Improve Absorption of Turmeric [by more than 2000%]

Turmeric is scientifically called Curcuma longa. It is a rhizome, kind of herb of the ginger family.

Turmeric is bitter in taste with a slight evocative fragrance of orange and ginger.

It is one of the major ingredients of the Indian curries. It is derived from the root of the plant and has a brown upper covering and orange colored flesh.

It was also known as “Indian saffron” because of its orange-yellow color. It has been used for quite a long time for medicinal purposes.

A few things about turmeric

(if you know this, please skip this section) 

Turmeric is generally habituated in tropical regions of India like Tamilnadu because it requires 20-30 ®C temperature range for growth and an ample amount of rainfall.

The nutritive quality of turmeric is due to its constituents. Turmeric has Manganese, Iron, Vitamin B6, Fiber, copper, potassium, etc.

Thus the nutritional value of turmeric is quite high. Turmeric is being used for the treatment of inflammatory and bowel diseases for quite a long time.

Turmeric is used as an ingredient in curry, as a healing agent and used for textile dyeing purposes.

Curcumin is the most active constituent of turmeric (3-4%curcumin, depends on the species, growth stage and cultivation area of the spice) and it has been shown to exhibits anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric has been found to exhibit many therapeutic properties and hence is being used for centuries in the traditional Indian or Ayurvedic medicines.

Turmeric has been discovered to have anti-cancerous properties.

Also, turmeric is being used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as tendinitis, liver cirrhosis, Alzheimer’s disease and many other digestive and blood-related problems.

It has other significant properties like anti-bacterial, liver, and kidney protective nature, blood clot suppressing property and also helps in the prevention of heart attack and hypoglycemia.

What is Absorption / Bioavailability of turmeric?

Many studies have shown that turmeric is safe even at a higher dosage.

The efficacy of turmeric has also been proved by many clinical studies. This efficacy and safety make turmeric a potent compound for the treatment of wide range of human diseases.

Besides all these reasons turmeric has not yet been officially declared as a therapeutic agent and the major reason behind this is the relatively low absorption/bioavailability of turmeric.

The reason behind the low availability of an agent within the body is its low indwelling activity, inactivity of a metabolic compound or its rapid removal from the body.

Studies rule out the first option of low intrinsic activity of turmeric. Turmeric’s efficacy and strong activity have helped in its establishment as a therapeutic component in the treatment of many ailments.

However studies regarding absorption, transportation, assimilation and elimination of curcumin have revealed low absorption and its rapid metabolism which leads to relatively low bio-availability of turmeric.

Why turmeric has low absorption/bioavailability?

The major factors that affect the absorption/bio-availability of turmeric are sorted below

  • Serum concentration
  • Tissue distributions
  • Rapid metabolism
  • Short half-life

Serum concentrationshow to improve turmeric bioavailability

One of the major considerations in the study of curcumin involves low serum levels.

The very first study reported related to the uptake, assimilation, and excretion of curcumin was by Whalstrom and Blennow in 1978 using rats.

In their studies, they showed poor absorption of curcumin from the gut. When 1g/kg of curcumin was administered orally in the rats only negligible amount of curcumin was found in their blood plasma.

Again in 1980, Ravindranath et al showed that when only 400 mg of curcumin was ingested by the rat, no trace of curcumin was found in the heart blood while only a small trace was found in the portal blood within 15 min to 24 hours of administration.

In a very recent study, Yang et al showed that administration of 10 mg/kg of curcumin results in only 0.36 µg/ml of curcumin in the blood serum.

These studies show that the route of administration has a role to play in the metabolism of turmeric. Also, the absorption of curcumin is a major factor responsible for low bio-availability of turmeric.

Tissue distribution 

Ingestion and distribution of curcumin to various tissues of the body is actively responsible for its bio-availability. But this topic has not got the attention of the scientists studying the bio-availability of turmeric.

Studies of Ravindranath revealed that only a trace amount of curcumin was present in the stomach and intestine. Many other studies in this field have shown that even higher dosage of curcumin does not increase the absorption of curcumin as well as its distributions.

Metabolites

The liver is a major organ involved in the metabolism of curcumin. After absorption curcumin undergoes conjugations like sulfation and glucuronidation.

When metabolized in the liver, the major metabolic product of curcumin are glucuronides of Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and Hexahydrocurcumin (HHC). Most of the studies have shown that these metabolites are actually less active as compared to Curcumin itself. So when metabolized the activity of curcumin seems to be lost.

Half-life

Systemic excretion of curcumin from the body is also a major factor responsible for its activity.

Studies by Whalstrom and Blennow showed that when 1g/kg curcumin was ingested by the rat, around 75% of the curcumin was excreted and only a trace amount was found in the urine.

Thus low half-life of curcumin decreases its activity in the body. There is not much information about the half-life of curcumin has an important role to play in its biological activity. But still, it is a topic to be concentrated on in the future.

how to improve turmeric absoption in body

How can turmeric’s Low bioavailability be addressed?

These are the problems causing the low availability of curcumin. But some of these problems can be solved using various ways listed below

  • Adjuvants
  • Nanoparticles
  • Liposomes, phospholipids, and micelles

Adjuvants

Adjuvants generally improve the bio-availability of curcumin by blocking its metabolic pathway. Shoba et al combined Piperine which has the property to inhibit glucuronidation in the liver and intestine, then administered it to the rats and healthy humans.

In rats when 2g/kg of only curcumin was administered, 1.35 µg/ml of curcumin was found in the blood serum.

But when it was administered in combination with piperine (20mg/kg), the serum level was increased, the time required to reach the peak level also increased, elimination and half-life were decreased reasonably.

Bio-availability of curcumin was increased up to 154%.

In humans when 2g curcumin was administered, the serum concentration was found to be either very low or was undetectable.

Curcumin combined with piperine introduced in the humans, resulted in 2000% increased bio-availability.

Thus the effect of the introduction of piperine is much more significant in humans than in rats. The effect of piperine on tissue uptake has also been shown in many studies.

