Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has a long history of use in traditional medicine. This flavor-filled spice is primarily cultivated from the rhizomes, or roots, of a flowering plant in India and other parts of Southeast Asia, and aside from giving curry its vibrant yellow color,turmeric is also known for having potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
The primary active component of turmeric — and the one that gives the spice its characteristic yellow color — is curcumin. Curcumin as the compound responsible for most of turmeric’s potential health benefits. “Curcumin is a natural antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory benefits, as well as benefits related to slowing the aging process and preventing Alzheimer’s disease and potentially depression.
Both turmeric and black pepper are healthy spices. Turmeric has been used as a medicine to treat a variety of problems like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. Curcumin is an ingredient present in turmeric is what is responsible for giving it its medicinal properties. Curcumin is not absorbed well in the body. This is where black pepper comes in. It contains a compound called piperine, which when combined with turmeric, increases the absorption of curcumin by upto an astonishing 2000%.
Black pepper and turmeric are combined, helps with digestion. Curcumin has been shown to have digestive properties, and piperine enhances the activity of digestive enzymes in the stomach, helping the body process food more quickly and easily. Moreover, both black pepper and turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties which reduce gut inflammation.
The anti-inflammatory property of Curcumin and black pepper help in desensitizing the pain receptors in the body, which reduce the feeling of pain or discomfort.
Curcumin can not only treat cancer, but can also help in preventing it. It can decrease the chances of cancer by killing cancerous cells and stopping the development of cells. Even piperine plays a role in killing cancer cells, reducing the risk of tumours. Curcumin and piperine worked individually and in sync to interrupt the self renewal process of breast stem cells. black pepper and turmeric with having protective effects against other cancers like prostate and pancreatic.
* green coffee bean extract, Black pepper extract.
