TURMERIC-THE PERFECT REMEDY FOR DEPRESSION
Turmeric or Curcuma Longa is the most wonderful spice that is enriched with multiple qualities & beautiful yellow-orange colour. It fills food with good taste & rich colour. Turmeric has been used for over 5000 years in Ayurveda & is considered as the golden spice due to the unbelievable health benefits that it provides.
Ayurveda categorises Turmeric as universal healer because of its balancing power of pitta, kapha & doshas. It can be taken in powder form, or as a raw herb root. The active ingredient of turmeric is curcumin that works on many issues of the body. Curcumin is also a powerful antidepressant and works quite well on patients suffering from depression. Before getting to the treatment of depression, let us throw some light on depression & its effects on human body.
When the situations in life become tough to handle, people usually feel very tensed & upset. Majority of the people nowadays are incapable of handling tension & worries. This has created this health problem also known as depression. The main reason of depression is the improper functioning of neurotransmitters. This usually happens due to the occurrence of unwanted conditions, prolonged illness, genetic modifications, hormonal imbalances, emotional problems, etc. The high & low situations reflected in the high & low moods are often hidden traces of depression.
The initial stages of depression are normal and are hard to detect. But as and when this body issue increases, it becomes noticeable & demands treatment. Researchers suggest that depression usually starts at an early age, and there are complete chances of it being started at any age. As and when instances of disappointment happen in life, there is a complete possibility of depression. People tend to take these instances too negatively which results in lots of stress, concern, fear & worry. Such type of prolonged mental condition leads to depression.
Types of depression
Major types of depression are listed below. Check these out for better diagnosis-
1- Major Depression- Major Depression is characterised by frequent cries for absolutely no reason. Individuals might feel like hugging bed all day long. Even basic necessary activities like sleeping, eating, working, enjoying become too difficult to carry out in this type of depression.
2- Dysthymia- Also known as the persistent depressive disorder. This type of depression is a chronic state that stays for not less than two years. The severity of this depression can vary from person to person & from time to time.
3- Melancholia- Depression with melancholia includes symptoms of loneliness, guilt, restlessness, etc. People suffering from this type of depression need psychiatrist help.
4- Psychotic Depression- People who often land up with hallucinations, delusions & abnormal feelings usually suffer from psychotic depression. It is quite a severe form of depression & is seen lesser than the other types.
5- Perinatal Depression- Perinatal depression is related to the pregnancy period. In such depression, the symptoms observed are fatigue, laziness, loss of interest in sex, sadness, etc. Majority women suffer from this depression due to varying levels of hormones, major changes in lifestyle & upcoming new challenges of life.
6- Seasonal Affective Disorder- As the name suggests, this disorder mainly begins with the onset of a typical season, while gets away with the starting of another season. It can be little weird to understand this type of depression. But it does exist and is triggered by light. Light therapy is recommended for treatment in such cases.
7- Situational Depression- When particular life situations are powerful enough to deflect the mental situation of a person, it is called situational depression. Such type of depression can be seen usually when there are low points in a person’s life like losing a job, heartbreaks, etc.
8- Atypical Depression- The Atypical type of depression has symptoms which are not usual. The symptoms include too much of sleep, fatigue, excessive weight gain & strong reactions.
How long can depression last?
Depression can start at any time and has no fixed time period. It lasts for a very short period if it gets diagnosed & if the treatment starts in time. Person’s willpower can also help in lowering the treatment period of depression. Good care, healthy habits, self- help, proper counselling can reduce the long periods of depression.Generally, depression can last from 6 to 9 months. This period gets stretched if the condition is not provided with enough help. Efforts should be made to cure depression just in time. Prolonged time can also create a way for many other diseases.
Terrific effects of turmeric for depression
Turmeric is known for its anti-depressing quality which can really help with the symptoms of depression. Turmeric has the power to raise levels of neurotransmitters dopamine & serotonin, also known as happy hormones. With the rising levels of these two chemicals, the body starts feeling happy which reduces the symptoms of depression.Turmeric is rich in anti-oxidants which help in protecting the mitochondria of cells from being damaged. These anti-oxidants also take care of the free radicals which are known to create oxidative stress. This golden herb is able to soothe the effects of stress & anxiety. Anxiety is a quite common symptom of depression which lowers confidence & evokes nervousness.
Depression often hampers the sleep cycle of the body & turmeric enhances sleep by calming down the nervous system. It helps in bringing the sleep cycle in proper rhythm.
Curcumin, the active extract of turmeric is a natural anti-depressant. It means it can relieve the body from depression naturally by reducing brain inflammation. The work of a neuroprotector & memory enhancer is also wonderfully done with turmeric. Thus, it provides relief from weak memory & loss of memory during depression period.
Turmeric is apt for curing depression due to the natural combination of anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory & anti-depressing qualities.
How to use turmeric for depression?
Turmeric is an age-old but super effective herb. It is available in the root form and can be taken in that way for curing diseases in the body.There are many ways of including turmeric in our diet to reduce the impact of depression. Use it by sprinkling in powder form in vegetable curries & soups.
It can be taken daily with warm milk. It can also be included in the form of turmeric tea. All such ways are easy to include in our lifestyle but are not highly effective. The most effective way to take turmeric is turmeric supplements which contain concentrated curcumin. This element is found in small traces in turmeric. Thus, with such supplements, curcumin can reach the body in adequate quantity. Depression sounds like a real graving disease. But it is a disorder that can be controlled with simple steps like daily care, love & affection, positive attitude, willingness to survive in a better way, etc. There is one common thing that is needed for all types of diseases & health disorders i.e. Good mindset. The moment we choose to look at the brighter side of life, life offers only brighter scenes for us. Depression can make it really hard to look on the better side of life, but that is the only challenge. Once the patient decides to make a move in the positive direction, life becomes easy & health starts becoming better. Medicines & Mindset always go hand in hand. Make sure you use both for your benefit. Take Care & Stay healthy.