Background and aim: Curcumin is a polyphenolic natural compound that has been used to treat various ailments such as symptoms of anxiety. However, the findings of studies regarding the anti-anxiety properties of curcumin are controversial. This review aims to evaluate if there are clinical benefits of curcumin in patients with symptoms of anxiety.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were retrieved to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the database inception to August 16, 2023. The random-effects model was used to estimate the standard mean difference (SMD).
Results: A total of eight RCTs involving 567 participants were included in the analysis. A pooled analysis showed a significant effect of curcumin on anxiety symptoms (SMD: -1.56; 95% CI: -2.48, -0.64, p < 0.001; I2 = 95.6%, p-heterogeneity< 0.001).
Conclusion: Present meta-analysis demonstrated that curcumin intake might contribute to alleviation of anxiety disorder. Due to the limited number of studies included, it is necessary to conduct more high-quality studies to confirm the clinical efficacy of curcumin.
Keywords: Anxiety; Curcumin; Meta-analysis; Systematic review.
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