The main polyphenol found in turmeric is actually curcumin. A review of study abstracts from the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE bibliographic database reveals over 600 possible health benefits of turmeric.
You already know that turmeric can improve your general health, but there are a few other things you should know.
Turmeric’s Key Nutrient Isn’t Easy To Absorb
You are already familiar with the active ingredient curcumin, but the problem is that it is difficult to absorb.
Various animal and clinical studies reveal that regardless of dosage size, the concetrations of curcumin in blood plasma, pheripheral tissues and urine, if detectable at all, are extremely low. So low absorption rate will not give you the health benefits of this medicinal food.
How To Skyrocket Turmeric’s Bioavailability?
Fortunately, there are simple kitchen strategies that you can use to boost turmeric’s bioavailability.
Turmeric needs to be combined with a fat since it is a fat-soluble in order for your body to fully absorb it and experience its amazing health benefits.
You can intake curcumin together with some healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut or ghee oil, and when taken in this way, curcumin can be directly absorbed into the blood stream through the lymphatic system, thereby in part bypassing the liver.
In this way, curcumin is less exposed to metabolic enzymes and remains in a free form allowing it to stay in the body longer.
Not only is black pepper a powerful medicine on its own but it can be also used as a turmeric adjuvant.
When we intake a bunch of turmeric curcumin, within an hour there’s a little bump in the level of the blood stream, but we cannot see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. You can skyrocket curcumin levels just by taking a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. The same amount of curcumin consumed, but the bioavailibility shoots up 2000%. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost levels.Besides turmeric, black pepper is also a common ingredient in a curry powder.
One study conducted on humans and animals discovered that by giving piperine together with curcumin to human subjects, the bioavailibility of curcumin increases for 2000%.
Dr. Sukumar explains: “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.”
“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.”
SUMMARY: To extract the optimum benefit when consuming turmeric as a medicine
Make sure to follow these three things in order to maximize the effectiveness of the turmeric you are consuming:
1. Activate turmeric with some cooking heat.
2. Boost turmeric’s absorption 2,000% by combining it with some freshly ground black pepper.
3. Skyrocket turmeric’s bioavailability and healing potential by mixing it with a healthy fat (such as coconut oil or ghee) some fresh ground black pepper and then gently cook cycle on medium low heat (never boil). Ghee has been used as a vehicle for medicine and as a medicine itself by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years.
Dosage guidelines according to the University of Maryland Medical Center
• Cut root: 1.5 – 3 g per day
• Dried, powdered root: 1 – 3 g per day