A Safer Alternative for Managing Depression

[Teanntás]

FYI


"....................Saffron ‘Equally Effective’ Against Depression As Antidepressants!

First, researchers directly compared the efficacy of saffron stigma extract to that of the antidepressant Tofranil® (imipramine) against significant degrees of depression.

In a double-blind, single-center trial, scientists randomly divided 30 depressed patients into two groups. They gave 30 milligram capsules of saffron 3 times daily to one group. The other group received 100 milligrams of Tofranil® 3 times daily. All subjects met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for major depression.14

Just 6 weeks later, the saffron dose was declared to be equally as beneficial as Tofranil® in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. However, only the Tofranil® group suffered anticholinergic symptoms, such as dry mouth. (An anticholinergic agent blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the nervous system.) Also, the participants taking Tofranil® experienced significant unwanted sedation. The study author concluded that saffron has “therapeutic benefit in the treatment of mild to moderate depression.”14

Next, scientists compared the potency of saffron extract to the antidepressant Prozac® (fluoxetine).

Forty adult outpatients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for depression were randomly assigned to receive either twice-daily 30-milligram capsulesof saffron stigma or twice-daily capsules of 20 milligrams of Prozac®.15

At the close of the 6-week, double-blind, randomized trial, saffron was found to be as effective as Prozac® in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. There were no significant differences in unwanted reactions.15

These studies clearly establish that saffron is a potent alternative to commonly prescribed antidepressants for treating depression—without the adverse effects............"

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013...g-Depression_01.htm?source=search&key=saffron

 

[Techless]

"Forty adult outpatients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for depression were randomly assigned..."

Amazing criteria! We're all mental in some way - ya hey?? I guess someone had to thunk it up!

Suppose these 40 are now well poised to begin their "Key to Death Course" and perhaps a touch of "Golden Aged Schumbology"

Thinking here: if you ever meet ANY 'criteria', you'd best run the other way...? (unless, of course you are a criteria obsessed person)

Not to demean the aforementioned post- but 'round here prescriptions are well worth the cost in investigating a wee bit further to avoid some hell...

 

[120 Degrees]

FYI
In a double-blind, single-center trial, scientists randomly divided 30 depressed patients into two groups. They gave 30 milligram capsules of saffron 3 times daily to one group. The other group received 100 milligrams of Tofranil® 3 times daily. All subjects met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for major depression.14

I read your link and have a few comments which you probably wont like. In scientific studies of medicines it is usual to have a placebo (control) group in the study. Not only is it usual but considered necessary in order to gauge the effectiveness of any medicine or treatment. This study does not have a control group. It is a VERY small study of two groups: one received saffron and one received Tofranil. This is flaw number one. Flaw number two is that it is a study of only 30 people, 15 in each group, which is too small a group to make a proper conclusive evaluation of the efficacy of any treatment. Third flaw: a study at ONE place by ONE set of evaluators is neither conclusive nor standard in scientific circles. There are many reasons for this that are too numerous and of little interest to most people reading this post.

Just 6 weeks later, the saffron dose was declared to be equally as beneficial as Tofranil® in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. The real problem is with severe depression. If this is truly effective against depression what effect does it have on severe depression. Yet again, this study may have been conducted by one evaluator rather than a team. I'm not digging into it much further because of the inherent flaws in the original study to go to far down this rabbit hole.

Next, scientists compared the potency of saffron extract to the antidepressant Prozac® (fluoxetine).

Forty adult outpatients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, criteria for depression were randomly assigned to receive either twice-daily 30-milligram capsulesof saffron stigma or twice-daily capsules of 20 milligrams of Prozac®.15

Again, the same flaws impair this study as the first one. Before I climb on board the saffron as replacement drug for depression train I'd need to see larger trials, conducted with larger groups, with a control group, and within different facilities with more than one evaluator. I'd also like to know whether the evaluation was entirely subjective to the evaluator or had objective controls.