Piperine is one such agent used. There are many other adjuvants that can be used to serve this purpose like genistein. Thus all these studies have shown that curcumin activity can be modulated both at cellular and organismic levels.

Read a detailed article on benefits of black pepper and turmeric here>

Nanoparticles

Recently nanoparticles are being used as targeted and triggered drug delivery mechanisms.

These nanoparticles have also emerged as solutions for the bio-availability of certain therapeutic agents. Curcumin is hydrophobic in nature and the solubility in aqueous solutions arises a problem.

Nanoparticles can be used to serve such purposes in a recent study by Bish et al polymer-based nanoparticles with size less than 100 nm have been synthesized named “nanocurcumin”. Nanocurcumin has been found to have a similar biological activity as that of free curcumin.

It has the same anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as the free curcumin has. There haven’t been much studies related to nanocurcumin increasing the efficacy of curcumin.

But solid lipid nanoparticles when loaded with curcuminoids are found to be stable and release curcumin for 12 hours. Research work is going on to study the role of nanoparticles in increasing the efficacy of curcumin.

Read detailed article on nanocurcumin here>

Phospholipids, micelles, and liposomes

Liposomes are nice drug delivery systems as they have the ability to carry both hydrophobic as well as hydrophilic molecules.

Li et al studies revealed that liposomal curcumin has an anti-tumor property for human pancreatic tumor cells. It prevents the growth of pancreatic tumor cells and also has anti-angiogenic properties.

Evaluation of the exact efficacy of liposomal curcumin over the free curcumin is still under process. The liposomal carrier has more loading capacity of curcumin and also plays a great role in increasing the bioavailability of curcumin.

Micelles and phospholipid complexes increase the absorption of drugs from the gastrointestinal tracts resulting in higher blood plasma concentration and lower elimination and thus increasing the bioavailability.

Many studies suggest that the absorption of curcumin increases from 47% to 56% when it is present in the micelles. Ma et al studied that the half-life of polymeric micellar curcumin is 60 folds higher than free curcumin.

In a study by Liu et al, curcumin (100 mg/kg) and curcumin-phospholipid complex (corresponding to 100 mg/kg) were administered in rats.

Curcumin-phospholipid complex yielded 600 ng/ml of serum curcumin level while only 267 ng/ml in case of free curcumin. Also, the half-life increases 1.5 folds in case of the curcumin-phospholipid complex.

How to improve turmeric absorption in the body?

Taking turmeric with black pepper (which has piperine) or fats/oils (as turmeric is fat soluble) are the best ways to increase turmeric absorption in the body. Other method includes using Querectin.

The main reason behind the absorption/non-availability of curcumin in the body for regular users is due to its low solubility in water. But there are other ways by which one can take curcumin without its solubility coming in its way.

Black Pepper

One can use the mixture of curcumin with pepper. Bioperine is an extract from the fruit of Piper nigrum (black pepper). It is one of the best ways to take turmeric by mixing it with Bioperine. Including black pepper in your diet or taking it with turmeric should help in the absorption of turmeric in the body.

Mixing with fats

Also mixing curcumin with fat will do. Curcumin can be mixed with coconut oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, etc.

Mixing with Quercetin

Curcumin can be taken as a mixture of curcumin and quercetin. Quercetin is flavonoid and is found in many plants and foods such as apple, red grapes, onion, citrus fruit, etc.

Quercetin inhibits the sulfotransferase enzyme that inactivates curcumin. Also, bicurcumax is available which has curcumin dissolved in the fat of 10-15% by weight.

You may also get results by using Apple Cider vinegar as it has Quercetin in it.

Using Silibinin

This is the major active constituent of silymarin, a standardized extract of the milk thistle seeds. It is also known to increase the bioavailability of turmeric.  Well, I am not sure how to use it this in daily life as of now.

Heated water

It can be taken with water too only if its solubility is enhanced (else it generally has to be taken with fats as part of food). Probably the bioavailability of curcumin can also be enhanced with heat because heat increases the solubility of curcumin in water.

Studies have shown that boiling turmeric in water for 10 min increases its solubility 12 fold (remember its solubility, not absorption).

The verdict is still not out on how much it impacts the absorption. But this may be the reason why taking turmeric with warm milk (golden milk!) is considered great!

Special tablets

These can be the ones which already have absorption enhancing agents such as black pepper or other chemicals which can do that.

Summary

As detailed above all these problems causing low bio-availability of curcumin can thus be overcome by the above-given strategies, some of them I know are very tech. but others such as black pepper and with fat are easy to follow.

As curcumin is very important in our day to day life as well as it has found its role in the medical field too, it needs to be modulated for proper utilization.

The above-explained modulation can thus overcome the situation of low bioavailability of curcumin.

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194 thoughts on “Improve Absorption of Turmeric [by more than 2000%]”

    • Hi. That is a tough question. Both can’t be compared (unless it is under clinical settings). Meriva formulation is designed for better absorption of curcumin and can be beneficial for serious health conditions that require high doses of curcumin. Golden paste contains more than just curcumin; it contains other active components present in turmeric powder and it is good for general health and wellbeing.
      In case you are planning to take supplements, please consult your health practitioner.

      Reply
  1. I am taking curcumin capsules at the moment because I need a high amount for my tendonitis to heal
    How can I add black pepper to it or better put
    Should I take black pepper before or after taking the capsule?

    Reply
    • Hi. If you are not taking any medicines after your major meals, you can consider taking the curcumin capsules after meals. Fats present in our meals/diet also aid in absorption of curcumin. You can consider adding black pepper powder to your meals (optional).
      Please consult your health practitioner before taking any supplements.

      Reply
    • I APPLIED TUMERIC MIXED IN WARM WATER AS A PASTE DIRECTLY TO MY SKIN OVER MY ACHILLES TENDON REGION. GREAT RESULT IN ABOUT 3 DAYS.

      Reply
  2. It like to know about the effect of the combination of curcumin and quercetin as quercetin also has low bioavailability and is hydrophobic and dissolves better in oil just as curcumin . The idea here is to increase bioavailability of quercetin as it is an ionophore for zinc in the treatment of viral infection such as covid. Will the combination quercetin/curcumin increase the bioavailability of both?

