A DYNAMIC DUO NO FURTHER THAN YOUR PANTRY
Both Turmeric and Black pepper have medicinal qualities separately, however when mixed together, it has been discovered they have a secret weapon. (It is interesting that they appear together in curries).
The health benefits of any herb or food that has medicinal qualities is based firstly on its key active ingredients and then how the body metabolizes them.
Let's look at the separate benefits of these stars before we look at how they work together.
BENEFITS OF TURMERIC
Let's look at the separate benefits of these stars before we look at how they work together.
5% of Turmeric is the active ingredient Curcumin. As it is a polyphenol, it offers many health benefits:
- NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: powerful for so many conditions including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and metabolic syndromes.
- INFECTION FIGHTER: anti-fungal, anti-bacterial.
- BRAIN FUNCTION ENHANCEMENT: boosts levels of the brain hormone BDNF, this increases new neuron growth in the brain assisting in various degenerative brain processes; Anti-depressant, increased serotonin leading to cognitive enhancement.
- ENHANCES ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY OF THE BODY: Stimulates the body's own antioxidant enzymes. Blocks oxidative stress; blocks the action of free-radicals as they interact with important DNA, proteins and fatty acids.
BENEFITS OF BLACK PEPPER
The key active ingredient in Black pepper (Piper nigrum) is Piperine. This ingredient is well known in Ayurvedic traditions as it has many restorative and medicinal properties for a broad array of conditions.
The health benefits are:
- BRAIN FUNCTION ENHANCEMENT: increases beta-endorphins, (anti-depressive), increasing serotonin production leading to cognitive enhancement.
- DIGESTION: Piperine simulates the pancreatic digestive enzymes, and enhances digestive processes. It also reduces time that food takes to pass through the gastrointestinal system by aiding digestive tract contractions, offering benefits for colon cancer. It also reducing stomach acid production, leading to a decrease in proliferation of stomach ulcers.
- OXIDATIVE STRESS: Piperine helps with the stimulation of antioxidants having an effect on cellular stress which leads to ageing.
- SKIN: stimulates melanin production.
- PAIN AND ASTHMA: helpful for reducing symptoms.
HOW DO TURMERIC AND BLACK PEPPER WORK TOGETHER?
So the interest in black pepper is that Piperine can turn an effective therapeutic substance into a dynamic one by increasing its bioavailability by slowing down the metabolizing time in the liver. This allows the body to use the nutritional substances on a cellular level as the slowing down allows the metabolism to stay longer in the target cells so that they have the time to be absorbed rather than pass through before this happens. Piperine can increase the bioavailability of Curcumin by a factor of twenty-fold (2000%).
HOW TO INCREASE YOUR INTAKE.
Piperine is generally consumed as black pepper. Adding black pepper to all raw and cooked foods, fresh juices or smoothies is a good way to increase nutrient absorption. Curcumin is also fat soluble so it is good to eat it with healthy fats. Piperine is very similar to the effect of Capsaicin in chilli, which also offers many health benefits. The great thing about these ingredients is that they are available and used as a functional food.
An easy way to start the day is to add some pepper into your morning smoothie with Passion Projects Complex Green superfood powder, which features organic Curcumin.