Turmeric is a spice whose yellow pigment lends its hue to a host of recipes. It is especially prevalent in Indian cuisine, where its pungent aroma and warm, bitter flavor complement a multitude of curry dishes. It may surprise you to learn that this spice, so often associated with fiery cuisine, has been proposed as a way to douse the inflammation associated with so many diseases. Psoriasis is one such condition, and scientific trials are underway to discern the effects of turmeric on this inflammatory skin disease. Consult your doctor before using turmeric for psoriasis.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is persistent, disfiguring and, unfortunately, quite common, according to the Mayo Clinic. It varies in its severity from person to person -- some may see it as a minor irritation, while others can experience bacterial skin infections, electrolyte imbalances and crippling depression due to their condition. The cause of psoriasis is unknown, but its effects are well documented: red scaly patches of skin that itch and burn. Patches of psoriasis can crack and bleed and be accompanied by thick ridged finger and toenails and swollen stiff joints. Traditional treatments include topical corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, moisturizers, coal tar and salicylic acid. Light therapy is sometimes helpful, and oral or injected medications are also sometime used, but their severe side effects drive the search for other alternatives, such as turmeric and curcumin.
Turmeric
Turmeric has a long history of use in both culinary and medicinal applications. For 4,000 years, practitioners of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine have used turmeric to fight inflammation throughout the body. Turmeric is derived from the dried roots of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to Southern Asia. According to MedlinePlus, some people apply turmeric directly to the skin to treat a number of conditions, such as inflammation, a key characteristic of psoriasis. The American Cancer Society states that salves or pastes made from turmeric are also applied topically, but warns that there is no standardized dosage for turmeric.
Curcumin
Curcumin is the active ingredient in the use of turmeric as a medicine. The journal "Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences" states that it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and chemopreventive properties that make it beneficial in health-related applications. One of the most positive aspects of curcumin as a medicine is that it is non-toxic.
Research
Though the medicinal use of turmeric has been going on for several millennia, research supporting its use is in its infancy. Clinical trials on the use of curcumin as a psoriasis treatment have been ongoing since 2008, according to "Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences," and those suffering through the heartbreak of psoriasis eagerly await results.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Turmeric
- MayoClinic.com: Psoriasis
- "Cellular and Molecular LIfe Sciences"; Curcumin: From Ancient Medicine to Current Clinical Trials; H. Hatcher, et al.; June 2008
- "Journal of Drugs and Dermatology"; Innovations in Natural Ingredients and Their Use in Skin Care"; J.F. Fowler, et al.; June 2010
- MedlinePlus: Turmeric
- American Cancer Society: Turmeric
