People’s Pharmacy: Curry may soothe psoriasis

The Buffalo News
Joe and Teresa Graedon
Thursday, October 22, 2009

Back in the dim days of black-and- white television, one over-the-counter product that was frequently advertised claimed to help “the heartbreak of psoriasis.” The phrase is no longer heard in commercials, but the heartbreak is still there.

For reasons that are still somewhat mysterious, an inflammatory immune reaction triggers rapid skin-cell turnover in some people. This results in reddish raised plaques with silvery scales.

Knees and elbows are common hot spots, but plaques of psoriasis may develop on the scalp, back, genitals or other places on the body.

There are many treatments, but there is no cure. And surprisingly, some medications may actually trigger a psoriasis outbreak or make an existing situation worse. Powerful immune-system modulating drugs like Enbrel and Remicade used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can set off a new attack of psoriasis. Paradoxically, such drugs are sometimes prescribed for hard-to- treat psoriasis cases.

People with psoriasis often receive a smorgasbord of therapies. Moisturizers, coal tar creams and topical steroids are cornerstones of treatment. Light therapy (PUVA) also can help, and in tougher cases, oral medications like methotrexate are frequently added to the regimen.

Patients sometimes get frustrated with the cost or the complications of standard therapies. That’s why we often hear from readers who have experimented with alternatives:

“In 2007, I developed psoriasis on about 30 percent of my body. I felt overwhelmed at the age of 47.

“My internist was open-minded when I told him I did not want drugs making my condition worse. Nothing he did helped.

“My psoriasis was painful, with raised and flaky patches. He wanted to try steroids and lots of other drugs. I said no and tried turmeric and bromelain three times a day.

“Within a short time, all my psoriasis was gone. I was tested to make sure I had psoriasis, and it was confirmed both before and after I took turmeric that I had psoriasis.

“The doctor was shocked, and now this is what he uses first on his patients with psoriasis. I only need to take turmeric once or twice a week now.”

Not everyone will benefit so dramatically, and many may get no response. Some readers have reported that the effects of turmeric eventually wear off.

There is science to support this natural approach (Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, February 2009). There are, however, some potential side effects to this remedy.

Turmeric is generally considered safe, since it is a spice commonly used in Indian cooking. It is the yellow spice in curry and also is part of the formula for yellow mustard. Nonetheless, some people develop allergies to this spice. When used medicinally, it may affect liver enzymes. If they begin to rise, turmeric should be discontinued.

We also are concerned about the potential for interaction with anticoagulants such as warfarin (Coumadin). Several readers have reported a dramatic increase in INR (a measure of blood clotting) when they started taking turmeric as well as warfarin. This could lead to a dangerous or even lethal bleeding episode, so no one on warfarin should take turmeric or its active ingredient curcumin.

Turmeric Fights Body Fat

Natural News
David Gutierrez
Friday, August 14, 2009

A diet high in turmeric may help reduce weight gain by suppressing the growth of new fat tissue, according to a study conducted by researchers from Tufts University and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a grant from the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.

“Weight gain is the result of the growth and expansion of fat tissue, which cannot happen unless new blood vessels form, a process known as angiogenesis,” senior author Mohsen Meydani said. “Based on our data, curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice fed high fat diets.”

Curcumin is an antioxidant chemical in the polyphenol family that naturally occurs in turmeric. In contrast to some phytochemicals, it is easily absorbed by the body.

Researchers fed two groups of mice identical high-fat diets, supplementing the diets of the half the mice with 500 milligrams of curcumin per kilogram of body weight per day. They found that mice in the curcumin group had significantly lower blood cholesterol and significantly less microvessel density in fat tissue than the mice in the control group, implying less blood vessel growth and thus less overall growth of fat tissue. The livers of mice in the curcumin group also contained significantly less fat than those of the mice in the control group.

“In general, angiogenesis and an accumulation of lipids in fat cells contribute to fat tissue growth,” Meydani said.

The researcher also noted that “curcumin appeared to be responsible for total lower body fat in the group that received supplementation.”

In a similar study conducted on cells rather than animals, the researchers also found curcumin to suppress angiogenesis. The chemical also appeared to suppress the expression of two genes linked to angiogenesis in both the mouse and cell experiments.