HEALTH NEWS
Turmeric is the best of nature you will ever get. This superfood deserves all the attention in the world, and we will give you a few good reasons to use it more often.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. It gives this spice its bright yellow color and the amazing healing power. Turmeric offers over 600 health benefits. Can you believe it?
Make sure you use this magnificent spice more often. But, using turmeric isn’t as easy as it seems. These are a few things you should take into consideration.
The human body can’t absorb curcumin easily. Both animal and clinical studies have shown that curcumin levels in the blood are always low, regardless of the dose patients take.
The good news is that you can increase the bioavailability of turmeric:
Always use it with black pepper
Black pepper is an excellent medicine. It acts as an adjuvant, and you should definitely combine it with turmeric.
“If people are given a bunch of turmeric curcumin, within an hour there’s a little bump in the level in their bloodstream. We don’t see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. But what if the process is suppressed by taking just a quarter teaspoon’s worth of black pepper?
Then you see curcumin levels skyrocket. The same amount of curcumin consumed, but the bioavailability shoots up 2000%. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost levels.
And guess what a common ingredient in curry powder is beside turmeric? Black pepper,” explains experts at NutritionFacts.
Another study showed that piperine boosts the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. You can search for the results of this study under the title “Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers.”
Use your turmeric with healthy fat
Turmeric is fat-soluble, meaning it needs to be combined with healthy fat, like ghee, coconut, and olive oil. In this way, it goes directly to the bloodstream, and partially bypasses the liver.
“ This is very important because less curcumin is exposed to metabolic enzymes and remains in a free form allowing it to stay in the body longer,” Dr. Nibber explains.
Heat helps the body absorb turmeric
“The better way to take it, I feel, is to use it in your cooking very extensively. If you have any sauté, just sprinkle it in. The moment you heat oil and add turmeric to it, it now becomes completely bioavailable to you.”
“The potent ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which, despite its power, is not easily absorbed by the body without assistance. This is where the sauté pan and a little warm oil come into play. I use it [turmeric] in every sauté, just a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon is enough. But you don’t have to use it sparingly – use it lavishly,” says Dr. Sukumar.
Let’s sum up:
Always combine your turmeric with freshly ground black pepper to boost its bioavailability by 2000%.Add healthy fats like coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil heat up the mixture to activate its compounds
Here are the dosage guidelines, as provided by the University of Maryland Medical Center:
Dried, powdered root: 1-3g per dayFresh root: 1.5-3g per day
Turmeric is the best of nature you will ever get. This superfood deserves all the attention in the world, and we will give you a few good reasons to use it more often.
Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. It gives this spice its bright yellow color and the amazing healing power. Turmeric offers over 600 health benefits. Can you believe it?
Make sure you use this magnificent spice more often. But, using turmeric isn’t as easy as it seems. These are a few things you should take into consideration.
The human body can’t absorb curcumin easily. Both animal and clinical studies have shown that curcumin levels in the blood are always low, regardless of the dose patients take.
The good news is that you can increase the bioavailability of turmeric:
Always use it with black pepper
Black pepper is an excellent medicine. It acts as an adjuvant, and you should definitely combine it with turmeric.
“If people are given a bunch of turmeric curcumin, within an hour there’s a little bump in the level in their bloodstream. We don’t see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. But what if the process is suppressed by taking just a quarter teaspoon’s worth of black pepper?
Then you see curcumin levels skyrocket. The same amount of curcumin consumed, but the bioavailability shoots up 2000%. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost levels.
And guess what a common ingredient in curry powder is beside turmeric? Black pepper,” explains experts at NutritionFacts.
Another study showed that piperine boosts the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. You can search for the results of this study under the title “Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers.”
Use your turmeric with healthy fat
Turmeric is fat-soluble, meaning it needs to be combined with healthy fat, like ghee, coconut, and olive oil. In this way, it goes directly to the bloodstream, and partially bypasses the liver.
“ This is very important because less curcumin is exposed to metabolic enzymes and remains in a free form allowing it to stay in the body longer,” Dr. Nibber explains.
Heat helps the body absorb turmeric
“The better way to take it, I feel, is to use it in your cooking very extensively. If you have any sauté, just sprinkle it in. The moment you heat oil and add turmeric to it, it now becomes completely bioavailable to you.”
“The potent ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which, despite its power, is not easily absorbed by the body without assistance. This is where the sauté pan and a little warm oil come into play. I use it [turmeric] in every sauté, just a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon is enough. But you don’t have to use it sparingly – use it lavishly,” says Dr. Sukumar.
Let’s sum up:
Always combine your turmeric with freshly ground black pepper to boost its bioavailability by 2000%.Add healthy fats like coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil heat up the mixture to activate its compounds
Here are the dosage guidelines, as provided by the University of Maryland Medical Center:
Dried, powdered root: 1-3g per dayFresh root: 1.5-3g per day