At the close of the 6-week, double-blind, randomized trial, saffron was found to be as effective as Prozac® in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. There were no significant differences in unwanted reactions.15

These studies clearly establish that saffron is a potent alternative to commonly prescribed antidepressants for treating depression—without the adverse effects............"
No, these studies do NOT clearly establish that saffron is an alternative to prescribed antidepressants.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2013...g-Depression_01.htm?source=search&key=saffron

While I agree wholeheartedly that we should look to alternatives to drugs for treating the many ills we may face as individuals in life I also believe that promoting something before it's actually proven to be effective is not only unsafe but unconscionable as it may prevent some people from seeking the help they need from established practices and thus end in disaster. I'm reminded of the movie "Contagion" where a blogger hypes a "cure" for his own financial gain that he knows has no efficacy. I'll add that saffron, at $500 or more a pound, is the world's most expensive herb and in order to process it into a three times a day pill would prove to be in the order of magnitudes more expensive than Prozac.

 

[Teanntás]

While I agree wholeheartedly that we should look to alternatives to drugs for treating the many ills we may face as individuals in life I also believe that promoting something before it's actually proven to be effective is not only unsafe but unconscionable as it may prevent some people from seeking the help they need from established practices and thus end in disaster. I'm reminded of the movie "Contagion" where a blogger hypes a "cure" for his own financial gain that he knows has no efficacy. I'll add that saffron, at $500 or more a pound, is the world's most expensive herb and in order to process it into a three times a day pill would prove to be in the order of magnitudes more expensive than Prozac.

A lb would provide 15,000 doses. Many companies sell it as a supplement and it is not all that expensive. BTW, I have no financial interest in any of these companies - just providing info.

Another widely available product which I use is SAMe
"...The August, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry published the results of a clinical trial conducted by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital researchers which found a significant benefit for S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) against major depressive disorders in men and women who failed to respond to standard antidepressant drugs. The investigation, funded by The National Institute of Mental Health, is the first double-blinded, randomized controlled trial to evaluate SAMe, a natural compound available as a nutritional supplement, as an additive therapy against major depression in this drug-resistant population..."

http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/...nt-Effect-for-SAMe.htm?source=search&key=same

 

[120 Degrees]

A lb would provide 15,000 doses.

Citation please.

The SAMe study is far more convincing on many levels than the saffron study.

As for your title to this post, I'll add that the saffron study doesn't really say that it's a "safer alternative for managing depression" that your title declares. At MOST it's as effective as other medicines. But then, I don't trust your cited study. It's not a conclusive study for ANYTHING to do with deprssion.

 

[Jump]

A lb would provide 15,000 doses.

Citation please.

20 miligram dose (of fluoxetine) is 0.00070548 ounces , that's 1417 doses in an ounce or 22679 doses in 1 pound.

30 miligram dose (of saffron) is 0.0010582 ounces , that's 945 doses in an ounce or 15120 doses in 1 pound.


At $500 per pound of saffron, that's 3c per dose.

 

[120 Degrees]

20 miligram dose (of fluoxetine) is 0.00070548 ounces , that's 1417 doses in an ounce or 22679 doses in 1 pound.

30 miligram dose (of saffron) is 0.0010582 ounces , that's 945 doses in an ounce or 15120 doses in 1 pound.


At $500 per pound of saffron, that's 3c per dose.

I'll take your maths for it as I'm not so invested as to do the checking. Florexetine, the cheaper drug, was given twice daily and saffron three times. There's a significant cost differential to achieve the same claimed results (minus the dry mouth). I'm still not convinced due to the flaws in the original study.

I would also question the compounding method to arrive at the cost. I don't know the method for compounding saffron. If it requires distillation to be compounded then your maths are off significantly. If it was simply ground up and encapsulated than your cost would be accurate minus loss due to "dust" lost.

 

[Teanntás]

I'll take your maths for it as I'm not so invested as to do the checking. Florexetine, the cheaper drug, was given twice daily and saffron three times. There's a significant cost differential to achieve the same claimed results (minus the dry mouth). I'm still not convinced due to the flaws in the original study.

I would also question the compounding method to arrive at the cost. I don't know the method for compounding saffron. If it requires distillation to be compounded then your maths are off significantly. If it was simply ground up and encapsulated than your cost would be accurate minus loss due to "dust" lost.

Here a description of one Saffron product - the cost for 60 capsules $25.99

•  Standardized 
•  Made with Saffr'Active® 88.5mg (per capsule)
The ancient spice saffron has been revered for centuries for it's health promoting properties and distinct flavor. The active compound (crocin) may be a healthy addition to the diet for individuals with neuro-degenerative disorders, memory loss, low libido, inflammation, obesity and arthritic conditions. It may assist in the maintenance of chloesterol levels already within normal range. Only Natural's Saffron Extract is made from clinically tested Saffr'Acitv®.