    Reply
    • I take curcumin with quercetin like this: I open the curcumin and quecetin capsules (or buy bulk quecetin dehydrated) and mix them with a small amount of olive oil.
      I add a little black pepper and take them.
      Sometimes I add EGCG and (or) Resveratrol to this mixture.

      Reply
  3. Currently I’ve been putting nutrition and supplementation together to fight my hubby’s Multiple Myeloma. We have uses several brands of turmeric/curcumin. I try to find the ones with the highest count as I’ve read many articles which state that Curcumin/Turmeric Root are excellent therapy for those fighting cancer. I need to basically know which ones to continue to purchase. I’ve normally ordered the curcumin with piperine. What should I do? I really need help as I’m doing the nutritional approach because he did 13 rounds of radiation & ended up in the hospital for 5 day with hypercalcemia and then 3.5 weeks of chemo and those drugs sent him to the hospital with Artrial Fib which he’s been fighting for a while now. He just recently went through the heart procedure Ablation and we’re praying for good results. 1st 8 days out of hospital his heart was in normal rhythm and then, bam, the AF came back he’s been fighting it since. It makes him to weak and unable to do the things he’d like to do and it affects the control of his urine. We call these Episodes because he gets short of breath, and then the urine come w/o warning and it takes him a while to recover from the lack of breath as he simple shakes and feels very weak. We are praying for God’s healing and know it will be coming. Is there anything else we can do for the cancer which is the cause of all of this. I just wish I hadn’t allowed him to do the radiation or chemo because I was against both of them. But here we are. Would appreciate any assistance you can provide. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  4. Coconut oil, heat, chopped onion (quercetain), add lots of curry (turmeric), and cook only until onion is no longer raw. Add freshly ground black pepper and parsley tops, and maybe some freshly pounded garlic. Up to the black pepper are things that make turmeric bioavailable. The parsley and garlic are just more good ingredients. This makes the whole house smell wonderful, and your turmeric is bioavailable.
    You can put this over rice. If you do, add ice cubes you have made from simmering turmeric root and ginger root to the rice’s water. Adding pineaple, the pineapple will taste like ginger candy.
    If making with rice, you can put the rice in the ghee/butter with a smashed head of garlic, then add water to the rice after it absorbs the grease. Incredibly delicious.
    I understand that eating a supplement as food, is equivalent to using a LOT more of the supplement as pill or potion.

    Reply
  5. Why testing on rats ?
    Any animal should be left out testing anything
    Their body is not like humans.
    More convincing if tested on human
    100 % more effective sounds more than enough
    Just my humble opinion

    Reply
  6. does bioavailability of turmeric increase at a particular particle size after milling for eg. at 45/70 micrometre? till which sieve size we should screen turmeric?

    Reply
  7. Your experts lack reading skills piperine in thePubMed article that said it has 2000% up take the Piperine cancels out the anti-inflammatory effect of the curcumin. Your readers should see for themselves this claim is wrong read conclusion of the study done at Pub Med web site.

    Reply
  8. Excellent article, thank you. Most mornings, I mix and heat (150F)
    3T coconut oil
    2t turmeric
    1t fresh ground black pepper
    2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
    1t Marjoram
    1/4 t salt
    an avocado
    Not only better for me than I had thought, but very tasty as well.

    Reply
  9. So, if I brew just turmeric powder in a mug with heated water without black pepper or oil, will the turmeric powder still be bioavailable/absorbable or do I have to add black pepper and/or oil for it to work?

    Reply
    • Hi. While there are studies that have proven that heating curcumin in water increases its solubility we have not come across any study comparing its bioavailability with curcumin-black pepper/oil mixture. We would suggest taking turmeric with black pepper and/or oil for better absorption.

      Reply
  10. A clarification, I’m interested in knowing the absorption of the mixture of turmeric powder/ethanol/MCT Oil/bioperine/water when the slurry in ingested. Thank you.

    Reply
  11. 11-1-2018
    Aside from liposomal and nano turmeric, I’m wondering if absorption of tumeric’s components would improve if turmeric powder is dissolved & mixed together with ethanol, MCT oil, bioperine, and a small amount of hot water. Has anyone ever conducted absorption tests using these, or, similar materials ?
    Thanks,
    John

    Reply
  12. Simmer fresh turmeric in a metal pot, pouring off water and replacing it, as long as the water is colored. Make ice cubes of the water; put them in baggies in freezer. Use them in any recipe that has liquid, or use them in beverages.
    Buy some good curry. I like Sun Brand hot Madras from India. This is the form people have used turmeric in for centuries, and those people’s health are the reason Westerners got interested in turmeric.
    Put coconut oil in a pan. Chop an onion (I do large pieces). Low heat. Wait until the onion is relaxed, sprinkle as much curry as you can enjoy atop the onion, stir, and in a few minutes take it off the heat and sprinkle black pepper on it. You now have oil, quercetain (the onion), turmeric, and black pepper. (I read that ingesting turmeric in a recipe, you need much smaller amounts than taking it in a capsule.)
    This is delicious. It makes the whole house smell pleasant. You can put it on meat, on rice, on potatoes, on bread even as a sandwich with some parsley, or simply use it as a side dish. You can also add garlic toward the end as medicine, but (to me) it does not taste as delicious.

    Reply
  13. Hi;
    Thanks for this great article. How much black pepper per 100 grams of turmeric would be needed for best absorption.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  14. A well researched article. Millions of people affected by different types of ailment are repeatedly looking at Indian medicine as the only way out. Oral licken planus can be treated only by turmeric,kadukk A powder( a powerful anaesthetic mouth rinse. Doing anything else is sheer waste of time,painful and a endless road.

    n planus

    Reply
  15. So having read all this and comments here’s my question: if I take 2 turmeric capsules which have pepper ginger zinc and vit c added with 2 capsules of linseed oil with vit E will the two together work or does the oil actually need to be mixed with the turmeric. I see on the market capsules with oil turmeric and piperine all together ( at great expense) thanks for replies

    Reply
    • Hi. You can take turmeric supplements in combination with oil capsules for improving absorption. Also, you could consider taking them after a meal so that the dietary fat aids in absorption.
      Pepper alone suffices. Please ensure you are taking a standardised 95% curcumin with Bioperine supplement.

