Pepper and Turmeric and Curcumin

Pepper and Turmeric and Curcumin: Spicy Spices

Black Pepper. Turmeric. Curcumin. Just spices? Not at all! Black pepper and turmeric have lengthy histories as flavorings and medicines.  They are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer.

The spices black pepper (peperine) and turmeric (curcumin and curcuminoids) work well together. Piperine is found to have immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-asthmatic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, and anti-amoebic properties. (4) Curcumin and other curcuminoids – chemical compounds in turmeric – present natural benefits like being anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Black pepper – similar to capsaicin – boosts the power of turmeric. Adding black pepper (piper nigrum L.) to curcumin enhances the bioavailability of curcumin. (5) Curcumin is not very bioavailable, so black pepper allows it to be absorbed better.  One study reports that when 2 grams of curcumin are taken alone, serum levels remain low. If it is taken with 2mg of black pepper, curcumin’s absorbability rose 2000%! Together, black pepper and turmeric offer to control obesity, high cholesterol and diabetes; alleviate peptic ulcers (by preventing H-pylori bacteria growth); avert some cancers, reduce pain even possibly neuropathic pain (by starting transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1); and alleviate inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and the like). (2)

Some of the most amazing research on the value of spices like black pepper and turmeric point to their effects on prevention and treatment of cancers. Lung, liver, breast, stomach, colorectal, cervix and prostate cancers seem to respond well to black pepper, turmeric, black cumin, ginger, garlic, saffron and chili pepper. These spices have bioactive compounds – curcumin, thymoquinone, piperine, capsaicin - that promote cell death, halt tumor creation, movement and attack, and sensitize tumors to radiation and chemotherapy treatments. (3)

Precautions:  As good as the combination of black pepper and curcumin and turmeric is, don’t go overboard! If you take certain medications like dignoxin or phenytoin, don’t take more than 1 teaspoon (5000 mg) of pepper a day. That would be a lot of pepper! Always be safe. Ask your prescribing doctor about your medications and taking any new supplement.

References for Pepper and Turmeric and Curcumin