 

[Teanntás]

Citation please.

The SAMe study is far more convincing on many levels than the saffron study.

As for your title to this post, I'll add that the saffron study doesn't really say that it's a "safer alternative for managing depression" that your title declares. At MOST it's as effective as other medicines. But then, I don't trust your cited study. It's not a conclusive study for ANYTHING to do with deprssion.

The title was the title of the article. As a general rule a natural substance is safer than a drug. You don't need a couple of pages of contra-indications to be included with a bottle of vitamin tablets.

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Interesting information. Recently Turmeric has been found to be useful in fighting Prostate cancer and Cinnamon for something else, Fenugreek also has good properties, Cardamom, Cumin, Garlic and Chilli, very good for you.
Why not just eat curry every day, and throw the pills away?

 

[Terril park]

The authors of this study have written several papers on safron,
including also for treating Alzheimers. It was originally used in Chinese, Indian
and Persian medicine, which seems like a good indication. The original article
also lists several papers on studies with mice and rats.



http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01133.x/abstract



"What is new and conclusion:  This double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests that at least in the short-term, saffron is both safe and effective in mild to moderate AD. Larger confirmatory randomized controlled trials are called for."


http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/11/supplements.for.depression/index.html

"The bottom line: Although more research is needed, saffron appears to be a promising treatment for milder cases of depression. That said, using the world's most expensive spice as a dietary supplement seems impractical and pricey."

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Eat spices. Taste good food and be happy and healthy at the same time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_WQvOIkgRg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA6rPSos-Wc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNZEhVRx0ho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_KFpxb_bpM

 

[Royal Prince Xenu]

Interesting information. Recently Turmeric has been found to be useful in fighting Prostate cancer and Cinnamon for something else, Fenugreek also has good properties, Cardamom, Cumin, Garlic and Chilli, very good for you.
Why not just eat curry every day, and throw the pills away?

Cinnamon can be used to balance blood sugar. I actually do make a point of getting a good curry at least once a week. Another great treatment for Depression is good sex.

 

[Jump]

Another use for saffron is to help macula degeneration - an eye disease.

I hope they don't do a double blind trial for that one coolwink

You can buy saffron on the spice dept. and take 5 or 6 strands per day neat. They taste mild, but make your mouth a bit yellow.

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Cinnamon can be used to balance blood sugar. I actually do make a point of getting a good curry at least once a week. Another great treatment for Depression is good sex.

You can combine the two if you both have the curry first, it is a little disrespectful to your partner to have a curry before getting very intimate. Or of course you could have the curry instead of a ciggie and sleep. And don't forget to wash your hands well after handling chilli or you might hear gasps that are not from pleasure!

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Another use for saffron is to help macula degeneration - an eye disease.

I hope they don't do a double blind trial for that one coolwink

You can buy saffron on the spice dept. and take 5 or 6 strands per day neat. They taste mild, but make your mouth a bit yellow.

list of spices and their uses, these may not be scientifically tested, but they are tested through time and usage.

http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/bi...medspice.txt&itemsuppress=yes&displayswitch=0

 

[120 Degrees]

I think I should clarify my position. I realize that most modern medicines have their basis in long time herbal therapies, such as foxglove and digitalis, and I wholly support using herbal (spice...whatever) therapies when they are effective over some lab created medicine that may have unknown (or totally known and bizarre) side effects. What I object to is claiming that something is a "proven" alternative to created meds when the cited study does not support the hyped claim. When dealing with something as potentially dangerous as depression I think that it's ethically wrong to promote unproven cures or therapies that could result in the loss of life.

Just as pharma subsidizes studies of prescription meds there are many other interests that fund studies to prove herbs, spices and other plant matter will cure an illness (especially such a small study as the one cited in the OP).

Unscrupulous people are willing to make money off of anything. How much money has a certain famous Scion family made off of selling Purif Vitimins even when many studies show that excess Niacin is harmful?