      Reply
    • Better and much cheaper to make up golden paste.I make a batch containing the following
      I/2 cup organic Tumeric pwd, 1/3 cup coconut oil, 2 cups water and 3 teas.fresh ground black pepper.
      Simmer water and tumeric for 8mins till nice and thick then add cocounut oil and black pepper.mix well till oil is fully absorbed. I divide into 3 containers and freeze 2. keeping the other one in the fridge ,using it daily. so easy and so cheap. never mind all these fancy pills ! This works wonders for me.

      Reply
  16. So, after reading this, I was thinking of adding some apple to my golden paste.
    Obviously (since it is for my dog, onions and grapes non-negotiable)
    What do you think?

    Reply
  17. Hi, I love this article. Question: I steep 2 tsp of fresh ginger in 40 oz of hot water then I add 1 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 tbs ACV, 1 tbs Squezzed lemon juice, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. My question is: Is it ok to leave this on my nightstand for 12 hours or must it stay refrigerated until I consume it? In my mind this is the ultimate morning water that I use to break my fast.

    Reply
  18. Hi, I just learned about turmeric and bought some powdered in a spice jar. Is spicing my food with it every now and then (with fat and pepper) sufficient to see results, or do results really come with very concentrated amounts, like in pill supplements?

    Reply
  19. HOW TO prepare your own concentrate turmeric extract
    here is the technique:
    1- buy the best turmeric powder 400 gr.
    2- extract it with ethanol 96% 1.2 litre
    3- partially evaporate ethanol till slurry consistency of the oleoresin
    Add 10 volumes of Tween 80 and mix in boiling water temp to evaporate remaining alcohol.
    Fill 1 ml capsules carefully.
    You can add 3% bee wax to improve viscosity to avoid caps leakage.
    You have obtained the best bioavailable curcumin more powerfull than any commercial one.

    Reply
  20. Here is a good tip to understand Curcumin bioavailability.
    The mixture prepared to dissolve curcumin must be water soluble to be assimilated. Once mixed with warm water (body temp) the mix must be as bright and yellow as possible. The more hazy the less absorbed.

    Reply
  21. Super glad to find this info about making turmeric more bioavailable!
    Have been adding turmeric powder to occasional hot drinks & hot food when heard about anti-inflammation powers which seems most practical beneficial for Multiple Sclerosis Doc diagnosis!? Has been added to morn plunger coffee wth tspn Coconut oil & butter for cross blood-brain barrier.. After this further info realised Black pepper is a missing link.. just tried, change to morn filter coffee with quater tspn (approx) Black pepper, 1/4 tspnTurmeric & tspn coconut oil (forgot what benefit of butter for brain nourish?) What are your thoughts about organic filter/plunger coffee added to this turmeric wonder mix? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hi. It’s totally up to you whether you would like to add turmeric to your coffee. Some readers enjoy turmeric in their coffee and it doesn’t suit some individuals as well. If you do continue this regime, do share your experience with us.

      Reply
  22. I take turmeric capsules that do not contain pepper because my stomach cannot tolerate pepper. Will my cod liver oil supplement be sufficient as a fat/oil additive?

    Reply
    • No, Your cod oil will not. Curcumin is not soluble in cold oil and poorly in hot. You can test it easily in your kitchen with various ingredients like oils, ethanol, acetone. The highest solubility is obtained with hot acetone which get a 13 % solubility. Alcohol is lower with 10 % and oils get only 2 %.

      Reply
  23. Turmeric and black pepper is native to my region of south india (south western ghats), and i am very excited to learn all this technics for increasing bioavailability of turmeric. We use both black pepper and turmeric which are home grown in most recipes except breakfast… thanks for sharing all this infos, god bless you

    Reply
  24. I am using Curcumin, that contains piperine, as a powder in capsules. I have started opening the caps and mixing 5 g of the curcumin in 1 tbl spoon of medium chain triglycerides coconut oil. The powder doesn’t fully dissolve in the oil, but is full suspended leaving a bit of “grit” in my mouth after swallowing. There appears to be an improvement in the performance in relieving severe arthritis pains in my thumbs. My question is, is it better to allow the powder to soak for a while in the oil or is it OK to drink it as soon as it is fully wetted and suspended in the oil?

    Reply
  25. I would like to know if there is another absorption assisting agent that can be combined with turmeric besides black pepper. Unfortunately, I am allergic to black (and white) pepper, and try to avoid it. I thoroughly understand the beneficial properties, and now realize why the turmeric I’ve been using has had little effect for me.

    Reply
    • There are several products that help curcumin water dissolution like propylene glycol, alcohol, polysorbate (tween 80) and glucosides diterpenics like stevia.
      To test curcumin solubility these mixtures are soaked in warm water to control colour and clearliness. The brighter the better. The easiest solvent to use is polysorbate. We obtain a pure bright orange solution which provides the best bioavilability. Up to you to test now …

      Reply
  26. Greetings,
    This is very interesting. I have made external rubs for pain and inflammation in the past with turmeric and black pepper essential oils and fats like coconut oil. Is the skin able to absorb turmeric in this manner or does it have to be consumed?

    Reply
    • It is preferable that you use freshly ground black pepper. You can use store bought black pepper powder when freshly ground black pepper is not available.

      Reply
  27. Dear Sir
    I would like to make home-made liposomal curcumin.
    I would like to know if you are familiar with the process of making home-made liposomal curcumin.
    Best regards,
    Jurij

    Reply
    • See PMID: 22609787 on PubMed. in paragraph 3.3, the “film” method is described. This is basic information. You can search “liposome film method” on the internet and get more detailed information.

