I don’t know if it is some awful cocktail of college stress and work stress and personal stress all mixed into one, or an age that I’ve reached, or maybe just a side effect of becoming jaded but I have been miserable.

Too much information? Maybe. But many of you have probably been miserable too, and I am here to introduce you to a very unlikely way out.

I will not send you to run a mile on the track (although that could help) or to chug blended green crap (also helps) or to look yourself in the mirror and give yourself “positive affirmations” (I honestly don’t think that helps, and I’m pretty sure it is redundant).

I’m just going to inform you about an interesting little study on curry’s favorite spice: turmeric.

Turmeric contains something called “curcumin,” which is the magic ingredient that makes all of the positive effects of turmeric possible. It is also responsible for turmeric’s yellow color. The molecule is an anti-inflammatory, an antioxidant, and carries neurochemical and neuroprotective agents.

How did I learn about turmeric? Oddly enough, an article featuring the study appeared on my Facebook feed. It appeared with timing so opportunistic that it might have been creepy if I wasn’t so captivated.

The study tested the safety and efficacy of curcumin in 60 patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). For six weeks some patients were on a regimen of fluoxetine (Prozac) some were on a regimen of 1000 mg of turmeric, and some were on a combination. The combination groups scored more positively on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, however the Prozac group and turmeric group had nearly identical scores.

What does this tell us?

Turmeric may be considered as an alternative to fluoxetine with no harmful side effects. Amazing, right? Especially considering the side effects to most antidepressants include suicidal thoughts– talk about counterproductive.

So after reading the article, I figured why not try it? After all, I can go out and buy it today. I don’t have to see a psychiatrist, and at the end of the day it is just a spice. The worst it can do is give me a really bad stomachache.

After only a couple of weeks taking 1000 mg of turmeric (500 in the morning and 500 in the evening) I noticed significant changes in my mood.

I was still physically exhausted, but the mental and emotional fog that bore down on me started to clear up. I was motivated to cook for myself and go to the gym again. I was motivated to get out of bed in the morning without having to majorly convince myself (a huge improvement).

If you’ve been struggling with mid-semester blues, or even just “is-my-degree-worth-this-crap” blues you may want to try boosting your mood with turmeric.