The Study
Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers
This study found that when you take piperine (from black pepper) with curcumin (from turmeric), your body absorbs more curcumin into the blood. But it doesn't prove that this makes you healthier or cures anything — just that more of it gets into your bloodstream.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Turmeric has healing properties, but your body can't absorb it well. Black pepper contains piperine, which stops your body from breaking down turmeric too fast.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This means taking turmeric with black pepper could make its health benefits much stronger because more of it gets into your bloodstream.
- 2With black pepper, turmeric levels in blood jump 2000% in humans (from nothing to 0.18 μg/mL) and 154% in rats; peak levels happen faster and last longer.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Planta Medica
Year
1998
Authors
Guido Shoba1, David Joy1, Thangam Joseph1, M. Majeed2, R. Rajendran2, P. Srinivas2
Related Content
Claims (6)
Piperine enhances the amount of curcumin that enters the bloodstream by blocking its chemical breakdown in the intestines and liver.
When 20 mg of piperine is taken with 2 g of curcumin in healthy humans, the amount of curcumin absorbed into the bloodstream increases by 2000% compared to taking curcumin alone, because piperine blocks enzymes in the liver and intestines that break down curcumin.
In rats, combining 20 mg/kg piperine with 2 g/kg curcumin results in 154% higher curcumin levels in the blood than curcumin alone, due to reduced clearance and shorter elimination half-life.
When healthy people take 2 grams of curcumin by mouth, almost none of it enters the bloodstream because it is broken down quickly and not absorbed well in the gut.
When piperine is taken with curcumin, the highest level of curcumin in the blood rises to 0.18 μg/mL and reaches that level faster, in 0.69 hours instead of 1 hour.
When taken together, piperine increases how much curcumin enters the bloodstream in both rats and humans, but the increase is much larger in humans than in rats.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.