Curcumin for mood changes in Alzheimer's disease

What is TURMERIC? Identification name: Curcuma longa L. Family: Zingiberaceae Habitat: native to India and Indonesia Medicinal part: dried rhizome Key chemical constituents: it contains phenolic curcuminoids, sesquiterpenes, sugars, resins, protein, vitamins, minerals. Specifically, curcumin which is anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antifungal, nutraceutical, antineoplastic, radical scavenger, contraceptive, flavoring agent. Properties and uses: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidaemic, choleretic, cholagogue, antimicrobial, carminative, depurative, anticarcinogenic, antitumour, radioprotective, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, vasoprotective. Used for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation, osteoarthritis, precancerous conditions, pancreatitis. Curiosity: turmeric was firstly cultivated as a dye, then as a condiment and cosmetic. It is often used as a cheap substitute for saffron in cooking. Traditionally used as stomachic, tonic, blood purifier, poor digestion, fevers, skin conditions, vomiting in pregnancy, liver disorders. Caution: it can cause nausea and diarrhea.

Some researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study. They recruited 60 healthy subjects, from 60 to 85 years of age. The subjects took orally 400 mg of a product called Longvida-optimised curcumin, which gave 80 mg per day of curcumin, for the duration of 4 weeks. The researchers measured the effects of curcumin on cognition, mood and blood biomarkers at 1 h post dose (acute) and after 1-month of treatment (chronic). Results showed benefits on attention and working memory after acute administration of curcumin; and improvement of working memory and mood after 1 month. Alertness and mood also improved after acute and chronic treatment. In another study, patients with Alzheimer's disease who took orally 100 mg per day of curcumin for 12 weeks with their prescribed acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil, showed reduced agitation, anxiety and irritability; and one person also an improvement in Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Two formulations BCM-95 and Longvida currently have the strongest independent data available in human trials.

​References Goozee, K. G., et al. "Examining the potential clinical value of curcumin in the prevention and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease." British Journal of Nutrition 115.3 (2016): 449-465. Braun, Lesley, and Marc Cohen. Herbs & Natural Supplements: an Evidence-Based Guide. Volume 2. 4th ed., Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2015. Bone, Kerry, and Simon Mills. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine. 2nd ed., 2013. Pizzorno, Joseph E., and Michael T. Murray. Textbook of Natural Medicine. 4th ed., Elsevier Saunders, 2013. National Center for Biotechnology Information. "PubChem Compound Summary for CID 969516, Curcumin" PubChem, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Curcumin. Accessed 17 June, 2023.