Turmeric extract for depression?

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Pharmaceutical drugs are widely dispensed to treat depression but all have

disturbing side effects. Safe alternatives will probably be readily accepted by

the U.S. public. Depression can be found in individuals who are: Lacking

the essential omega 3 fatty acids Using synthetic transfats in their diets

(soy, corn, saffola, canola, sunflower seed oils) Vitamin D deficient This

can even be found in persons who cover themselves with sunscreens and wear

sunglasses when out in the sun. The RDA for Vitamin D of 400 I.U.

daily is set far below the correct requirement for maintaining health of 1200

I.U. daily. As a consequence 60% to 70% of U.S. citizens are Vitamin D

deficient. Depression and every psychiatric illness in the psychiatric

nomenclature can be found in persons with undiagnosed infections[1]

(toxoplasmosis, Lyme Disease {borrelia burgdorfi}, mycoplasma, fungi, yeast,

parasites). All the above conditions should be rectified before starting any

therapy for depression as many depressed patients will have a favorable response

to correction of these health problems. How Safe Are Widely Prescribed

Pharmaceutical Drugs Used To Treat Depression? The two most widely used U.S.

pharmaceutical types of anti-depressants are the older tricyclics and the newer

more potent SSRIs. Among the tricyclic anti-depressant drugs are amitryptiline

(Elavil), Etrafon, Limbitrol, desipramine Norpramin, doxepin Sinequan,

trimipramin Surmontil, protriptyline Vivactil). Significant side effects that

can be seen with tricyclic anti-depressants include heart attack, stroke,

abnormal electrocardiograms, low blood pressure, coma, seizures,

hallucinations, tremors, tardive dyskinesia (often permanent movement disorder

involving the extremities), neuritis, anxiety, insomnia, fluid retention,

paralytic ileus, inability to empty the bladder,

constipation, rash, hives, bone marrow depression, abnormal liver function,

vomiting, breast enlargement in males and females, impotence and weight gain.

The older tricyclic anti-depressants have less SSRI effect than the newer SSRI

drugs. The currently most popular category of anti-depressants are the SSRI

drugs (selective, serotonin reuptake inhibitors) (fluoxetine Prozac, sertaline

Zoloft, paroxetine Paxil, citalopram hydrobromide Celexa.). A serious under

appreciated problem from SSRI drugs is gastrointestinal bleeding in the

elderly. Anti-depressant drugs act by causing more serotonin to be available to

the brain where it promotes calmness, peace and contentment. The greater the

inhibition of serotonin uptake the greater the risk of gastrointestinal

bleeding. Taking SSRI drugs diminishes the

amount of serotonin that is available to platelets to cause blood to clot.

Generally the platelets use the excess serotonin absorbed during reuptake. When

this process is blocked by SSRIs there is less serotonin available for platelets

..and formation of clots is less effective. In a recent study published in the

British Medical Journal 317,824 Canadians in Ontario over the age of 65 were

followed. During the study 974 of these persons developed upper

gastrointestinal bleeding. 41% of the bleeding patients had been taking the

high inhibition SSRIs (Paxil, Zoloft, Prozac). The risk of bleeding jumped by

9% in persons using medium inhibiting SSRIs (imipramine Tofranil and

amitriptyline Elavil) when compared to those on lower inhibiting drugs

(desipramine Norpramine and doxepin Sinequan). Patients

who had previously experienced upper g.i. bleeding were 5 times more likely to

bleed again and persons in their 80s had a 3 fold greater chance to bleed than

persons who were between 65 and 70. The use of anticoagulants, cortisone, or

NSAID drugs at least doubled the risk of bleeding. SSRIs can cause nausea,

headache, dry mouth, anxiety, insomnia, diarrhea, sexual dysfunction and

tremor. The worst side effect is psychotic episodes called serotonin syndrome.

