Benefits of turmeric supplementation for skin health in chronic diseases: a systematic review

The skin is a physical barrier that protects the body from the external environment. Through its immune system, it limits the attack of environmental threats. Unregulated immune reactions, however, can cause chronic inflammatory skin diseases, requiring that effective treatment routes be sought. Turmeric, a root originated from Southeast Asia, has a number of therapeutic benefits, including anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effects of turmeric oral supplementation in the treatment of chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, clinical studies examining the relationship between turmeric, curcumin, and skin health in humans until September 2019 were systematically searched. Evidence analysis were performed using robust tools to evaluate the risk of bias (RoB 2.0), (ROBINS-I) and methodological quality (GRADE) of the included studies. A total of eleven studies were included. The skin conditions examined include psoriasis, pruritus, oral lichen planus, facial redness, as well as types of skin cancers. Overall, therapeutic benefits for skin health have been observed through oral turmeric supplementation. The current published studies, nevertheless, are limited, requiring continuity and improvement in the intervention methodology employed.

Keywords: Curcumin; curcuminoids; humans; oral supplementation; skin diseases; systematic review.