Spices for depression - you can really spice up your mood

Spices for depression - you can really spice up your mood

Some spices such as saffron, sage, cardamom and chili peppers have specific antidepressant effects. While others work indirectly by improving the general health of the individual.

General effects of spices

spices have the highest antioxidant activity of all food types, including fruit and vegetables (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006). Antioxidants are very important to counteract damage caused by free radicals, which in turn can worsen or cause many degenerative diseases.

All chronic degenerative diseases are associated with damage caused by free radicals and an increased incidence of depression. Therefore, the prevention or treatment also helps through consumption of antioxidants -rich foods such as spices to reduce the occurrence of depression.

saffron

For centuries, saffron has been used to treat depression in traditional Persian medical systems.

Recently, several clinical studies have shown that this yellow spice in the treatment of light to moderate depression is actually just as effective as many of our current antidepressants.

The first of them was a double -blind, placebo -controlled study in which patients with depression were given 30 mg of saffron extract for six weeks. At the end of this period, depression in the treatment group had improved much more than in the placebo group.

In two other clinical studies, depressive patients who took saffron with which two frequently prescribed antidepressants income, imipramine and fluexitin (Prozac) were compared. In both studies it was found that saffron is at least as effective as the two modern medication. An important bonus was that no side effects were observed in the patients who took saffron.

peperoni

chilis also have mood -increasing effects. They stimulate a certain type of pain receptor (TRPV1) of sensory nerve endings. When these nerves are stimulated, signal to the brain, chemicals, so -called endorphins. Endorphins, in turn, stimulate the release of the brain chemical dopamine, which in turn acts as a mood enhancement and relieves depression.

Many modern antidepressants also work by increasing the dopamine level in the brain.

sage

A double -blind, placebo -controlled study has shown that sage reduces anxiety and increases the mood. It has been known for several years that connections in this spice inhibit the cholinesterase, an enzyme that is closely involved in the transmission of signals via nerve synapses.

sage has the additional advantage of improving memory.

cardamom

cardamom has been used by traditional Ayurveda practitioners to treat depression in India for thousands of years. Although there are no clinical studies that show the use of this spice to treat depression, there are biochemical reasons that give an indication of why it is effective.

As with other organs, the brain is toxins, damage caused by free radicals and other environmental and genetic insults. Aging and damage caused by environmental influences can increase the tendency to develop depression. However, this susceptibility can be reduced by using one or more of the spices that are known from which they have antidepressant properties. In addition, the diet should contain a variety of other spices from which most neuroprotective phytonutrients contain. Some of them may also have to discover the properties that have to be discovered.