05/02/2025
At last weekend's wellness expo, I was asked about Turmeric and Pepper, so I did a little investigative work...
"Is it true that you miss our on all of turmeric's benefits if you don't consume it with pepper?"
First - a bit about each
Turmeric: This spice contains curcumin, which is a polyphenol that demonstrates anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties. You've more than likely heard about it's anti-inflammatory effects in regards to join pain.
Black Pepper: Pepper contains piperine, which is known to help reduce nausea, headaches, and is also anti-inflammatory
But why are they supposed to go together?
Unfortunately, curcumin isn't absorbed particularly well on its own. And without that, it's possible that we could be missing out on it's health benefits. HOWEVER - adding piperine to the mix can help mitigate this fact. Research has actually shown that when piperine is present with curcumin, absorption of the curcumin increases 2000%.
But why this? There are currently two theories:
1. Piperine makes it easier for curcumin to be absorbed through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream
2. Piperine might inhibit the liver's breakdown of curcumin, thus preserving the amount in the bloodstream
This explains why most "golden tea" recipes call for a dash of black pepper!
Now, while they've found that the presence of piperine increases the absorption of curcumin significantly, it doesn't necessarily mean that curcumin doesn't get absorbed at all otherwise, but only about 2-3% of what is consumed actually makes it to the bloodstream on its own.
So if we math it out:
Turmeric alone: 2-3% absorbed
Turmeric + Pepper: 42-63% absorbed
So not only are those two spices great together for culinary reasons, but also for improved health benefits as well!
