Free Your Patients from the Trap of Depression

Patients who feel trapped by depression have a clinically studied choice that delivers symptom relief without side effects: saffron and curcumin. These botanicals don’t interfere with existing treatments and may even make them more effective.

Help patients who need safe, effective mood relief with saffron and curcumin—two clinically validated botanicals that are even stronger together.

Saffron and Curcumin:

• Reduce depression and depressive symptoms
• Help patients overcome fear and worry
• Support a healthy inflammation response in the brain
• Boost positive natural brain chemistry
• Increase a sense of hope and well-being

Restore a Positive State of Mind

If any of your patients suffer from depression, they may feel trapped by the condition. The causes of depression—and there are many—can make treatment options complicated, and prescription drugs can cause notable side effects that create their own set of problems.

While for many years researchers believed depression was primarily a condition of chemical imbalance, there is now a much more nuanced picture of depression. At this point, most scientists and therapists would agree that brain chemistry, inflammation, life events, and environmental factors affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can all contribute to various types of depressive disorders. One of the keys to fighting depression is finding a safe, effective, and ideally natural solution that works along all of these fronts.

Fortunately, two clinically proven botanicals, saffron and curcumin, have been shown to relieve depression as effectively as prescription drugs, and without side effects.

Botanicals That Fight Depression: Saffron and Curcumin to the Rescue

Clinical studies show curcumin and saffron can alleviate symptoms as effectively as prescription drugs, but without causing disruptive and unpleasant side effects. And if possible, taken as soon as your patients notice symptoms, they can be even more effective. Here’s how they work:

SAFFRON boosts serotonin production, lowers cortisol, and helps preserve levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which are typically lower in people with depression. Clinical studies have found that saffron reduces symptoms of milder forms of depression (dysthymia), serious depression with anxiety, and postpartum depression. It may also make conventional antidepressant medications more effective.

CURCUMIN stops inflammation in the brain and matches conventional drugs for treating major depressive disorder (MDD). It can reduce symptoms in just four weeks—without serious side effects. Curcumin is especially effective for people with atypical depression, a tough-to-treat condition often accompanied by intensive fatigue or weight gain.

Saffron—The Powerful Spice for a Positive Life

Saffron (Crocus sativus) is uniquely qualified to restore normal body chemistry. Compounds derived from the three stigmas in the flower that supply its spice and color also boost serotonin production, lower cortisol, and help preserve levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—all of which are typically lower in people with depression. Without a proper balance of these neurotransmitters, it’s easy to slip into feeling high-strung or too dragged down.

One double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial reported in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that saffron reduced symptoms of Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia) in just six weeks.

In more serious and harder-to-treat forms of depression, especially when they overlap with anxiety, saffron also works well to relieve symptoms. A clinical trial reported that a 12-week regimen of saffron had a significant impact on the outcomes of two measurement scales: the Beck Depression Index and Beck Anxiety Index—questionnaires answered by patients which gauge both conditions.

Additionally, a small study showed saffron can potentially boost the effectiveness of conventional antidepressant medications.

Saffron is also incredibly safe. The results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the journal Phytomedicine show it relieved symptoms of mild to moderate postpartum depression in 96 percent of breastfeeding mothers after eight weeks and caused no significant adverse effects for mothers or their infants.

Curcumin Fights Depression, Too

Of course, as effective as saffron is for depression, there is another powerful botanical that will help restore your sense of peace.

Curcumin, a compound from turmeric (Curcuma longa) is one of the most effective natural medicines on the planet. It truly does everything—stops pain, cancer, liver disease, and of course, depression. Curcumin can be difficult for the body to absorb, though, so I recommend a clinically studied form that is combined with turmeric essential oil for enhanced absorption and blood retention. It more readily gets into the bloodstream and continues to circulate there for longer-lasting effects.

One clinical study of curcumin and individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) divided participants into three groups to compare the efficacy of high absorption curcumin (curcumin blended with turmeric essential oil), the prescription antidepressive fluoxetine, or a combination of the two.

The best response, measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), was in the group using the combination of fluoxetine and curcumin at 77.8 percent. But interestingly, the single-therapy groups scored almost exactly the same, with fluoxetine at 64.7 percent and curcumin at 62.5 percent—numbers so close that the data is not statistically significant from one another, essentially showing that curcumin was as effective as a prescription drug for patients with MDD.

In other clinical trials, people suffering from depression felt much better thanks to curcumin, too. In one, individuals improved significantly in just four weeks; at eight weeks, their relief was even more pronounced. Patients in trials with atypical depression found relief too. Curcumin is an extremely valuable, natural medicine for taming emotions and quenching depression across the board.

Curcumin works along many pathways, but these differ somewhat from saffron, so the two botanicals have a helpful anti-inflammatory synergy.

A clinical study comparing the actions of  low dosage curcumin, high dosage curcumin, and a low dosage curcumin and saffron combination against a placebo for MDD symptom relief yielded interesting, and perhaps unexpected, results. Researchers reported that even at lower doses, people responded very well to curcumin or a combination of saffron and curcumin. The botanicals effectively helped relieve symptoms of depression and accompanying anxiety for individuals in the test groups. And, like the trials using curcumin alone, individuals with atypical depression also saw their symptoms decrease, so both botanicals have a welcome variety of applications for mood disorders. The researchers noted that results may be even stronger for people who can start using saffron and curcumin at an earlier onset of symptoms.

One thing to note here is that it didn’t take a lot of saffron to be an effective dose— only 15 mg twice daily combined with 250 mg twice daily of curcumin blended with turmeric essential oil was sufficient to make a very positive change.

