Benefits of Taking Curcumin with Black Pepper
Most people focus on eating the right foods without paying attention to whether the most important ingredients in that food are fully absorbed in the body. Ever wondered why it is always recommended to take curcumin with black pepper? Curcumin, which most people refer to as turmeric, when taken with black pepper can benefit the body more. Before we even get to why you should be taking your turmeric with black pepper, let’s look at the main health benefits of turmeric.
Proven health benefits of turmeric (curcumin)
For many years, turmeric has been used as a spice and medicinal herb because it contains active compounds with strong medicinal properties. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcuminoids, which is what most people refer to as curcumin. This compound has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Because turmeric can be used to fight chronic inflammation, it’s used to treat conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancers. Some scientists have even suggested that curcumin is more powerful than some anti-inflammatory drugs because it fights inflammation at the molecular level.
Curcumin is also believed to lower your risk of heart disease. It does this by boosting the function of the endothelium, the lining of the body’s blood vessels. This keeps you from the risk of blood pressure, blood clot formation and other risk factors. The same active ingredient can help prevent, and sometimes even treat various cancers. Curcumin is linked to help in reducing the spread of cancer and also killing of the cancerous cells.
Are you getting all these benefits?
Using turmeric on your diet is important but you need to combine it with an absorption enhancer like black pepper. When you take curcumin with black pepper, you help to ensure that adequate curcumin is absorbed into the bloodstream. This is because black pepper contains an active ingredient known as piperine. Piperine is a natural substance which works by boosting the level of curcumin that is absorbed in blood.
Some people prefer to swallow some black pepper capsules along with the curcumin supplement in order to enhance absorption. Bear in mind that curcumin is fat soluble. This means that you should combine it with a fat soluble meal in order to get the most benefits. You may also want to consider taking turmeric with black pepper capsules in order to get the most of the active ingredients present in both herbs. The idea is to ensure that your body benefits the most so that you are not just enjoying the flavor in your food.
Author Bio:
Maggie Martin is very passionate about healthy living and have been writing some great and informative blogs about Food and Healthy Lifestyles. Follow her on Twitter @maggiemartink