What you may not know about Curcumin, but SHOULD!

Sleep and mental emotional health go hand in hand.  Unfortunately emotional decline is harder to target, not to mention harder to talk about.  There is little doubt you could answer the question “how did you sleep?” however, few people truly understand the signs and symptoms of emotional decline to be able to answer the question “How are you feeling?”

Symptoms of ennui, anxiety and even depression are extremely common and yet for a number of reasons are still handled with a high variability of success.  While there are multiple possibilities associated with conventional or pharmaceutical treatments, the first concern by many is the side effects of such an approach.  A growing number of individuals are looking for alternatives to a drug approach and are willing to explore the benefits of amino acids, Vitamin D3 and even a super hero in the antioxidant world, curcumin.

Roughly, 10% of the US population, according to the CDC’s numbers on mental emotional distress, suffer from at least one symptom of depression.  One reason practitioners are seeking alternatives to drug therapy is because a conventional drug approach is an often only a short-term solution.  A large number of common medications are not effective over the long-term.  Yet due to the cyclical nature of depression symptoms, medication is a necessary long-term approach in the absence of an alternative.  Other factors practitioners must consider in treating the whole of their patient are the common concerns of weight gain, insomnia and appetite associated with conventional therapy.  Select practitioners are finding a space in their practice for adjunctive modalities and lifestyle skills.  More and more practitioners regard lifestyle approaches as essential to the health of an individual over the long run.

Multitudes of botanicals are beneficial for mild symptoms of stress and anxiety, but seem to miss the target in chronic complaints or more severe signs of depression.   While several botanical have been optioned as a substitute for medication, none has the same strength in trial after trial as Curcumin for support in symptoms that are more progressive.

Curcumin is the active constituent from Curcuma longa, also known as turmeric.  For centuries, curcumin has been regarded as a super antioxidant for its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response as well as support a healthy nervous system.  Curcumin has clinical studies to support its use in stress health and depression like symptoms.

The understanding is turmeric’s ability to reduce end products of inflammation make it a prudent choice for limiting the inflammatory impact on levels of serotonin, noradrenaline and even dopamine.  By limiting end products of inflammation that may travel to the brain, turmeric has been shown to be beneficial in symptoms of depression.

Beyond what you have heard about turmeric for pain relief, more and more literature is supporting its benefits in mental emotional health as well.