      Reply
  28. Hi,
    Good informative articles about turmeric.
    Can I mix black pepper powder with turmeric milk??? Will the pepper counteract with milk? I am using turmeric for my IBD.
    Thanks

    Reply
  29. Thank you for the information.
    Assuming I am making a golden tea or milk using grated fresh turmeric:
    1. Is there any difference between using regular or low fat coconut milk? ie is the fat in low fat coconut milk sufficient for absorption?
    2. I have seen recipes that also include grated ginger in the mixture. I assume this is just for the ginger benefits and that the ginger adds nothing to the curcumin absorption or delivery correct?
    2. Are there any detriments to putting a green or black tea into the mixture to steep with broth before straining the mixture?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Aron. Glad to know that you found the article informative. Coming to your questions:
      1.We are not sure if the fat content of low fat coconut milk will be sufficient for absorption of turmeric so we would suggest using regular coconut milk.
      2. Ginger is added to the tea primarily for its benefits. Traditional medicinal system does suggest that ginger is a natural bioenhancer but we have not come across any ginger’s effect on curcumin’s absorption. Anyways, the ginger-turmeric combination is great for reducing inflammation.
      3. There should not be any adverse effects of adding green/black tea to steep with the herbs.
      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  30. What has not been addressed is the oxidation of black pepper and turmeric when blending these two nutrients in a blender. I attempt to lessen the oxidation effect in a blender by us a cold liquid with one cube of ice & adding coconut oil to the mixture. I feel is oxidation is an unfortunate issue for it lessens the true antioxidant effect of both these nutrients. Any thoughts on lessening the oxidation effect when blending?

    Reply
  31. Hi really great info thank you i just wondered as there is conflicting information
    what is better – the powder or cold pressed juice from the root? For absorbtion? If taken with black pepper, an oil and acv.(even milk thistle)
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hi Tia. Good question. There has been no study as such comparing the turmeric powder and turmeric juice. However we would recommend the powder with black pepper, oil and ACV for health benefits. You can consume the juice occasionally; that is awesome for health as well. But for therapeutic benefits we would suggest using powder.

      Reply
  32. Good day! I would like to ask what is the best way to treat acne using turmeric? How should it be applied? Should it still be mixed with oil (virgin coconut oil)?

    Reply
  33. Thank you for this very informative article. I blend turmeric with stabilized ground flaxseed and freshly ground black peppercorns to feed to my horses. Is the fat in the ground flaxseed sufficient to aid in absorption?

    Reply
    • Hi Andrea. Flaxseed should serve as a good source of fats and flaxseed meal should be sufficient for absorption of turmeric.

      Reply
    • Black pepper aids in absorption of turmeric. It is safe to mix the two with honey. However please take care about the amount of sugar (in any form) you consume throughout the day.

      Reply
  34. thank you so much , it was usefull information .
    I am using it with one spoon of olive oil and some drops of Apple cider vinegar

    Reply
  35. I am suffering from minimal change disease for over 10 years.
    The animal fats is the culprits in my case. Presently, I have tried curcumin with black papers and my immune system reacted in the same way as eating meat, fish and chicken and made me unwell. My request to you is what could be the common in this case. Thank you and regards,

    Reply
  36. 20 to 25 gram pure turmeric heated up with black peeper and oil is enough dose for stage 4 her2+ herceptin resisted cancer ??

    Reply
  37. I have purchased organic turmeric powder and organic black peppercorns that I grind with a coffee grinder. I am in the process or ordering Quercetin in some form to either add to this or take along with. My question is: At what ratio should I mix these, so that I can fill my own capsules. Also, my capsules are size “O”, so how many would you recommend to take daily? Right now we are taking 4 daily, 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening and trying to remember to take them with a meal or some oil, such as flax seed oil. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi. There is no specific ratio as such when you are making capsules at home but a rough amount would be 1/2 part turmeric powder, 1/4 part black pepper powder and 1/4 part quercetin. 2 capsules twice a day is a good dose if it is suiting you.

      Reply
  38. A co-worker recently told me that if I am not taking Bioperine with my turmeric I am just wasting the turmeric. However after reading this article and most of the comments, I think that may not be the case here. I use turmeric in my morning smoothies that also contain fresh pineapple, ground Chia seeds, ground flax seeds, occasionally black pepper, and recently coconut oil. It seems to me that those ingredients work well together to improve the bio availability of the turmeric. True?

    Reply
    • Yes absolutely, dietary turmeric gets absorbed with the food ingested as well as with the components you mentioned like black pepper, coconut oil and fat content of flax and chia seeds.

      Reply
  39. Hi.. I currently make liposomal C and want to liposome turmeric. Will I need to dissolve the turmeric in oil first or will it be okay in water?

    Reply
  40. Hi…I make my own liposomal C and are wanting to now liposome turmeric. Do I need to disolve turmeric in oil first or will water do as it will in turn be liposomed inside the fat of the lecithin?

    Reply
  41. I have cyst on tonsil. Can I pierce a capsule of Solgar full spectrum 800 mg curcumin and mix with slippery elm and sip this. My thoughts are the slippery elm coats and remains around the area. Alternatively mix with ??? and gargle?. Any thoughts or advice appreciated
    .

    Reply
    • Hi. We dont recommend this. You can gargle with fresh turmeric boiled in water and cooled to a lukewarm stage to prior to gargling. You could also take golden paste with honey so that it coats your throat and relieves the inflammation.
      Taking golden paste orally may help alter internal factors that would heal the cyst. You can take Golden Paste. Start with small doses such as 1/4-1/2 tsp and if you see no side effects then increase the dose gradually to 1 tsp 2-3 times a day over a few weeks. Best taken with food to avoid acid reflux. Avoid taking it at the same time when you take other meds.
      https://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-recipes/how-to-make-turmeric-paste-or-golden-paste

      Reply
  42. it looks as though the conversation has ceased or deceased!! I add tumeric to green smoothies i the morning with helmp oil plus heaps of oher goodies. I am hoping to cure glaucoma?? Any suggestions from anyone? Thanks Heather

    Reply
    • Hi Deb. You can take Golden Paste. Start with small doses such as 1/4-1/2 tsp and if you see no side effects then increase the dose gradually to 1-2 tsp 2-3 times a day over a few weeks. Best taken with food to avoid acid reflux. Avoid taking it at the same time when you take other meds. https://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-recipes/how-to-make-turmeric-paste-or-golden-paste
      Also you mix sufficient quantity of organic turmeric powder with extra virgin olive/coconut oil and apply to the affected region. Leave it for 30 mins to 1 hour or till it dries and then wash with water. Repeat this 2-3 times a day. Also conduct a patch test prior.

