Geridoc

Geriatrician, Hospitalist, Patient Advocate, Healthcare Educator

Black Pepper Improves the Bioavailability of Turmeric

Photo by Valentin Balan

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the ginger family and has been in India for thousands of years as a spice. Turmeric has many compounds with medicinal properties called curcuminoids with one important being curcumin which is the main active ingredient in turmeric and gives it the bright orange and yellow color.

The health benefits of turmeric and curcumin include:

  • Antioxidant properties-reduces free radicals and protects cells against oxidative damage
  • Reduces inflammation-makes it beneficial for joint pain, osteoarthritis, and exercise induced muscle soreness
  • Supports heart health improving the function of the lining of blood vessels and reducing risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome
  • Blood sugar management-improves insulin sensitivity
  • Helps with brain function-may increase Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor(BDNF), potentially delaying age-related brain diseases and improving cognition

Now the benefits of turmeric sound great, but the issue is curcumin has poor absorption so even consuming turmeric in your food may not give you these health benefits.

The reason for poor absorption of curcumin are:

  • Poor absorption-curcumin struggles to cross cell membranes in the intestine limiting how much enters the blood stream
  • Rapid metabolism-the liver treats curcumin as a toxin and quickly breaks it down before it can circulate
  • Fast elimination-at a cellular level, cells actively push foreign compounds out of cells including curcumin

Here are some tips to obtain turmeric benefits:

  • Add black pepper Studies have shown adding black pepper which contains piperine slows down the metabolic breakdown of curcumin in the liver and delays digestive enzymes allowing curcumin to be utilized. Some studies have even shown that a pinch of black pepper can increase curcumin’s bioavailability by 2000%.
  • Combine with a healthy fat Curcumin is fat-soluble, so pairing turmeric and black pepper with a healthy fat such as olive oil, avocado, full fat milk allows the curcumin to bypass the liver entirely and absorbs into the blood stream. Take turmeric with meals that contain fat for better absorption.
  • Heat activation -Gentle heating of turmeric in cooking may enhance it’s bioactive properties

Looking for high-quality turmeric and black pepper? Check out my curated Amazon Spice Essentials List to stock your pantry!