Why Turmeric And Black Pepper Are A Powerful Combo

If you’re interested in turmeric for its associated health benefits, then you’re going to want to listen up! 

It’s all well and good adding turmeric spice to your meals or taking a curcumin supplement, but for maximum health benefits, you need to know about a bioactive compound called piperine. 

What Is Piperine? 

Piperine is an alkaloid and is the compound responsible for giving black pepper its pungency. In its own right, it has been found to help reduce nausea, relieve headaches and improve digestion, but the magic happens when it is eaten with turmeric or curcumin. 

Why Is Black Pepper And Turmeric A Powerful Combo?

The reason why black pepper and turmeric make a powerful combination is that the piperine in black pepper helps the body to absorb more curcumin - the active ingredient in turmeric.

Without piperine present, our bodies struggle to absorb curcumin, which means that we could be missing out on many of its associated benefits. Just a small amount of piperine is enough to improve the absorption of curcumin by up to 2000%, ensuring that our bodies are able to get the most out of the turmeric and curcumin we consume. 

How Does Piperine Improve The Absorption Of Curcumin?

Scientists are still researching the relationship between curcumin and piperine. Currently, there are two theories about how piperine improves the absorbency of curcumin, they are:

• Piperine helps curcumin molecules to pass through the intestinal wall and enter the bloodstream. Without piperine, many curcumin molecules remain in the digestive system and pass through the body without providing any benefits. 
• Piperine slows the breakdown of curcumin by the liver. This allows curcumin levels to build up in the bloodstream and gives them more time to perform their health-benefits.  

Taking Turmeric And Black Pepper Together 

By adding a pinch of black pepper to your dinner whenever you add turmeric or purchasing curcumin supplements blended with black pepper or piperine isolate, you can help to ensure your body is able to absorb the maximum amount of curcumin. Of course, taking these two spices together isn’t compulsory, but it is recommended if you’re looking to reap the most reward. To make things easier for yourself in the kitchen, you may want to keep your ground black pepper and turmeric close to one another, or you could create a black pepper and turmeric spice blend by mixing turmeric spice and black pepper together at a ratio of 4:1. This is the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of turmeric for every ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.