Black Pepper & Turmeric Benefits
We knows that both Turmeric and Black Pepper carries several medical benefits such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, and many others. This is mostly attributed by the compounds of curcumin and piperine that are formed in turmeric and black pepper.
Curcumin Research
Turmeric contains curcuminoids, which are bioactive compounds, and curcumin is one of these curcuminoid compounds. Research suggests that curcumin can help in the management of oxidative and inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, arthritis, anxiety, and hyper lipidaemia. It may also help in the management of exercise-induced inflammation and muscle soreness, thus enhancing recovery and subsequent performance in active people.
Piperine is the alkaloid responsible for the pungency of black pepper. Piperine has many pharmacological effects and several health benefits, especially against chronic diseases, such as reduction of insulin-resistance, anti-inflammatory effects, and improvement of hepatic steatosis.
At Entropy, we have purposely combined the ingredients of turmeric with black pepper in our Kraton Asli jamu concoctions. There are several good reasons why this is done which is backed by scientific studies. The reasons outlined below will provide you good understanding of why these two ingredients should be combined before you ingest them.
1. Piperine Increases Curcumin Absorption by 2000%
Although the curcumin found in turmeric has several powerful health benefits, it isn’t able to absorb into your bloodstream very well. Your body will start to phase it out of your system before you can get the full benefits of this supplement if you try to ingest it on its own.
This is where black pepper comes in. It is easily absorbed by your body, and it creates a buffer that stops your body from breaking down the curcumin as quickly as it does. (1) It also helps your body absorb more of the curcumin and turmeric, and studies show that it can actually increase the absorption levels by 2,000%. (2) There are two main theories about how this works.
- Piperine has sedative and muscle relaxant properties, and this extends to your intestinal muscles. (3) As it causes your muscles to relax, they start to allow the larger curcumin molecules to pass through into your body. Once it gets past the intestinal wall, your body can take longer to absorb the nutrients.
- Your liver is the organ that works hard to rid your body of any toxins or leftover residue from the food you eat or the various processes that go on in your body. Unfortunately, it may start this process far too quickly with curcumin. Piperine slows this process down, and it gives your body more time to absorb the curcumin. (4)
2. This Combination Rivals Pharmaceutical Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Although both turmeric and black pepper have powerful properties on their own, combining them may actually enhance these properties, so they’re on par with common anti-inflammatory drugs. This allows you to get all of the benefits of the drugs without having to worry about the side effects.
The piperine can reduce the amount of pain and inflammation that comes with arthritis. However, the curcumin found in turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that may prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. (5) So, when you combine these two supplements, you could potentially get an arthritis treatment that is as effective as traditional over the counter medications.
3. This Combination Provides Another Option in the Battle Against Cancer
Combining turmeric and black pepper has several anti-cancer properties. Studies showed that this combination interrupted the self-renewal and growth process of breast cancer cells. (6) Additionally, curcumin and piperine work to kill cancer cells for various types of cancer including colorectal, breast, prostate, pancreatic and leukaemia. (7)
Other studies showed that combining turmeric and black pepper extracts can help to protect your healthy tissue and cells from damage due to radiation and other cancer treatments. (8) In turn, this can reduce your healing time and complication risk.
4. The Combination Rivals Diabetic Pharmaceuticals
In 2009, Biochemistry and Biophysical Research Communications published a study that found that curcumin can be up to 400 times more potent than the leading diabetes drug metformin when it comes to activating the AMPK enzyme. (9) Other research showed that when you combine turmeric and black pepper extracts, they work in tandem as antiglycation agents. (10) This means that the combination of these two supplements can help you improve your overall glucose control.
5. Combining Turmeric and Black Pepper Promotes Liver Health
Your liver plays a vital role in your body. (11) It helps to filter out all of the toxins, and it stimulates your cells to produce more enzymes. Turmeric is an excellent supplement for liver detoxification. It increases the overall bile production and lowers cholesterol levels so your liver can work at a peak function. (12)
Piperine increases the absorption level of nutrients in your body, and this includes your liver. When you combine the two, it helps turmeric increase the absorption levels of glutathione while shielding the liver from toxin damage. (13) Glutathione adds another layer of protection because it protects your liver at a cellular level.
The Best Ratio of Turmeric to Black Pepper
Black pepper is what activates turmeric, but there is a lot of conflicting information available on what the best ratio of turmeric to black pepper is. It depends heavily on what your motivation is for taking the supplements in the first place. However, a good rule of thumb is generally 1/4 of a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder. This works out to roughly 1:4 for a ratio. This ratio will vary depending on the freshness of your ingredients and what you want to use them for. However, the 1:4 ratio is a good starting point and baseline.
The Best Ratio of Curcumin to Piperine
This ratio is slightly more complex because only a certain percentage of turmeric and black pepper contains curcumin and piperine. To add to the complexity, the ratio differs from spice to spice and what benefits you’re trying to get from it.
For example, the average curcumin content in turmeric ranges between 4% and 7%, and the piperine content in black pepper ranges between 2% and 7%. (14) (15) However, a good baseline ratio of curcumin to piperine is 100:1. This works out to around 1.5 teaspoons of black pepper powder to half of a cup of turmeric. You may want to start smaller and work your way up to larger doses.
Final Thoughts on Turmeric and Black Pepper
By now, you should have a good understanding of turmeric and black pepper. Our overview of what they are and their important active ingredients along with our science-backed benefits should give you all of the knowledge you need to decide if these supplements are a good choice for your lifestyle.
Extracts of content: originally published by “happy mammoth blog” on September 15, 2018 and updated on May 13, 2022 (https://happymammoth.com/blogs/happy-blog/turmeric-and-black-pepper)
