Turmeric, with its renowned anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, seems to improve a number of skin conditions when taken topically or orally, concludes a review of clinical studies published in Phytotherapy. Researchers at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, and the University of California, Sacramento, selected the 10 strongest clinical studies on turmeric out of 234 published. They concluded that this spice, with its active ingredient curcumin, was effective in treating acne, oral lichen planus (mouth inflammation), pruritus (itchy skin), psoriasis, radiodermatitis (a side effect of radiation treatment), diabetic microangiopathy (bleeding of small blood vessels) and diabetic edema (swelling). Studies on other skin conditions were either inconsistent or ineffective, the report concluded.

This article appears in the August 2018 issue of Natural Awakenings.