Turmeric is definitely one of the most popular spices nowadays, and it doesn’t owe its popularity just because of its taste. The golden spice has numerous health benefits and can treat various conditions and diseases. The active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin, is a powerful substance that gives the spice its color and medicinal properties. According to MEDLINE, the National Library of Medicine, more than 600 studies have covered the medical benefits of the spice, and showed that turmeric can treat many serious ailments. However, although beneficial, you should know some things first before using turmeric.
Bioavailability of curcumin
Yes, including turmeric in your diet can treat numerous health problems, but there’s one problem – the bioavailability of curcumin. The compound can’t be fully absorbed in the body during digestion, which leaves you without the medicinal benefits of the spice. There’s one thing you can do though – adding some black pepper in the mixture will improve the absorption of turmeric by 2000% and help you benefit from the spice properly.
Here’s what NutritionFacts says about this: “If individuals are given a cluster of turmeric curcumin, inside a hour there’s a little knock in the level in their circulation system. We don’t see an extensive increment in light of the fact that our liver is effectively attempting to dispose of it. Be that as it may, consider the possibility that the procedure is stifled by taking only a quarter teaspoon of dark pepper. At that point you see curcumin levels skyrocket. The same measure of curcumin expended, however the bioavailability shoots up 2000%. Indeed, even only a little squeeze of pepper—1/20 of a teaspoon—can altogether support levels. What’s more, think about what a typical fixing in curry powder is other than turmeric? Dark pepper.”
A recent study titled The Impact of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers confirms piperine as the main ingredient responsible for the improved curcumin absorption.
Add some healthy fats to turmeric
Turmeric is a fat-soluble spice which means that it needs fat to be absorbed. For this purpose, it’s best to mix it with ghee, coconut or olive oil so the liver can process the curcumin better.
Heat increases curcumin’s bioavailability
Dr. Sukumar says that turmeric can be safely cooked as heat increases the bioavailability of its active compound. “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 utilize it [turmeric] in each sauté, only a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon is sufficient. In any case, you don’t need to utilize it sparingly – use it sumptuously. The better approach to take it, I feel, is to utilize it in your cooking broadly. In the event that you have any sauté, quite recently sprinkle it in. The minute you warm oil and add turmeric to it, it now turns out to be totally bioavailable to you.”
Conclusion
As you can see, due to the low bioavailability of curcumin, turmeric must be combined with black pepper orhealthy fats so you can benefit from it. Follow the aforementioned tips and you will surely get the most out of the spice.
If you’re wondering what’s the recommended daily allowance of the spice, the College of Maryland did some studies and found out that you can take 1.5-3 gr. of dry turmeric root or 1-3 gr. of turmeric powder daily.
Source : www.naturehealthandbeauty.com
