Curcumin has benefits against depression

Curcumin has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression. In a randomized controlled trial, 60 depressed persons were divided into three groups. One group received Prozac, while another received 1 gram of curcumin, and a third received both Prozac and curcumin. Curcumin has produced results comparable to Prozac after 6 weeks. The group that received both Prozac and curcumin had the best results.

Curcumin is equally effective as an antidepressant, according to one small study. Reduced BDNF levels and a shrinking hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory, have also been related to depression. Curcumin can assist to increase BDNF levels, which could help to reverse some of these changes. Curcumin has also been shown to increase the levels of the brain neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.