Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects approximately 5 percent of the world's population, according to the February 2006 "American Family Physician." Men are at a slightly higher risk for acquiring this disorder. If you have psoriasis, you may also develop arthritis, which can be severe and disabling. Treatments for psoriasis include topical medications, light therapy and oral and injectable drugs. Curcumin, an extract from the turmeric plant, may offer benefit for some psoriasis sufferers.
Cause
The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. If you have a close relative with psoriasis, your chances of developing the disease are higher. Psoriasis often begins when you are exposed to an environmental trigger, such as a strep infection, sunburn or an injury to your skin. Once an inflammatory response is generated within your skin, it is perpetuated by a heightened immune response to substances produced by injured skin cells. Thus, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, similar to rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Curcumin
Curcumin is a yellow-orange pigment derived from Curcuma longa, the turmeric plant. Turmeric has been used for hundreds of years by Chinese and Ayurvedic physicians for its anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike many herbal remedies whose active constituents are poorly characterized, turmeric has been studied by scientists for more than a century. A 2009 review in "The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology" reports that curcumin, the active constituent of turmeric, exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by regulating immune pathways that contribute to a wide array of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's dementia, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis.
Evidence
According to scientists at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin suppresses the activity of immune cells involved in the genesis of psoriasis and reduces the levels of inflammatory molecules in psoriasis plaques. Curcumin also makes your skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light, mirroring a widely-used psoriasis treatment called PUVA, which employs psoralen drugs in conjunction with ultraviolet light to induce a psoriasis-cleansing sunburn. Finally, curcumin reduces the overgrowth of skin cells in psoriasis plaques, thereby stemming the underlying mechanism of plaque formation. Curcumin's effects on psoriatic arthritis are untested, but it has shown promise in other types of inflammatory arthritis.
Considerations
Curcumin is poorly absorbed from your gastrointestinal tract. However, due to its promise as an anti-inflammatory agent, studies are being conducted to find ways to improve curcumin absorption. A 2008 study performed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine suggested that a daily 4.5 g oral dose of curcumin reduced psoriasis severity, but the small study group limited the statistical power of this trial. Topical applications of 1 percent curcumin gel improve the appearance of psoriasis plaques. Curcumin's long-term safety and potential for drug interactions have not yet been clarified. Ask your doctor if curcumin is appropriate for you.
References
- "American Family Physician"; Chronic Plaque Psoriasis; K.M. Luba, D.L. Stulberg; February 2006
- "The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 18th Edition: Psoriasis; Mark H. Beers, M.D., Editor-in-Chief; 2006
- "The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology"; Potential Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin, the Anti-inflammatory Agent, Against Neurodegenerative, Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, Metabolic, Autoimmune, and Neoplastic Diseases; B.B. Aggarwal, K.B. Harikumar; 2009
- "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology"; Oral Curcumin in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Vulgaris: A Prospective Clinical Trial; S.K. Kurd, et al.; April 2008
