Although turmeric is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it can be hard to get these benefits.
You have likely heard about the many purported health benefits of turmeric, but did you know that you should combine it with black pepper if you’re taking it as a supplement? In this blog, we take a look at why this is important.
WHAT IS TURMERIC?
Turmeric is a spice that is made from the turmeric plant and is commonly used to add flavour and colour to curries and other dishes. It has a warm and bitter taste. Turmeric is also widely believed to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Since a small amount of turmeric eaten in a curry every so often is unlikely to offer the desired benefits, many choose to take turmeric supplements to maintain their health.
WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE TURMERIC WITH BLACK PEPPER?
Although turmeric is thought to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it can be hard to get these benefits. Curcumin is the primary active component in turmeric – this is what gives the spice its yellow colour and it can be credited with providing its potential health benefits.
However, curcumin doesn’t absorb into the bloodstream easily and therefore relies on methods of increasing its bioavailability. This is the primary reason why you should take turmeric with black pepper.
Black pepper contains a compound called piperine that helps to increase the rate at which turmeric is absorbed by the body. In fact, research shows that piperine can increase the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. It is not necessary to take turmeric with black pepper but it can help if you are taking turmeric for health reasons.
One of the simplest ways to combine turmeric and black pepper (or their key ingredients curcumin and piperine) is in a nutritional supplement which already includes measured doses of both. This is a supplement we often manufacture here at RAIN Nutrience, as you can see from our sample product menu.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF COMBINING TURMERIC WITH BLACK PEPPER?
FIGHTS INFLAMMATION
As we mentioned earlier, turmeric is thought to have strong anti-inflammatory properties which could help to benefit a range of conditions in which chronic inflammation plays a role. The conditions linked to inflammation include arthritis, heart disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. We don’t know whether turmeric can definitely benefit conditions like these and more research needs to be done, but research does show it has powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
INCREASES ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF YOUR BODY
Oxidative damage is thought to be linked to ageing, as well as a number of different diseases that are associated with ageing. Antioxidants can be beneficial to your body because they neutralize free radicals which can cause cell damage. Turmeric is thought to have antioxidant properties and so could potentially be effective in this way.
We hope this explainer on why you should take turmeric with black pepper in some format has been useful. If you have any more questions, you are welcome to get in touch, or you can take a look at the services we offer.