Turmeric
Turmeric and black pepper: why they go together
Turmeric and black pepper turn up together in recipes and in shots for a reason that goes back centuries. Here's what the pairing is about, what the research on piperine and absorption has actually shown and where the honest line sits.
Why turmeric and black pepper go together
The pairing isn't a modern trick. Cooks have put turmeric and black pepper together for centuries, usually with a little fat as well and that combination carried straight into the shot. There's a practical reason behind the tradition: on its own, curcumin, the main compound in turmeric, is hard for the body to absorb and black pepper is the thing people have long reached for alongside it.
So the black pepper in a turmeric shot isn't there for flavour alone. It's there because turmeric and pepper belong together and because the absorption question is a genuine and long-running area of research. Our Turmeric Shots include black pepper as standard for exactly that reason.
What piperine actually is
Piperine is the compound that makes black pepper taste like black pepper, the source of that sharp bite. It's also the part researchers have been interested in when it comes to turmeric. The idea they've tested is whether piperine changes how much curcumin the body takes up, since curcumin on its own is cleared quickly and poorly absorbed.
It doesn't take much. The amounts of black pepper used in this context are small, which is why a pinch in a recipe or a little in a shot is all that's ever needed. The interest was never in the pepper as a big ingredient, just in what that small amount of piperine might do alongside the turmeric.
The research behind the pairing
The most quoted study is Shoba et al, published in 1998, which gave healthy volunteers curcumin with and without piperine and reported a large increase in curcumin levels when the two were taken together. That study is where the well-known absorption figures come from.
It isn't the only evidence, either. Reviews of the published data, drawing on in vitro, preclinical and clinical studies, report that piperine improves the bioavailability of curcumin. That's why the pairing moved from traditional kitchens into modern formulations and stayed there and why black pepper is now the standard companion to turmeric wherever absorption is the point. It's the research on the compound rather than a measured promise about a drink, but the direction of it is well established.
It's a pairing, not a formula
Black pepper in a turmeric shot is there for good reason, but a shot is still a food, not a supplement and not a medicine. If you want the wider science on the compound itself, we go into it in curcumin and turmeric. And if you're on medication, pregnant or managing a condition, turmeric can interact with some medicines, so have a word with your GP before making a daily shot a habit.
Turmeric with the pepper in
Every one of our turmeric shots includes black pepper as standard, the way it's meant to be. All cold-pressed from whole root and delivered frozen, or browse the full cold-pressed shots.
Frequently Asked
Why do you put black pepper with turmeric?
Because they've always gone together and because curcumin, the compound in turmeric, is poorly absorbed on its own. Piperine, the compound in black pepper, is what researchers have looked at in relation to that. It's a traditional pairing with a real research question behind it, which is why it's in the shot.
Does black pepper really help turmeric absorption?
The research points that way. The most cited study reported a large rise in curcumin levels when piperine was added and reviews of the published data report that piperine improves the bioavailability of curcumin. It's why turmeric and pepper are paired everywhere. Bear in mind it's studied on the compound, usually concentrated, rather than measured in a drink.
How much black pepper do you need with turmeric?
Not much at all. The amounts involved are small, which is why a pinch in cooking or a little in a shot is all anyone uses. The interest was always in the piperine rather than in the pepper as a large ingredient.
Can I just add pepper to a turmeric latte myself?
You can and plenty of people do, it's the same tradition. Just bear in mind a powder-based latte contains far less turmeric than a fresh shot to begin with, so you're pairing pepper with a much smaller amount of turmeric. There's more on that in how much turmeric is in a shot.
Where does the 2,000% figure come from?
From Shoba et al in 1998, where volunteers who took curcumin with piperine showed much higher curcumin levels than those who took curcumin alone. That study is the source of the figure you'll see quoted and reviews of the wider evidence also report that piperine improves curcumin bioavailability. As always, it's research on the compound rather than a promise about what one shot does.
Does the pepper make the shot taste hot?
Not really. The amount is small and the citrus and fruit carry the flavour, so you get warmth and depth rather than heat. If anything it rounds the shot out rather than making it peppery.
The bottom line
Turmeric and black pepper go together because they always have and because there's well-established research behind whether piperine helps the body absorb curcumin, from the much-cited 1998 study through to later reviews. The pepper in a shot is a nod to that tradition and that research. It's the science behind the ingredient rather than a measured promise about a drink, which is exactly how we treat it.
Our Turmeric Shots come with the pepper in as standard and the full turmeric hub has the rest.
Where to buy
Browse the full cold-pressed juice shots range, or go straight to a favourite: Turmeric Shots, Ginger Turmeric, the Ginger & Turmeric Bundle or the Juice Shot Variety Box.
Related reading
- Turmeric and ginger: the pairing
- Fresh turmeric vs turmeric powder
- How to take a turmeric shot
- When to take a turmeric shot
- Turmeric shots and workout recovery
- Can you take a turmeric shot every day
- Turmeric shot vs golden milk vs tea
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