      Reply
    • Hi Deb I used to get coldsores (herpes simplex) on my lip and spent a fortune on chemist medicine but since I have been using turmeric paste (over one year) I have not had an outbreak. It’s wonderful stuff.

      The point I want to make is this some people are put off using turmeric paste because it stains clothes and bed cloths. Turmeric is a very transient dye washing and hanging stained clothes in the sun will quickly fade the stains and restore your clothes. (So get turmeric stained clothes out into the sun)

      Reply
  43. I would like to infuse some coconut oil with turmeric and black pepper to put into capsules. Has anyone tried this method? Would heating the coconut oil while mixing the turmeric & pepper in activate the turmeric? Help please!

    Reply
    • HI Margret the capsules that I find are easily available from my chemist are not soluble in oil, they are soluble in water, so you can easily put your oil turmeric brew into them. Suck your preferred brew into a small syringe (smaller than 3 ml) and then fill each cap (you don’t need the needle) and then push in some (dry) ground turmeric and pepper to make sure they don’t squash and leak while in storage. If you find your caps are dissolving in oil keep looking for some that don’t.

      Reply
    • Yes turmeric and bromelain has synergistic anti-inflammatory action and is said to help in bioavailability but we haven’t come across any concrete studies about the same. We would need to research further before commenting on combining turmeric and pineapple in diet for better absorption.

      Reply
  44. I’m not sure if it had been mentioned. But tumeric lattes have what you need.
    Just near boil milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, tumeric, ginger, honey and pepper. They’re not bad!

    Reply
    • I buy a large bottle of low sodium V8 juice, measure out 26 grams of turmeric, and add about 1-2 teaspoons of pepper. I drink 1/3 glass of it 3xs a day with a drizzle of olive oil on top.

      Reply
  45. A guy posted earlier, which I think is a great idea, and that is to heat some rapeseed or coconut oil (I prefer) up with your turmeric and black pepper and make some french toast or eggs. A lovely breakfast and massively increased bioavailability of the curcumin.

    Reply
    • Stick to whole milk, cream, or plain whole milk yogurt if possible. Milk alternatives might be OK for drinking cold, or enjoying with cold cereal… But, are not the best to make a nutrient bio-available —

      I would stick as close to nature as possible. I’ve enjoyed using ingredients that historically can be found in popular turmeric, curry, & curcumin dishes throughout history: either turmeric, curcumin to make a tasty curry based on unrefined dairy such as whole milk yogurt, or cream….. + a dab of pepper, cinnamon, coconut… etc… be creative — just like curry dishes are..!

      MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is researching Turmeric & it’s many cancer fighting properties… plus other immune system, & healing benefits.

      Lately I’ve been blending it like this :
      bring 1 to 1.5 cups of water to a boil,
      add 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of good quality powdered Turmeric ( I buy in 10 oz portions from Natural Grocers ( formerly Vitamin Cottage ),
      add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper – key to helping it be bio-available

      turn heat down, but still boiling lightly for 4 to 8 minutes…

      I make sure I turn pan from side to side a few times to keep distribute the heavier powders back into the blend

      Now pour watery turmeric blend into a coffee cup, or small bowl.

      As the blend is cooling– add either whole milk, or whole milk yogurt.

      Heat can definitely kill the probiotics — so I wait to put that in, after the watery turmeric is in a bowl & is cooling a bit —

      Several Greek yogurts on the market today are “fat free” — so if you end up using Greek yogurt– just make sure there is whole milk fat or whole milk yogurt also added.

      I’m going to try Kumar’s suggestion with small amounts of high grade oats – which I also purchase at Natural Grocer – (former Vitamin Cottage). Do not use instant oatmeal– if you are aiming for ANY health benefits–

      Reply
  46. I’ve discovered turmeric a few months ago. Initially I added it to my juicing routine then adding a little pepper. I always buy it fresh & sometimes organic. These days I eat it like a carrot. I don’t peel it. I wash it then I roll it in fresh ground pepper & I smother it with hardened coconut oil. I’ve become addicted to this. Of course your mouth & gums turn totally orange so I brush my teeth once with coconut oil & then toothpaste. Added bonus is that it makes your teeth whiter.
    At first I was using a drop or two of pepper fruit essential oil but I couldn’t find enough info on this. So now to be safe I just use fresh coarse pepper. I feel great.
    To your health everyone!

    p.s. I’m also crazy about radishes & watercress but that’s another story.

    Reply
  47. Hi . I take 3 teaspoons of turmeric each day just in plain water and it helps with oa pain . I don’t think it’s too much . Martin .

    Reply
    • Hi. If you are not facing any side effects, then the dose is fine. Some people do take as much as 1-2 tablespoon a day while some would find 3 tsp as high dose. It is advisable to take turmeric with meals or with black pepper and/or fats since turmeric’s active ingredient does not dissolve in water easily and is poorly absorbed in body.

      Reply
  48. Even after cure of a disease/ailment, turmeric powder and black pepper powder mixed in boiled oats should be taken for life-long as this formulation serves as a preventive measure.

    Reply
  49. The best way to consume turmeric is to mix its powder in oats along with identical quantity of black pepper powder, boil the mixture in water for a few minutes and consume it in the morning. The ideal dosage is three tablespoon full of oats, one third teaspoon of turmeric powder and one third teaspoon of black pepper powder. Oats acts as a vehicle to deliver turmeric powder and pepper powder, apart from being a rich source of fibre. This mixture also acts as a preventive measure for many ailments/diseases like common cold/flu/cough/body pains/arthritis,etc.This has been tested and proven 100 per cent and I am fully convinced and satisfied with the wonderful results.

