Turmeric, a spice that forms the basis of many curries, is also used by Indian women to remove body hair and as a sunscreen. Widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is commonly used to lessen the aches and pains of arthritis and research has also turmeric to be particularly effective at managing the symptoms of the skin disease psoriasis. Curcumin is the yellow-orange pigment and the most important ingredient in turmeric.
High Doses Unproven
Herbal supplement use among people with autoimmune disease is becoming increasingly popular for its effectiveness, low cost and high safety profile, say authors of a study on the benefits of curcumin for autoimmune conditions. Curcumin has been shown to alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease by inhibiting pro-inflammatory molecules and stress-response pathways. While curcumin has been used safely at low doses over long periods of time, the authors caution that therapeutic use of concentrated doses remains unproven. The study was published in the 2007 "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology."
Safe and Effective
Curcumin's proven safety and lack of toxicity at high doses makes it a beneficial supplement for the treatment of many conditions, including psoriasis, say authors of a study published in the 2007 "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology." Curcumin acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, improves collagen production, increases blood supply and speeds healing. The researchers recommend curcumin for potential development into a safe and effective medication for treatment of skin diseases, such as scleroderma, psoriasis and skin cancer.
Anti-Inflammatory
Inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin diseases and curcumin inhibits these pro-inflammatory molecules, according to a study published in the March 2007 "International Journal of Molecular Medicine." The study found that curcumin inhibited interleukins and tumor necrosis factor-alpha -- molecules that stimulate inflammation -- in a tissue culture of skin cells. The researchers concluded that curcumin is an effective anti-inflammatory and also inhibits excessive growth of cells.
Safe in High Doses
Doses of curcumin up to 8,000 mg per day for four months are safe and may cause mild side effects, such as nausea and diarrhea, according to a study published in the 2007 "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology." Low absorption when taken orally is one significant disadvantage of curcumin, noted the researchers, who added that sufficient tissue levels have been obtained with high enough doses and might be possible for skin conditions through the use of topical applications. The authors concluded that preliminary results of curcumin for chronic inflammatory conditions is encouraging and further trials are needed to determine the best formulations and methods of delivery of curcumin.
References
- "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology"; Clinical studies with curcumin. Hsu CH, et al.; 2007
- "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology"; Beneficial role of curcumin in skin diseases. Thangapazham RL, et al.; 2007
- "Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology"; Curcumin and autoimmune disease. Bright JJ. ; 2007
- "Interanational Journal of Molecular Medicine"; Curcumin attenuates the expression of IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha as well as cyclin E in TNF-alpha-treated HaCaT cells; NF-kappaB and MAPKs as potential upstream targets. Cho JW, et al.; 2007
- TurmericFacts.com: Turmeric Facts
