10 Amazing health benefits of black pepper and turmeric
Black pepper and turmeric are two commonly used spices that have been used for centuries in traditional medicine.
They have a variety of health benefits and are known to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties.
This article will discuss 10 amazing health benefits of black pepper and turmeric and how they can be incorporated into your daily diet.
From improving digestion to reducing the risk of certain diseases, these spices can have a significant impact on overall health and wellness.
What Is Turmeric and Black Pepper?
Turmeric:
Turmeric is a golden coloured spice (curcuma longa) in the ginger family, that has been used in Indian medicine and cooking for over 4000 years. It’s often labelled “turmeric root”, but it’s actually rhizome, a small stem which grows just beneath the ground, and is loaded with healing phytonutrients.
Turmeric is one of the most well studied natural medicines in the world and has been shown to dramatically improve overall health, and treat great range of different health problems Such as lowering inflammation, aiding weight loss, fighting cancer, supporting diabetics, and so much more.
Black Pepper:
Black pepper is made from the dried, unripened fruit of the (piper nigrum) and was also used by ancient civilisations for its medicinal health benefits.
Why do we want to take turmeric and black pepper at the same time?
Turmeric’s main active ingredient is called curcumin, which gives it that yellow/golden colour and is one of the most healing plant chemicals known to man.
The problem is that curcumin is not easily absorbed into the body. This is where black pepper comes in. Adding a little black pepper boosts the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%.
Turmeric Milk Recipe:
2 Cups Coconut Milk (or you can use any milk of your choice) 1 Tsp Organic Turmeric Powder 1/4 Tsp Organic Black Pepper (ground) Method: Mix all of these ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow the liquid to cool slightly and then drink. This is very tasty and is also known as golden milk “Haldi Doodh) in India.
It’s very important that you use organic ingredients, as some cheaper varieties contain harmful bulking agents.
The black pepper and also the fat from milk, helps your body to absorb curcumin and hundreds of other healing phytochemicals found in turmeric.
It’s recommended to drink this or use turmeric in other delicious ways on a daily basis to experience the 10 amazing health benefits that we will talk about in today’s video.
Just a quick reminder this video is for educational purposes only, so do speak to your doctor if you have any medical concerns.
1. Weight Loss
If you are looking to lose weight start consuming more turmeric in your diet.
The active ingredient (curcumin) has been shown to help people lose weight at a faster rate by increasing a hormone called adiponectin. This helps to boost your metabolism, especially when you are following a low carb or a low calorie weight loss plan.
2. Liver Health
Your liver is the most important organ in your body when it comes to filtering out toxins and keeping your blood clean. Turmeric with black pepper has been shown to help prevent fat from building up inside your liver and also protecting it from forming scar tissue (fibrosis) that could have led to liver disease.
They also help your liver to filter out toxins from the environment like heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants, nicotine, drugs etc… (Phase 2 Detoxification)
3. Reducing Pain
If you suffer with aches and pains, headaches, joint pain or any type of inflammation then turmeric with black pepper is definitely something you may want to consider using.
Both the piperine from black pepper and the curcumin from turmeric help to lower inflammation throughout the body, to “turn off” pain pathways. When you consume these often, your body produces more antioxidants such as glutathione which help to protect your cells against free radical damage and oxidation.
4. Digestive Support
Black pepper helps your body absorb healing phytonutrients from different foods especially turmeric because it stimulates digestive enzymes from your pancreas, and the flow of bile from your liver. Together they help to calm the stomach and soothe any type of digestive problem, such as indigestion, acid reflux and constipation. The polysaccharides in turmeric help to support the mucosal lining in your gut to prevent toxins from leaking into your blood, which often trigger allergies and autoimmune problems. Curcumin also helps to destroy H.pylori, a harmful bacteria that triggers stomach ulcers.
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5. Anti-Aging
Studies show that the active ingredients in turmeric can help to prevent DNA damage and also help DNA to repair itself. This helps to slow down the aging process and protect your cells against free radical damage, which could be causing you to lose collagen in your skin, hair, nails, joints etc..
6. Fights Cancer
This combination is also helpful in preventing and fighting cancer, as the ingredients help to trigger controlled cell death (apoptosis). It helps any damaged cells in your body to automatically die and be renewed with healthy cells, preventing damaged cells from turning into cancer.
In particular curcumin has been shown to supress the development of colon cancer cells by lowering the expression of certain mutant genes (p53)
7. Lowers Blood Pressure
By improving insulin sensitivity, both black pepper and turmeric help to protect your arteries, by lowering the risk of plaque forming inside.
They help the cells inside your artery walls (endothelium), to remain healthy and this keeps your arteries smooth and flexible, Protecting your heart and helping blood to circulate through your body, carrying oxygen and nutrients.
8. Lowers Blood Sugars
One of the main problems in the modern world is high blood sugars and high insulin levels, caused by eating too many carbohydrates and junk foods. (And overeating) Consuming turmeric and black pepper helps to support the beta cells in your pancreas and boost insulin sensitivity so that you can get your blood sugars under control. This not only helps to prevent diabetes, but it also helps with weight loss and preventing diabetic complications such as nerve damage (neuropathy).
9. Nerve & Brain Health
If you want to help protect yourself against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s you may consider getting more turmeric and black pepper into your diet.
Studies suggest that turmeric improves the level of friendly microbes that live inside your gut, which help to produce brain chemicals (gut brain axis) that keep your brain healthy. By lowering inflammation, turmeric and black pepper protect your nerves and brain from oxidative damage, and have a protective effect on the electrical system of your body. (Nervous system)
10. Improving Mental Health
People who consume black pepper often find that they feel much better in themselves and are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and mood disorders. The alkaloids and spicy compounds improve the output of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that make you happy, without the need for certain medications.
Other Ways To Use Turmeric & Black Pepper:
One of the best ways is to simply eat raw turmeric rhizome in a salad and add a few black peppercorns to improve your health.
You can also add turmeric powder and black pepper in your stir dries, soups, curries, stews or toss them over veggies. You can make golden milk using the recipe I released at the beginning of this video.
You can even take turmeric and black pepper capsules Add turmeric and black pepper to wild rice if you aren’t following a low carb diet Or simply make turmeric tea with hot water, turmeric powder and a pinch of black pepper. So try adding both of these ingredients into your diet whenever you can to support a healthy overall metabolism.