    Reply
    • Hi, Kumar, I have been ingesting turmeric in powder capsules for one year, for my join pain in my knee, with wonderful results-no pain at all, plus other side benefits. But one week ago, my pain returned as bad as before taking the turmeric. Do you think its effect runs out with time? I mean, is it possible that after many months of use my body is not absorbing it any longer? I suspended the use, and plan to do so for a month, and then restart using it. I would like your opinion. Thank you in advance.

      Reply
  50. Howdy!
    I live in South Florida and grow Turmeric in my back yard. I have been distilling my turmeric and making Curcumin essential oil. I have been taking this stuff with a long eye dropper down the back of my throat and then chasing it with some MCT oil and a couple Bioperine tablets. Does anybody know how much of this oil I can take in a day?

    Reply
    • Around 1 ml of curcumin essential oil is fine. You can take it with meals to avoid taking oil and bioperine tablets.

      Reply
  51. “Problem of bioavailability solved: You do not actually need anything to absorb curcumin if you are using whole turmeric. What? Yes!
    The reason is mother nature has already included an oil in it – “turmeric oil”. Isn’t it great?
    Turmeric oil is around 6-9% of raw turmeric.
    According to Dr. Bharat B Aggarwal (who is pioneer in turmeric and curcumin research) if you take raw turmeric, you need not take any other thing at all. How great is that!”

    Does this still hold true?

    Reply
    • Yes thats true. Fresh turmeric contains oil so you dont need anything to absorb it. However including it in meals or cooking it definitely increases absorption.

      Reply
        • Fresh turmeric, thats the roots, has essential oils and other nutrients that aid in absorption of curcumin, active ingredient of turmeric. But there has been no research that comments on curcumin absorption in the body after taking fresh turmeric root.Therefore when it comes to turmeric powder, its best to use black pepper and oil for absorption.

          Reply
  52. I have a tumor in my pituitary gland, and I’ve been juicing tumeric and making tumeric tea with coconut oil, ginger, black pepper, honey and stevia, and since then the tumor has shrunk and is no longer pushing on my optic nerve.

    Reply
    • This is great to hear because I just started using Turmeric, black pepper and coconut oil for the same reason. Can you tell me how long you used your mixture for before you started to see the results?

      Reply
      • I also have pituitary tumour and just been reading these comments. Any more comments on how long it took before seeing any results. I’m due to have an op in next 6 months or so and not happy. This is fab news and will start taking this immediately. Do you have this heated? Thanks for any reply

        Reply
        • Start juicing more greens. Start to detox. Research on budwig’s diet. Research on apricot seed and lemon ginger blast. Change your diet and lifestyle. You might end up not having that surgery. Empower yourself by reading and gaining more knowledge. Research on alternative treatment. Natural way of treatment. Hope this helps.

          Reply
  53. I am currently taking a 81 mg aspirin; if I start using turmeric should I stop the aspirin? my Dr. currently did not prescribe me to take the aspirin, but has not problem with me taking it. So to stop it, would not go against his advice.

    Reply
    • Turmeric with aspirin could lead to blood thinning. Turmeric’s blood thinning effect is mostly attributed to curcumin and hence it is advised not to take curcumin supplements with blood thinners. Why are you taking the aspirin?
      Dietary turmeric would not interfere with the medications. Limit intake to 1/4-1/2 tsp. If you are taking aspirin to relieve pain then turmeric should gradually help you get rid of it since it works as natural painkiller. If not advised by the doctor you can gradually stop taking aspirin.

      Reply
  54. So much speculation and little factual evidence as to what agents will make turmeric worthwhile consuming. I suggest people save their cash until new research indicates a verifiable practical method for making turmeric useful in the human body.

    Reply
    • Since tumeric is not a pharmaceutical drug, research will probably be very scarce. The FDA’s Stamp of Approval for natural remedies is almost non-existent and so is the research money because nature grown herbs, etc. cannot be patented. Unless the vitamin/supplement companies sponsor a trial there will likely not be any. We take risks everyday when we ingest drugs that have been researched (numbers doctored), but later its determined that those drugs actually caused another illness. I, will take my chances, with natural remedies.

      Reply
      • Chris you are correct, in Asia people are using turmeric for thousands of years without any side effects.
        I am getting good result from turmeric.

        Reply
      • I agree completely….I live in a place where the pharmacy is growing all around me and the “old ways” are still pricticed. I grow turmeric & gave some to a neighbor who had been depressed for some time & was recommended to get some pills from the pharmacy. He preferred to try the turmeric first & when I saw him 2 weeks later he was happy & definitely not depressed. I give it to anyone who visits & wants it….for arthritis, fatty liver, high cholesterol … and of course, the list goes on…

        Reply
    • Since Tumeric and black pepper are very inexpensive, “saving cash” isn’t a very good reason not to take it. Bulk tumeric is about 1/1000th the cost by weight of any other dietary supplement, for example vitamin d. Several weeks worth, 500gm, costs me about AU$3.

      Reply
    • Sorry Jon! Go to Pub/Med internet site and type on the free scientific papers section “Curcumin“ and you will get multiple, multiple research papers on this wonderful nutritional root beneficial effects. Curcumin is IT to help in cancer control, amongst many other helpful health management. And, sorry in advance for my poor english as my mother tongue is french.

      Reply
  55. I have read all the comments, questions and answers. Many viewers asked the mix ratio of turmeric (curcuma), black pepper and oil and all answers agree that it helps with absorbability but no one is answering the question. How much cucrcuma, black pepper and oil is recommended.

    Reply
  56. 1) Are the pepper corns that you can get in a grocery store, fresh enough?
    2) Can I take my fish oil capsules with the tumeric and pepper, —using the fish oil as my oil?

    Reply
  57. When I first began taking turmeric I noticed my urine was a strong turmeric color. I’ve since changed to a Curcumin complex that includes pepper and my urine has returned to it’s normal pale color. Does this indicate that the turmeric is being absorbed much better now? I’m assuming so.