Persons on SSRIs over age 65 might want to consider switching to a less

dangerous non pharmaceutical depression therapy. SAMe is quite effective but

very expensive. B complex with supplemental vitamin C and phenylalanine, omega

3 fatty acids (fish oil or flax oil), or St. John’s Wort (SJW) all can clear

depressions. Drug interactions can be seen with SJW which must not be taken

with SSRIs as serotonin syndrome may appear. Taken alone SJW is remarkably

safe. Few U.S. citizens realize that the mass murderers who committed the

Columbine High School, Red Lake and other fatal school violence were nearly

universally taking Prozac or similar SSRI anti-depressants. Eli Lilly Company

knew that Prozac could cause users to commit violent acts against self

(suicide) or against others (mass murders) but this information had been

carefully hidden as awareness of this information would have certainly hurt the

sales of this drug and other similar SSRI pharmaceuticals. What Is Avea?

Tumeric (cucurmin) has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine as an

anti-inflammatory, to treat digestive disorders and liver problems and for the

treatment of skin diseases and wound healing. Cucurmin

stimulates the production of bile and facilitates emptying of the gall bladder.

In animals cucurmin protects the liver, has anti-tumor action, reduces

inflammation and fights some infections. Avea is an extract from the root of

Curcuma longa commonly know as tumeric. Nutramedix has a proprietary

formulation of cucurmin that is more effective than conventional cucurmin

because of special extraction and enhancement techniques. The primary uses of

Avea are as an anti-depressant, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.

Cucurmin has found wide acceptance as a valuable therapy to suppress

inflammation in persons found to have elevated CRP values and elevated

sedimentation rates Statistical analysis of large populations has revealed that

persons with elevated sed rates and CRP values are at greater risk for heart

attacks and strokes than

persons with normal CRPs and sed rates. Bringing CRP and sed rate values back to

normal in these persons is believed to stop arteriosclerotic injury to arteries.

Presumably inflammatory changes in the inner membranes of the arteries

(endothelium0 are being healed by cucurmin. A study published in the June 2005

issue of the European Journal of Pharmacology titled The effects of cucurmin on

depressive-like behaviors in mice looked at two animal models of depression.

Neurochemical assays showed that cucurmin produced a marked increase in

serotonin and noradrenalin levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the

mice. Dopamine levels were increased in the frontal cortex and striatum

regions. Monoamine oxidase activity was inhibited in the mouse brain. The

German Commision E reports that cucurmin has no known contraindications, no

known side effects and no known interactions with other drugs. In May 2005

toxicology studies were completed on Nutramedix Avea at the University of

Guayaquil, Ecuador. No toxic effects were seen even when the animals were given

doses 160,000 times the equivalent human dose. Patients suffering from

depression report relief from depression within a few hours to a few days after

starting Avea. A 38 year old woman had been seriously depressed for more than 10

years despite therapy with several different pharmaceutical drugs. When started

on her first dose of Avea she felt less depressed after 30 minutes. The

depression was gone in 24 hours but the therapy was continued.

Times, serif">The dosage of Avea is 10 to 12 drops three or four times daily.

Patients who respond rapidly to Avea should remain on this therapy for one to

two months to allow the body to reset neurochemical balances in the brain.

Patients who have been taking SSRI drugs should slowly taper off SSRI therapy

over many weeks.if they wish to terminate SSRI therapy. We think that persons

trying Avea for depression will be pleased with this safe rapidly acting

therapy. Avea can be obtained from naturalhealthteam.com phone 1-800-416-2806

and from nutramedix.com phone 1-561-745-2917. Footnotes: 1, Strick, Frank

Townsend letter for Doctors & Patients April 2004 pg. 123-125

© 2005 Dr. James Howenstine - Sign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts

E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale Dr. James A.

Howenstine is a board certified specialist in internal medicine who spent 34

years caring for office and hospital patients. After 4 years of personal study

he became convinced that natural products are safer, more effective, and less

expensive than pharmaceutical drugs. This research led to the publication of

his book A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products That Work. Information

about these products and his book can be obtained from amazon.com and at

www.naturalhealthteam.com and phone 1-800-416-2806 U.S. Dr. Howenstine can be

reached

by mail at Dr. James Howenstine, C/O Remarsa USA SB 37, P.O. Box 25292, Miami,

Fl. 33102-5292. E-Mail: jimhow (AT) racsa (DOT) co.cr “New opinions often appear first

as jokes and fancies, then as blasphemies and treason, then as questions open

to discussion, and finally as established truths.” – George Bernard Shaw.

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