Turmeric for Schizophrenia: Can It Treat or Prevent the Condition?
Health ConditionsMental Health ConditionsSchizophrenia

Turmeric for Schizophrenia: Can It Help?

Turmeric for Schizophrenia: Can It Help?
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Updated on November 29, 2024
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In recent years, turmeric has gone from being a staple spice in Indian food to being lauded for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

 That’s why some people are now taking turmeric supplements in hopes of preventing cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other conditions.

Now turmeric and its main ingredient, curcumin, a polyphenol that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other neuroprotective effects, are starting to be investigated as possible adjunctive (add-on) treatments for schizophrenia.

The reason: While antipsychotic medication (a gold-standard treatment for schizophrenia) can significantly improve symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, they’re not as effective for the other symptoms of schizophrenia, such as apathy, flattened emotional expression, or speaking very little even when forced to interact. Researchers are still looking for new treatments to better manage these symptoms.

Here’s what preliminary research on turmeric for schizophrenia suggests.

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Turmeric for Schizophrenia: What Does Research Show?

Research indicates that turmeric could be beneficial in treating some symptoms of schizophrenia.

In one small study of 38 people with chronic schizophrenia, participants were treated with either 3,000 milligrams (mg) per day of curcumin or a placebo, in addition to their regular antipsychotic medications, for 24 weeks. Those who took curcumin showed greater improvements in the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (the absence of expected ways for someone to interact with their surroundings), including apathy, flattened emotional expression, and lack of verbal response.

Another small study had similar results. In a double-blind trial, 12 people with chronic schizophrenia were assigned to take 300 mg of curcumin or a placebo each day, in addition to their antipsychotic medication. After eight weeks, the researchers found that compared with placebo, curcumin treatment significantly improved aspects of cognitive function that are often negatively affected by schizophrenia, like working memory (the ability to work with information without losing track of what you’re doing). It’s also important to note that there were no adverse effects from curcumin in either study.

While the exact mechanisms behind these improvements aren’t known, there’s a hypothesis that inflammation makes mood and psychiatric disorders worse, so when inflammation is reduced, the disorder improves, says Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD, the chair of the department of psychiatry at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, who treats people with schizophrenia.

In a separate review of medical literature, researchers analyzed the potential for interactions between 10 herbs and spices and modern medicines used to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders, and they found that no significant or adverse issues occurred with curcumin.

Although these findings are promising, they’re still preliminary. Larger and higher-quality studies are still needed to confirm these findings before turmeric can be widely recommended to treat schizophrenia, the researchers noted.

Turmeric May Have Benefits for Other Mental Health Conditions, Too

Research suggests that turmeric may be beneficial in treating a number of mental health conditions in addition to schizophrenia. That includes depression, a common comorbid (coexisting) condition among people with schizophrenia.

One randomized, double-blind study found that when people with major depressive disorder took two capsules containing 1,000 mg of curcumin per day for six weeks, along with their current antidepressant medication, they experienced a significantly greater antidepressant response, as well as significant decreases in inflammatory markers and increases in brain function.

 But as the researchers note, these findings are preliminary. More research is still needed to further assess these potential benefits of turmeric.

The Final Word: Can Turmeric or Curcumin Help Treat Schizophrenia?

“The use of curcumin [as a treatment] is not accepted right now in the field of psychiatry,” says Dr. Ritchie. “There’s some promising research, but these are small, preliminary studies.

“It’s too early to recommend it, because we need more research from larger trials,” she adds.

Still, one of the reasons these findings are particularly promising is that while antipsychotic medications do a good job of treating the “positive” symptoms of schizophrenia, such as hallucinations and delusions, the negative symptoms “are resistant to all psychotics,” she says. As mentioned, the aforementioned studies found that curcumin helped with the negative symptoms.

If you have schizophrenia and you’re interested in learning more about whether adding turmeric or curcumin supplements to your treatment plan could help, talk to your doctor before trying any new supplements.

Also, it’s important to consider your overall health before you take curcumin, she adds. This is because curcumin could interact with anticoagulant drugs, aggravate gallstones, and lower blood sugar levels.

This doesn’t mean you can’t use turmeric or curcumin in your cooking. So consider adding the fragrant spice to curries, soups, and stews, eggs and omelets, roasted vegetables, or even warm milk. For a soothing treat, consider making a golden latte with unsweetened almond milk, grated ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and a drop of honey.

The Takeaway

  • Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
  • Preliminary studies suggest turmeric and curcumin could improve cognitive function and some negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia, if used alongside other antipsychotic medication.
  • Although early findings on curcumin and turmeric for schizophrenia are promising, more research is still needed before it can be widely recommended for managing schizophrenia.
  • If you are considering taking curcumin or turmeric for schizophrenia, please consult your healthcare provider first, as it may not be safe for everyone to use.

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Angela D. Harper, MD

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Angela D. Harper, MD, is in private practice at Columbia Psychiatric Associates in South Carolina, where she provides evaluations, medication management, and psychotherapy for adults.  

A distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Dr. Harper has worked as a psychiatrist throughout her career, serving a large number of patients in various settings, including a psychiatric hospital on the inpatient psychiatric and addiction units, a community mental health center, and a 350-bed nursing home and rehab facility. She has provided legal case consultation for a number of attorneys.

Harper graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a bachelor's degree and cum laude from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency in adult psychiatry. During residency, she won numerous awards, including the Laughlin Fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, the Ginsberg Fellowship from the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and resident of the year and resident medical student teacher of the year. She was also the member-in-training trustee to the American Psychiatric Association board of trustees during her last two years of residency training.

Harper volunteered for a five-year term on her medical school's admission committee, has given numerous presentations, and has taught medical students and residents. She currently supervises a nurse practitioner. She is passionate about volunteering for the state medical board's medical disciplinary commission, on which she has served since 2015.

She and her husband are avid travelers and have been to over 55 countries and territories.

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Stacey Colino

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Stacey Colino is an ACE-certified health coach and award-winning writer specializing in health and science. Her work has appeared in dozens of national magazines, including U.S. News & World Report, Prevention, Health, Newsweek, First for Women, Real Simple, Parade, MORE, Woman’s Day, Redbook, Self, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Shape, Parenting, Men’s Journal, Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She has coauthored or collaborated on numerous health and fitness books published by Hudson Street Press, Harmony, Rodale, Da Capo, Grand Central Life & Style, and Wiley. In addition to Everyday Health, Colino has also written for online publications like Parade, AARP, Vice, Spry Living, and iVillage.
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Resources
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  3. Kucukgoncu S et al. Effects of Curcumin on Cognitive Functioning and Inflammatory State in Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2019.
  4. Wilson V et al. Herb-Drug Interactions in Neurological Disorders: A Critical Appraisal. Current Drug Metabolism. 2018.
  5. Yu JJ et al. Chronic Supplementation of Curcumin Enhances the Efficacy of Antidepressants in Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. August 2015.