Also, thanks, T for the cost of 60 saffron tabs as about $26.00. As per the study, at 3 tabs a day (assuming this is the same formulation as used in the study and that's a big assumption) then that's a 20 day supply. The generic version of Prozac (used in the first study) is $16.00 for 30 day supply at drugstore.com and falls under the $4.00 Wallmart prescription plan.

 

[Royal Prince Xenu]

You can combine the two if you both have the curry first, it is a little disrespectful to your partner to have a curry before getting very intimate. Or of course you could have the curry instead of a ciggie and sleep. And don't forget to wash your hands well after handling chilli or you might hear gasps that are not from pleasure!

Timing of the curry is incredibly important if one wants to participate in a game of "dutch oven".

 

[Teanntás]

I think I should clarify my position. I realize that most modern medicines have their basis in long time herbal therapies, such as foxglove and digitalis, and I wholly support using herbal (spice...whatever) therapies when they are effective over some lab created medicine that may have unknown (or totally known and bizarre) side effects. What I object to is claiming that something is a "proven" alternative to created meds when the cited study does not support the hyped claim. When dealing with something as potentially dangerous as depression I think that it's ethically wrong to promote unproven cures or therapies that could result in the loss of life.

Just as pharma subsidizes studies of prescription meds there are many other interests that fund studies to prove herbs, spices and other plant matter will cure an illness (especially such a small study as the one cited in the OP).

Unscrupulous people are willing to make money off of anything. How much money has a certain famous Scion family made off of selling Purif Vitimins even when many studies show that excess Niacin is harmful?

Also, thanks, T for the cost of 60 saffron tabs as about $26.00. As per the study, at 3 tabs a day (assuming this is the same formulation as used in the study and that's a big assumption) then that's a 20 day supply. The generic version of Prozac (used in the first study) is $16.00 for 30 day supply at drugstore.com and falls under the $4.00 Wallmart prescription plan.

If you are so concerned about safety (as we all should be) cost should not be a controlling factor . Another point I want to make is that on this board we are intelligent people having a free discussion - we are not prescribing medicine - we are sharing information.

"In 1990, Lilly scientists were pressured by corporate executives to alter records on physician experiences with Prozac, changing mentions of suicide attempts to "overdose" and suicidal thoughts to "depression." In an electronic communiquй (obtained by author Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, Prozac Backlash) from Claude Bouchy, a Lilly employee in Germany, to three Lilly corporate executives at Lillys Indianapolis headquarters, dated November 13, 1990: Bouchy says he and a colleague "have problems with the directions our safety people are getting from the corporate group (Drug Epidemiology Unit) and requesting that we change the identification of events as they are reported by the physicians. . ." He further reported, Our safety staff is requested to change the event term `suicide attempt' [as reported by the physician] to `overdose.' " He added, ...it is requested that we change . . . `suicidal ideation' to `depression.' " He informed his US Lilly colleagues: "I do not think I could explain to the BGA, to a judge, to a reporter or even to my family why we would do this especially on the sensitive issue of suicide and suicidal ideation. At least not with the explanations that have been given to our staff so far."

Three years before Prozac received approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in late 1987, the German BGA had such serious reservations about Prozac's safety that it refused to approve the antidepressant based on Lilly's studies showing that previously non-suicidal patients who took the drug had a fivefold higher rate of suicides and suicide attempts than those on older antidepressants, and a threefold higher rate than those taking placebos.

Lilly's own figures indicate that 1 in 100 previously non-suicidal patients who took the drug in early clinical trials developed a severe form of anxiety and agitation called akathisia, causing them to attempt or commit suicide during the studies.

A patent for a new Prozac (US Patent no. 5,708,035), R-fluoxetine, expected to be marketed by Lilly beginning in 2002, (as of the 2000 Globe report) states the new version will not produce several existing side effects including "akathisia, suicidal thoughts, and self-mutilationone of its more significant side effects." This is the same effect Lilly has repeatedly denied to have occurred in any substantial way in some 200 lawsuits against them over the past decade. Most of the suits were settled out of court and the terms kept confidential. "

http://www.petitiononline.com/lilpro/petition.html

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Timing of the curry is incredibly important if one wants to participate in a game of "dutch oven".

Ah the Australian language, so colourful. But yes, a good Brussels sprout and mixed bean curry would be excellent for that, and also be very nutritious.