanocobalamin (B12). These vitamins are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into glucose, which provide energy for the muscles and brain. The B vitamins also aid in amino acid metabolism and act as coenzymes—compounds that unite with a protein component called an apoenzyme to form an active enzyme. These active enzymes are catalysts in the chemical reactions that transfer all available energy from food to the body. This is part of why the B-complex has come to be known as “the energy vitamin”

The other feature of B vitamins which helps them earn this name is the support they provide in the proper formation of every cell in the body—particularly in nerve cells. B6 and B12 contribute substantially to the formation of the myelin sheath around nerve cells, insulating them and speeding the transmission of synaptic signals throughout the brain

In addition to this support of the actual structure of nerves, vitamins B6 and B12 also work with vitamin B9 to aid in the manufacture of three very important neurotransmitters. Two of these are serotonin and dopamine, which work in tandem to regulate mood, motivation and cognitive abilities. Serotonin is a primary contributor to feelings of happiness and well-being, and plays a secondary role in memory and learning. Dopamine, on the other hand, is primarily involved in motivation, attention and working memory while serving as support in the biochemistry of mood and well-being. Together, they function as a complementary pair. The third neurotransmitter—gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA—regulates general excitability in the nervous system, making sure that all nerve cells are primed for full firing.

All of these neurotransmitters are crucial for optimal brain function and depend on readily available B-vitamins as precursors. B-vitamins are so functional in this regard it is even thought that supplementing with them offers potential benefit in moderating the symptoms of ADHD. As might be expected, a symptomatic lack of physical and mental energy—fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, anxiety anddepression—can all be signs of a B-vitamin deficiency. The fact that B-vitamins are water-soluble and are being constantly eliminated makes it especially important to have adequate intake and regular replenishment.

In summary, B-vitamins are as applicable to the physical aspects of energy as the mental. They are critically important not only for physically expediting the metabolism of energy, supporting nerve structure and providing for maximal neural conduction, but also for providing the brain with the chemical signals necessary to make it energized, invigorated and motivated.

nutraMetrix Isotonix Activated B-Complex delivers metabolically active forms of several B vitamins and minerals in isotonic form, ensuring that your body receives and uses vital nutrients quickly and efficiently