Favorite Home Remedies: Dozens of amazing treatments for over 45 common health conditions. With drug costs through the roof, why not give a home remedy a try? Only $12.95 +s/h
Guide to Home Remedies: Learn to make your own low-cost remedies at home for only $2
Print this page
Email a friend
Was this information helpful?
(0 votes)What do you think? Click "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" to vote!
If you have more to say, post a comment below!
Q. I know you have written about taking turmeric for psoriasis. My fingernails are falling out from this condition. I would like to try turmeric. Is it safe?A. There is growing interest in turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin for treating a variety of inflammatory conditions including psoriasis. One reader shared the following: “I had psoriasis on my feet and my hands so bad that I lost all the nails on my fingers. I went to doctor after doctor for my psoriasis but nothing worked.
“Then I saw your article on turmeric. I started to put it in my food and my coffee and within two weeks the psoriasis was better. Within three weeks, it was gone. My foot is no longer scaly and the nails on my hands grew back.
“I told the doctor about this but he didn't believe me. Thanks to you I have been free of psoriasis for six months.”
Not everyone will benefit as this reader did and there are cautions. Some people experience skin rash or liver enzyme elevations. Turmeric may also interact with Coumadin (warfarin) and increase the risk of bleeding. A new study shows that turmeric increases oxalate in the urine, so it may increase the risk of kidney stones in susceptible people (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May, 2008).
I read the article on turmeric and psoriasis. Bought some at GNC and have been on the toilet ever since. Psoriasis is still there.
Please elaborate on turmeric and increased bleeding. I do not take coumadin but I do have ITP (very low platelet count) for which I take prednisone. I have been taking cumurin 3X daily for inflammation. It was my understanding that turmeric had no high limit and would cause no problems.
Turmeric has done more for me than methotrexate, and I can get on a bus with a pregnant woman! I have had psoriasis since the age of 5 and am now 68. It is genetic from my mother's line.
I mixed turmeric with vaseline and applied it liberally to psoriasis on soles of the feet and fingers. It cleared it up completley. But it did stain the skin yellow--initially more than later as the rash got better.There is a preparation called Psoriagold available in the US which does the same. One can google it and the website from which to order it will appear. I used turmeric caps which I opened and used the powder inside. It worked so well.
In an admittedly short study (6 months) with a small number of participants (me) it appears that consuming tumeric has helped my sebhorreic dermatitis. A couple of concerns:
* I note that oxalate increased in urine according to one study. Yet I find no sources indicating that turmeric has a high oxalate content. Puzzling. Could it be that turmeric helps the kidneys rid the body of oxalate from other sources?
* Is turmeric known to have any blood-thinning effects of its own? Interaction with Coumadin is listed as an issue. I take a baby aspirin daily to accomplish a little bit of blood thinning. Any news on interaction with aspirin? If turmeric also does blood thinning, and I'm using it in quantity, I could do without the aspirin. Thanks in advance!
PEOPLE'S PHARMACY RESPONSE: THE OXALATE IN TURMERIC IS ESPECIALLY WELL ABSORBED.
WE DON'T KNOW IF TURMERIC WOULD INTERACT WITH ASPIRIN. WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY REPORTS TO THAT EFFECT.
I have used turmeric with great success as far as an anti inflammatory and weight loss, but it always raises my liver levels. I've decreased the dosage and how often I take it but my levels raise again. Is there anything else I could take that would be safer for me?