Stopping Depression for a Lifetime

Prescription drugs are not the only option for depression. In fact, clinical research increasingly shows time-tested natural medicines can be just as effective, but without causing serious side effects. And two that show excellent results are saffron and curcumin. That’s not to say that patients should stop taking their prescription medications and immediately switch to saffron and curcumin. That is a discussion they need to have with their prescribing physician.

But informing patients about integrating these botanicals into their daily regimens, may provide the extra assistance they need to be freed from the trap of depression or other mood concerns. Saffron and curcumin are powerful anti-inflammatory herbs and are safe, clinically tested, and don’t cause serious side effects. Taken each day, their combination truly provides an effective alternative or adjunct to depression treatment.

If your patients are looking to help reduce symptoms of depression, overcome fear and worry, and boost positive brain chemistry, we recommend taking a combination of curcumin (Curcuma longa) rhizome extract enhanced with turmeric essential oil and saffron (Crocus sativa) stigma extract twice daily.

To say that many people in America aren’t getting the daily nutrients they need to maintain good health is to put it mildly. The Standard American Diet, with its overabundance of empty calories, and refined sugars and carbs, has undermined much of the country’s health. Very likely, you’ve seen the effects of this in your own practice.

Fortunately, for patients who are trying to rebuild their health by cultivating appropriate lifestyle and dietary habits, there are supplemental nutrients that can help reinvigorate their mental and physical well-being. In a multi-ingredient formula, these nutrients can be the foundation of a daily regimen that makes notable positive changes, including:

• Increased daily energy and positive outlook
• Improved resilience and focus during stress
• Better physical vitality
• Reduced chronic pain and fatigue
• Robust immune, heart, and overall health

InfoMedica recommends:  A daily multi-nutrient powder drink mix that includes bioactive and readily utilized vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for building daily mental and physical energy and recovery from acute or chronic conditions.

Why Foundational Multi-Nutrient Support Matters

When your patients are trying to rebuild their health by cultivating appropriate lifestyle and dietary habits, there are supplemental nutrients that can help reinvigorate their mental and physical well-being. In a multi-ingredient formula, these nutrients can be the foundation of a daily regimen that makes notable positive changes. As a dosage-adjustable powdered drink mix, it also provides the flexibility—a key to compliance—that they’ll appreciate.

While there are those who criticize the idea of multivitamins as being unnecessary because one should be able to get all the nutrients they need from food, it is all too common for daily intakes to fall far short of that ideal. So there are good reasons to recommend a multi-nutrient supplement to patients who are also suffering from lack of mental and physical energy to help fill in the gaps that may not be covered, even with a shift to a healthy diet.

And in fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that multivitamin use significantly reduced total cancer risk in men by eight percent, and by 27 percent in men with a previous incidence of cancer.

Considering the overwhelming dominance of ultra-processed foods in the Western diet, and increasingly worldwide, it’s not surprising that any additional nutrients would help. And if those supplemental nutrients are in readily absorbed and utilized forms, so much the better.

Readily Utilized Nutrients Help Your Patients Thrive

The vitamins, minerals, and amino acids listed in this table may be in different forms from those found in common mass-market supplements. They are recommended because they offer better absorption, bioavailability, and efficacy.

Counteracting Ultra-Processed Foods

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are now estimated to make up to 50 percent of the dietary intake of developed nations. The ultimate cost of this trend of these calorie-dense, but nutritionally poor foods is already seen in skyrocketing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and depression.

Nutritional experts believe that beginning in the 1990s, the engineering of food for its addictive qualities led to increased and repeated consumption began to change average weights, body shape, and overall health. Sadly, this trend has not shown any signs of retreat. And for those who have known only processed foods from childhood, it takes remarkable strength and practitioner guidance to overcome the pull of this unhealthy trap.

That’s why a multi-faceted approach to whole mind and body health is especially helpful. Patients who struggle with a dependence on ultra-processed foods need encouragement to switch to a diet of wholesome, healthy foods that sustain, rather than drain, their energy and their mental and physical well-being. Referrals to dieticians and other professionals may also provide additional coaching along with your care that will help them begin a new chapter in their lives marked by renewed vitality.

A Multi-Nutrient Powder Drinks Strengthens Patient Compliance

Some patients have a very difficult time swallowing pills or simply don’t want to. The benefit of a powder drink mix is that it allows for effective levels of ingredients in an easy-to-take form. A multi-ingredient powdered drink mix can be blended with smoothies, yogurt, or any favorite beverage, ensuring a greater likelihood of patient compliance and consistent results. It also allows for more flexible dosing; some patients may want to start with a half-dosage level of these nutrients or mix half the powder into a smoothie at breakfast, and the other half into yogurt at lunch. Either way, they are likely to notice a difference with vitamin and mineral forms that will have more impact than common varieties of vitamins that they may have tried in the past.

Mind and Body Well Being Depend on Foundational Nutrients

Regardless of a person’s weight, income, or status, one cohort study of European teens found that every 10 percent increase in ultra-processed foods led to a corresponding decrease in executive function scores. These foods aren’t only harming peoples’ bodies; they are harming their minds as well.

The problem is no less serious for adults: the data from two long-term studies show that those in the highest quintile of ultra-processed food consumption show a 25-35 percent increased risk of all-cause dementia.

This overabundance of refined sugar and carbs in the diet also leads to nutrient deprivation, since there’s little room in the caloric intake for whole, healthy foods. So it is not uncommon for people to be nutrient deficient, even with an abundance of available food choices. It’s difficult for anyone who is used to eating ultra-processed foods to break free from the habit. That’s why, when your patients are trying to change course, and live better, healthier lives, they deserve your professional guidance and encouragement, along with lifestyle and nutrient recommendations that can help make their goals a reality.