Why are people in Southeast Asia more relaxed? Is it because of the sun, or because they take turmeric with almost every meal?

Research in recent years has confirmed the excellent effect of turmeric on the digestive system, immune system and on the elimination of free radicals. Recent studies from Taiwan have investigated the effect of turmeric on the nervous system and found that turmeric can also have excellent effects here. Above all, an antidepressant and mood-lifting effect through the golden-yellow root and its powder was shown in these studies.

Depression is a scourge of our time. According to the WHO, they are one of the fastest growing disease groups, and the market for antidepressants is rapidly growing into the billions. Even though it is now known that antidepressants can effectively alleviate symptoms of depression, many patients on antidepressant therapy wonder whether there are any natural substances that can alleviate their symptoms.

A group of researchers led by Professor Lin from Taiwan found that substances contained in turmeric have similar mechanisms of action to the antidepressant fluoxetine. Curcumin, an important ingredient of the yellow root, prevents the release of the substance glutamate in the nerve cell in animal models, which reduces the effect of happiness hormones in the body. Hormonal reactions that occur during chronic stress are also alleviated by turmeric and can thus favourably influence the occurrence of stress-related exhaustion depression.

Of course, the effect of turmeric in the intestine also plays a major role in its mood-lifting effect. The happiness hormone serotonin can only be produced in sufficient quantities by a healthy intestine. Through its anti-inflammatory and mucosa-healing effect in the intestine, turmeric contributes to the better production of the happiness hormones there.

There are still no clinical studies in humans on the antidepressant effect of turmeric. For this reason, turmeric can currently only be recommended for the prevention of depression or as an accompanying measure to other effective therapies for depression.

The mood-lifting effect of sunlight is well researched. The golden yellow colour of turmeric is reminiscent of the sun. From the perspective of colour theory, it is not surprising that the golden root makes us similarly happy as sunlight.