If you’re not already incorporating turmeric with black pepper (curcuma longa), aka “the golden spice,” into your diet, you’re missing out on some amazing benefits! It’s by far one of the most powerful spices in the world.
Used for over 4000 years as an Ayurvedic medicine in India, turmeric has remarkable capabilities to transform your health.
This article provides you with the ins and outs of what to look for, how to consume turmeric, and how it can transform your wellbeing. Keep reading to learn more!

Note: This article contains affiliate links, meaning In On Around will make a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps us maintain the site. As always, we value full transparency & only work with brands we love and trust.
Author: In On Around Founder & CEO, Catherine Power.
- Published On:
- Updated On: January 20, 2025
Table of Contents
What Is Turmeric? What Is Curcumin?
It’s truly amazing how Mother Nature has provided us with such powerful, nutritious spices that heal, like turmeric and curcumin.
Curcumin is the major active ingredient found in turmeric. It’s what gives it the beautiful orange/yellow color! Curcumin gives turmeric its long list of powerful health benefits.
Fun fact: turmeric is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), however, ginger has a brownish color on the inside. They’re nearly identical on the outside, so don’t be fooled!
Turmeric is a member of the ginger family.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Turmeric?
There are a host of amazing turmeric health benefits!
- Anti-inflammatory – Long-term inflammation or oxidative damage in the body can lead to a long list of health issues (and it’s a chronic issue, especially in the United States).
- Turmeric can help people suffering from arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions caused by inflammation.
- I usually increase my turmeric intake during spring allergy/hay fever season and it absolutely helps to keep sinus inflammation at bay.
- Antioxidant – Curcumin can help protect the body from cellular damage! For this reason, it can help prevent macular degeneration and other ocular diseases.
- Anti-carcinogenic – Countries that traditionally eat more turmeric/curcumin tend to have lower rates of certain cancers!
- There are some studies that have shown this magic spice to kill cancer & prevent it from growing (especially with breast, bowel, stomach, and skin cancers) – WOW.
- May reduce symptoms of certain skin conditions (like psoriasis and eczema)
- May protect against Alzheimer’s Disease & memory problems. [1, 2]
… and many, many more! The research on the health benefits of curcumin or turmeric with black pepper is growing.
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Why You Should Take Turmeric With Black Pepper
The curcumin in turmeric, unfortunately, is not always readily absorbed by our bodies. It has low bioavailability (absorption) on its own.
Black pepper, however, contains a compound called piperine which can help curcumin absorption by up to 2000% (yes – you read that right!). [3] Sometimes it is referred to as BioPerine, which is a trademarked form of supplemental piperine. The ratio of curcumin to black pepper should be around 100:1.
For this reason, always always always ingest turmeric with black pepper – together they’re the perfect combo. The brands below all incorporate black pepper into their ingredients.
Black pepper can increase curcumin absorption by up to 2000%!
What Are The Best Turmeric Brands?
1. My favorite way to take turmeric is through a tablet. One of the best on the market is Truvani. Especially if you’re not a major fan of the taste of turmeric, this is a great way to incorporate it into your diet on a daily basis!
2. Another good option is Gaia’s Turmeric Supreme Extra Strength. This is a more affordable option, but whenever you buy supplements on Amazon make sure you’re getting them directly from the manufacturer (not a reseller). Leefy Prana Turmeric Ginger is another high-quality option! [DISCOUNT: This is a 15% off discount link!]
3. I also LOVE taking a cold, morning turmeric shot from Suja Organics. Their “Immunity Defense” shot is packed with 5000 mg. It also contains echinacea and live probiotics. Not an ad for Suja, but if you follow my Instagram stories you’ll see that I drink them almost daily!
Both the Truvani & Suja options are USDA organic certified, non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free (heck yeah!).
If you’re a fan of the taste, sprinkle in a little (or a lot) of the healthy spice into your dishes – just make sure it’s from an organic supplier that tests for heavy metals, like Further Foods.
If you’re looking for skincare with anti-inflammatory properties, Cocokind’s Turmeric Stick is a great option! [DISCOUNT: use code inonaround10 for 10% off]
Always opt for high-quality turmeric supplements only!
Better Together - Turmeric Tips
Pro tip: Be careful not to get it on any clothing, as it will likely stain (been there, done that – oops). It’s oftentimes used as an all-natural, plant-based dye and food coloring for this reason!
Lastly, as always, listen to your body & if you have any gastrointestinal issues while consuming turmeric, keep it limited. It’s best to take these supplements with food to minimize stomach aches.
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Do you incorporate turmeric in your diet?
Let me know your thoughts and key takeaways in the comments below!
xoxo,
Want to read more? Check out our other articles here!
Other references on turmeric with black pepper from: PubMed, Nuffield Health, NIH, Cancer Research UK
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Frequently Asked Questions – Turmeric Benefits With Black Pepper
Click the below FAQs to learn more about why turmeric and black pepper are better together!
Curcumin is the major active ingredient found in turmeric. It’s what gives it the beautiful orange/yellow color! Curcumin gives turmeric its long list of powerful health benefits.
Turmeric is one of the healthiest spices around! Turmeric is known to be anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant. It can help improve skin conditions and protect your memory.
The curcumin in turmeric, unfortunately, is not always readily absorbed by our bodies. Black pepper, however, contains a compound called piperine which can help curcumin absorption by up to 2000% (yes – you read that right!).
Be careful not to get turmeric on any clothing, as it will likely stain (been there, done that – oops). It’s oftentimes used as an all-natural, plant-based dye and food-coloring for this reason!
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