    Reply
  58. I currently drink golden milk. Can I use a drop of black pepper essential oil in my turmeric paste?
    I also use raw cows milk. I usually skim most of the fat to make butter–(maybe ending up with 2% milk?) –how much fat is needed to increase absorption?

    Reply
  59. Would a concoction of olive oil, black pepper, food grade powdered turmeric mixed with vegetable juice,
    be a useful way to get the most out of the turmeric ?

    Reply
  60. I understand that intravenous curcumin is the best delivery system for curcumin absorption. I have read that liposomal curcumin can be as effective, is that true? Also how about nano curcumin or SMEDDS curcumin how do these delivery systems stack up to IV delivery?
    Aware of any brands that are known for the best delivery.
    Thanks
    Rob

    Reply
    • Robert,It can be deadly to give curcumin through an IV drip unless prepared by a compounding pharmacy. The oral way is safe and works a treat!

      Reply
    • Hi, honey has no role to play in absorption, only black pepper has. So if you are using BP it will indeed be beneficial.

      Reply
      • Even that honey has no part in the absorption ,some web sites say that honey acts as a trojan horse to get curcumin into the cancer cells and destroy the microb ,hence fighting the cancer.

        Reply
  61. It seems Curcumin and Turmeric are used interchangeably in info, yet Curcumin is the active component of Turmeric. Confusing. Taking 500 mg capsules of 95% Curcumin. How does that compare with taking 500 mg capsules of Turmeric…and absorbabiliy?

    Reply
  62. I take 2 capsules of a turmeric supplement per day, for a total of 600 mg, standardized to 95% curcuminoids.

    I would like to increase its bioavailability.

    1. If I take black pepper, is there a particular TYPE that is best so I can check the label?

    2. Do I need to take the black pepper at the very same time as the turmeric capsules?

    3. Is there any drawback or side-effect to black pepper? And are there capsules out there for black pepper.

    3. Is black pepper the BEST and easiest way to increase bioavailability? I like easy because I take a lot of supplements.

    Reply
    • 1. If I take black pepper, is there a particular TYPE that is best so I can check the label?

      2. Do I need to take the black pepper at the very same time as the turmeric capsules?
      You can take it from 30 min prior till you are taking turmeric.

      3. Is there any drawback or side-effect to black pepper? And are there capsules out there for black pepper.
      Black pepper has several health benefits in themselves. But yes, excesses dosage may case issues. There may be capsules with black pepper.

      3. Is black pepper the BEST and easiest way to increase bioavailability? I like easy because I take a lot of supplements.
      Other way is to take along with fats – coconut oil / olive oil etc.

      Reply
      • Some products of curcumin capsule mixed with pepperine (Black pepper extract) for increasing the bio-availability caused severe constipation. I and some others also faced this problem. It is important to find out the side effect of pepperine extracts. There are some study reports on the side effects of pepper when taken in concentrates / large quantities. Dr.S.Paulraj, Ph.D.

        Reply
        • Thanks Dr. Paulraj for pointing this out. Therefore we suggest users to use powder turmeric as part of diet with fresh pepper and fats.

          Reply
    • Hi Bardy. I take 2x500mg capsules per day of turmeric which has 50mg of curcumin combined with 5mg if piperine (the active ingredient in pepper). I bought them online and weren’t expensive.

      Reply
  63. Heat some rapeseed oil, mix in Turmeric, and black pepper. Then cook fried bread in the mixture. Or eggs, etc.

    Reply
  64. I am wondering if juicing the turmeric root might help with the solubility problem as well as the absorption issue? Thoughts?

    Reply
  65. I believe that the lack of “Water Solubility” of Turmeric seems to be a major problem which may be a reason why the bioavailability of its compounds are low.

    This problem is further aggravated because of the low beneficial bacterial count in the human gut & intestinal tract as a result of “Clean Kill” antibiotics! In other words our “Digestive Helpers” have been killed and remain at extremely low levels due to the detrimental lifestyle that most of us subject our bodies to.

    I suggest that fermenting Turmeric may alleviate the problems as much of the “digestion” occurs outside the body via the appropriate bacteria in a natural & purposely established culture.
    Most of the root becomes “Water Soluble” and now is much easier to assimilate into a compromised human digestive system!

    Establishment of this mother culture, a “Turmeric bug”, “seeded” from naturally occurring fungi & bacteria (in the air and on the “Unsterilised” Turmeric roots”) would perform “first-In” metabolising and so convert much of the turmeric into “water Soluble” substances.

    The web has ample resources (including methodology) to glean methods on how to achieve the above and, at the same time, provide the family with an extremely refreshing, cheap & healthy alternative to soft drinks.
    At the same time, the gut & intestinal tracts are re-populated with beneficial bacterial cultures so essential to a quality life.

    Ginger/Turmeric beer is deliciously refreshing and – if made correctly – brimming with all the substances required by our auto-immune system to defend our bodies and keep it healthy until the “Day we Die”.

    Reply
  66. I have a history of stroke. I tried a green tea extract for weight loss and tried a capsule of it. When I did I didn’t realize it had 160 mg of caffeine. This shot my bp up to 145/95 and I felt risk of stroke until the caffeine was fully through my system. Then I remembered tumeric lowers bp so I took 1/2 teaspoon of it with water. My bp dropped to 119/78 in less than 10 minutes! I took a pinch of tumeric every hour the rest of the day while checking my bp. I’m grateful this big mistake turned out well.

    Reply
  67. Excellent information. Can you give a suggestion as to how much oil/fat must be present to help the bioavailability of turmeric? I like to take it in full fat yoghurt, assuming that the fat present will be enough…and assume that taking it in full fat milk will be similar. However, in non-fat products, I have been adding just a few drops…perhaps 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon. What are your opinions?

    Reply
    • Hi, When we use turmeric as a spice the oil / fat in curry is good enough. If you prefer fat free adding black pepper to your diet will be great option. If you like the info on the website, do subscribe to our newsletter and remain updated on new articles! Thnaks

      Reply
      • If one were to take turmeric with no additional fat at all, how much would be absorbed? My understanding is that black pepper does not increase absorption–it decreases metabolic destruction in the liver.
        Thanks.

        Reply

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