I recently read that turmeric is only effective if it is combined with black pepper. Is this true?
Find out the best way to take turmeric and curcumin supplements to increase absorption and bioavailability. ConsumerLab.com's answer explains.
www.consumerlab.com/answers/how-much-curcumin-should-i-take-while-also-using-formulations-with-enhanced-bioavailability/curcumin-biovailability-dose/
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Reviewed and edited by Tod Cooperman, M.D.
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Hal14046
May 20, 2017A recent article in forbes magazine references a study indicting there is no evidence in over 120 studies that Turmeric has any health benefits (https://www.forbes.com/sites/samlemonick/2017/01/19/everybody-needs-to-quit-it-with-this-turmeric-molecule/#79ff35fe79ff )
The study is at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00975 and concludes:
Curcumin is a constituent (up to ~5%) of the traditional medicine known as turmeric. Interest in the therapeutic use of turmeric and the relative ease of isolation of curcuminoids has led to their extensive investigation. Curcumin has recently been classified as both a PAINS (pan-assay interference compounds) and an IMPS (invalid metabolic panaceas) candidate. The likely false activity of curcumin in vitro and in vivo has resulted in >120 clinical trials of curcuminoids against several diseases. No double-blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of curcumin has been successful. This manuscript reviews the essential medicinal chemistry of curcumin and provides evidence that curcumin is an unstable, reactive, nonbioavailable compound and, therefore, a highly improbable lead. On the basis of this in-depth evaluation, potential new directions for research on curcuminoids are discussed.
Thoughts on this, please.
Hi Hal - We wrote about this study (Nelson, J Med Chem) when it came out earlier this year. It make some valid points but avoids discussion of formulations which overcome some of these issues. See the "What It Does" section of the Turmeric/Curcumin Supplements Review ( https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/turmeric-curcumin-supplements-spice-review/turmeric/#nelson) .