The health benefits of any herb or food are based on its active key ingredients.
Piperine is the key chemical that is found in black pepper. It is similar to capsaicin, which is a chemical in chili and offers various health benefits. Curcumin, which is a polyphenol plays the same role in turmeric.
Both turmeric and black pepper have been studied to examine the potential health benefits they can offer together or individually. Below are some of their benefits:
Health Benefits of Turmeric and Black Pepper:
1. Cancer Prevention
The black pepper-turmeric combination works in keeping cancer at bay. The black pepper lets turmeric do its job to its full potential.
Curcumin present in turmeric helps in destroying cancerous cells (Hutchins-Wolfbrandt, Amanda, and Anahita M. Mistry. “Dietary turmeric potentially reduces the risk of cancer.” Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 12, no. 12 (2011): 3169-73).
Human studies that showed the anti-cancer effects of turmeric are promising, in particular on gastric, colon cancer cells, breast cancer cells and leukemia cells. Also, studies show that cancer incidence is reported to be low in India, as compared to Western countries, where turmeric is being used on a regular basis.
2. Diabetes Management
Diabetes can cause other health problems. One common byproduct of diabetes is blood vessel damage. Researchers have reported that compounds piperine and curcumin, which are present in black pepper and turmeric help in reducing oxidative stress that causes blood vessel damage to begin with.
Therefore, take black pepper and turmeric to keep diabetic complications at bay (Naderi, G. H., Narges J. Dinani, S. Asgary, M. Taher, N. Nikkhoo, and M. Boshtam. “Effect of some high consumption spices on hemoglobin glycation.” Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences 76, no. 6 (2014): 553.).
3. Helps in Digestion
Ayurvedic medicine has relied on turmeric in supporting digestive health for years. Modern studies have reported that it reduces flatulence and spasms.
Both black pepper and turmeric have been reported to help enhance the activity of digestive enzymes in the gut, thus helping your system process food more easily and quickly.
4. Liver Health
In the liver, turmeric helps in increasing cholesterol elimination by boosting bile production. Also, curcumin helps in protecting the liver cells from damage that are caused by toxins including peroxide, galactosamine, tobacco smoke and household chemicals.
Black pepper helps through boosting the bioavailability of glutathione, which is an essential compound that helps in protecting the liver on a cellular level.
5. Relieves Discomfort
Both black pepper and turmeric when combined together works in relieving temporary discomfort. Piperine desensitizes a pain receptor known as TRPV1. While turmeric helps to ease occasional joint discomfort.
Place them together and you have instant relief for soreness and stiffness. This is one of the reasons turmeric is very well-known and popular among athletes.
Sources:
Curejoy
Global Healing Center
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