Curcumin supplementation → Depression
Higher Curcumin supplementation decreases Depression.
Lopresti 2015 found that 500 mg of curcumin twice a day versus placebo did not separate on the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology in the first four weeks among 56 adults with major depression, then showed a group-by-time interaction from week 4 to week 8 (P=0.045). The authors call that partial support.
Randomized trial · Contested · N=56
Supported by an experiment or a tightly identified design. Read the caveats.
Mechanism
The authors treat curcumin as an anti-inflammatory, monoaminergic, and HPA-axis agent. They do not isolate one path. Lopresti, Maes, Maker, Hood and Drummond (2015) assigned 56 people with major depression to 500 mg of curcumin twice a day or placebo for eight weeks. The primary was the self-rated IDS-SR30. Both arms improved through week 4. From week 4 to week 8 the group-by-time interaction favored curcumin on the total score (F=4.22, P=0.045) and the mood factor (F=6.51, P=0.014). An atypical-depression slice looked larger. The abstract does not publish the point change.
Caveats
Researchers assigned people to an extract or a control, so this is a trial stamp. The separation is a late interaction in fifty-six people. More papers of the same design do not settle the claim. Weeks 0 to 4 are a shared placebo response. The P=0.045 is weeks 4 to 8. That is why confidence stays contested. This is a journal entry, not medical advice.
Effect
qualitative. Lopresti 2015: 500 mg BID vs placebo, 8 wk, N=56 MDD. Weeks 0-4 both arms fell. Weeks 4-8 group x time IDS-SR30 P=0.045. Atypical slice stronger. No primary increment in abstract.
Nodes
Named confounders
Cite this page
What Causes What. “Curcumin supplementation → Depression.” https://whatcauseswhat.org/edges/e-curcumin-depression (atlas updated 2026-09-02).
Papers
- Curcumin for the treatment of major depression: a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study.
AL Lopresti, M Maes, GL Maker, SD Hood, PD Drummond · 2015 · Journal of affective disorders