“Golden Spice” Breaks Diabetes and Depression Link
If you have diabetes, you’re up to three times more likely to suffer from depression.
No one really knows why this link exists, but it could have to do with the way diabetes impacts quality of life—like the increased risk of becoming disabled or developing related issues like heart problems.
When you have diabetes the last thing you want to do is take yet another prescription drug—especially one that could cause weight gain and contribute to poor heart health.
But you may not have to.
Recent research revealed a safe, natural treatment that can SIGNIFICANTLY reduce depression in folks with type 2 diabetes.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, obese volunteers with type 2 diabetes took either the “Golden Spice” curcumin or a placebo.
After one year, those folks taking curcumin had…
- significantly lower depression severity scores, and
- a 20 percent improvement in their PHQ-9 scores (a questionnaire that assesses depression symptoms).
Blood results confirmed the improvements, showing increased serotonin (the “feel good” brain chemical) and decreased markers associated with oxidative stress and inflammation.
This is significant since inflammation is an underlying cause of both depression and type 2 diabetes.
Interestingly, the group taking curcumin also had significantly lower HbA1c numbers (a measurement of blood sugar over time) and fasting blood glucose levels at the six-, nine-, and 12-month follow-ups.
But the good news didn’t stop there. The folks taking the spice extract also lost weight and lowered their BMI (body mass index).
If you’re suffering from type 2 diabetes AND depression, talk to your doctor about treating your depression with curcumin instead of antidepressants.
Rather than facing troubling side effects like weight gain and poor heart health, you could experience benefits like improved mood, weight loss, and lower blood sugar.
Too often, treating your health issues with prescription drugs is just trading one problem for another.
But when you turn to Mother Nature instead, improving your health doesn’t always have to be a trade-off. In fact, in some cases, it can deliver extra benefits.
P.S. Seven powerful habits to slash depression risk.
SOURCE:
Yaikwawong, M.; Jansarikit, L.; Jirawatnotai, S.; Chuengsamarn, S. Curcumin Reduces Depression in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2024, 16, 2414.
