Every Monday, I make a Bolognese. I learned the recipe-less technique from my Tuscan mom whose simple dishes have consistently outdone some of the 5 star chef creations I’ve had at Manhattan restaurants.
With two kids at home, this traditional Italian sauce becomes a stealth transport vehicle for kale, beets, cilantro, and all manner of otherwise snubbed delicacies. For the past two years, I have given the dish a twist that my Nonna wouldn’t recognize — 2 tablespoons of organic turmeric.
This wonder-spice is also a mainstay of my anti-inflammatory work with patients in my practice where I use liposomal preparations of curcumin, the natural phenols responsible for turmeric’s yellow color, when I suspect their symptoms stem from a challenged immune system.
Mild in taste and a major feature of curried traditional foods from around the world, turmeric is a member of the ginger family. As it turns out, it has been consumed for thousands of years — ever since people used their relationship to food and their environments to enhance their health and wellness.
One of the many shortcomings of pharmaceuticals is that the intensity of their primary effect so far outpaces what would be achieved naturally that it’s the difference between a skilled driver sensing the nuances of the road and putting a heavy rock on the gas pedal. The collateral damage exacted by medications represents the fact that they have “unintended” effects that may not be desirable. This is how we develop the “whack-a-mole” phenomenon of suppressing symptoms only to cause others. Homeopathy, herbalism, and the strategic use of nutriceuticals afford practitioners and patients a gentler, but effective means of navigating the road to health.
A recent study entitled Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial sought to substantiate this claim. In this study, 3 groups of 20 participants with Major Depression according to a commonly used scale, were randomized to Prozac, Prozac + 1g of oil-based curcumin (of decent but not optimal potency), and curcumin alone for 6 weeks. The proportion of responders was highest in the combination group (77.8%) than in the Prozac (64.7%) or curcumin (62.5%) groups, but these differences were not statistically significant. The authors emphasized curcumin’s high degree of safety up to dosages of 12g daily.
In conclusion, the researchers noted:
“This study provides first clinical evidence that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe modality for treatment in patients with MDD [major depressive disorder] without concurrent suicidal ideation or other psychotic disorders.”
Important considerations for the interpretation of this data:
The raters but not participants were blinded, so there is a significant risk of bringing the “active placebo” effect of antidepressant that Irving Kirsch PhD has documented where patients treated with antidepressants respond to their expectations around treatment and to perceived side-effects (“it’s starting to work!”) rather than to the medication itself.
Patients were also allowed to take benzodiazepines, an important uncontrolled variable and a more likely confounder in the medication groups as antidepressants disrupt sleep.
Pepper is known to enhance absorption and was not used in this formulation (who knows what was — GMO soy oil?).
There is unlikely to be a one-pill cure. The effect of curcumin in this study should be viewed as a launching pad for myriad other wellness changes that can support mood including stabilization of blood sugar, elimination of inflammatory foods, chemicals, and pesticides.
How Turmeric Helps with Depression
How could a spice actually help depressive symptoms? There is mounting evidence from animal models, in vitro, and human studies that elucidate mechanisms of curcumin’s sophisticated effects which include anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, immuno-modulatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective. Turmeric is a reactive oxygen scavenger, meaning that it turns on antioxidant producing genes (NRF2) and supports synthesis of glutathione, inhibits inflammatory enzymes, and supports liver detox. Inflammation leads to changes in the brain’s ability to properly regulate hormones (adrenal, thyroid, sex), and to changes in the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, as well as to changes in plasticity or the ability to regenerate brain cells. Curcumin, via the culinary spice turmeric as delivery vehicle, hits a lot of these problem areas all at once.
As a type A “doer” who multi-tasks by necessity, the idea of a food that goes to town on the bad and supports the good is wonderful, and to be able to use this agent therapeutically is an essential consideration for every provider.
Somehow, I don’t expect to see this paper sandwiched between glossy Pharma ads in this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry, but now, at least, you know it exists!
Great info!
I just made a ‘tandoori’ type chicken in a crock pot. Cooking chicken in a crock pot is wonderful, I’ve recently discovered (nice in the summer – you don’t have to heat up the oven). I used whole cut up chicken and I included a couple teaspoons of turmeric along with other spices, ginger, garlic, yogurt, lemon. This is a delicious and easy dish, and for some reason I felt really upbeat and energetic after eating it (could I be imaging things? ;)) Also when you slow cook chicken on the bone in a crock pot, I think you might get some of the beneficial aspect of bone broth since the bones are being simmered along with the meat for a longer time.
My dad is also a supplement freak (I’ve been trying to tell him to focus just as much on food as supplements) and he gave me some good quality curcumin which I take occasionally.
We have put it in capsules and it has worked wonderful for menstrual cramps. 2-3 capsules. Pretty amazing. I have to figure out how to work it into our food more
I found turmeric to be great at relieving arthritic pain and swelling. I used it with great results for about a year. The only problem was that for about a year I had digestive issues, with recurring diarrhea and intestinal pain. I was very confused because I was being so careful with my diet. It was only a few weeks ago that I read in “some” people turmeric can cause these problems. I am now looking for something else to help with arthritic pain resulting from a cervical fusion.
I was concerned about this, too, Karen. Are you planning to forego turmeric completely or are you planning to take a break from it and then re-introduce it slowly in smaller amounts? I only ask because I have a tendency to have that problem with things and I think in my case maybe I just add too much of the good thing all at once and then develop intestinal problems later. Maybe I’ll just start adding it slowly and see how it goes.
I was only taking 1 750mg capsule 2 – 3 times a day. The digestive trouble was bad enough that I don’t know if I will try it again. It did really work well though, now I take 4 – 6 advil each day and I still have some pain.
Only problem is it stains EVERYTHING! 🙂
Yes, turmeric has been used for centuries as a fabric dye. That’s great for those who are not interested in using chemical dyes but bad for those of us who don’t wear aprons. Time to get grandma’s aprons out of the archives and start wearing them again. Joking aside, just be aware of this potential problem and take whatever measures you have to to protect your clothes and porous counter surfaces. The benefits of adding turmeric wherever you can outweigh this problem.
Subscribing for follow-up comments. I KNOW turmeric is good for us, but just can’t wrap my mind around putting it in everything! Does it really just take the place of pepper?
yes, recipe!
I just want to say that I am so GRATEFUL for your articles! They are such an encouragement amidst all the garbage and medical deception! Keep it coming! You are a superstar! (Kudos to Sarah for finding you and sharing you!) BTW, I am old enough to know one when I see one! (:
Agreed. What watchmom3 said. Your articles are appearing on this blog at precisely the time in my life when I’m ready to benefit from them.
would LOVE to get a recipe for this dish – pretty please!
Can someone recommend a good curcumin supplement?
Go to http://www.mercola.com
I am not sure when or how I discovered turmeric, but I have been putting it in everything for a long time now. It doesn’t have a crazy flavor if anything it’s like pepper. It gives your food a deep yellow color, depending what all is or isn’t in your dish. I heap it into soups, sauces, stir fries, marinades, chicken salad. Limitless possibilities. Any where you would put a little pepper just put in some turmeric, then you wont have bought yet another spice that you hardly know what to do with.
Michelle thanks for the idea for the chicken salad…wouldn’t have thought of that…need to dig up the smoothie recipe that I found for an anti inflammatory smoothie.