Bio-Enhancer Piperine Makes Our Turmeric Supplement More Bioavailable*

If you've hopped on the turmeric health trend over the past couple of years, we don't have to tell you how powerful the antioxidant herb is.* You may have wondered why it's recommended to always pair turmeric with black pepper, though (especially in sweeter desserts and drinks, like golden milk).

As it turns out, this pairing is anything but random—black pepper helps optimize turmeric's absorption.* But this botanical can stand on its own two feet as well. The secret to black pepper's potent health benefits?* An organic compound called piperine.

Piperine is a naturally occurring phytonutrient compound (think of it as black pepper's MVP bioactive) that gives freshly ground pepper its sharp, biting flavor. It's found in piper fruits from the Piperaceae family but is most concentrated in Piper nigrum, or black pepper.

Pepper contains all sorts of compounds—fibers, carbs, proteins, starch, flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids. Black pepper is a botanical that has been utilized as an ingredient in natural remedies and recipes in ancient Indian (Ayurvedic) and Chinese medicine for centuries to combat oxidative stress, deliver inflammatory regulating actions, enhance blood circulation1, and more.* 

Of all of black pepper’s unique organic compounds, piperine is its most active (and famous), and its many health benefits are touted in modern scientific studies.*

Additionally, piperine can support daily digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes in the pancreas and intestines.* Preclinical studies have also found that piperine demonstrates the ability to regulate blood sugar1.*

Piperine's most impressive feat, however, is its ability to enhance the bioavailability of other botanical ingredients.

While piperine's solo health benefits are certainly nothing to scoff at, its role as a bio-enhancer is what makes it a truly valuable ingredient in food, supplements, and beyond. 

In fact, the term “bioavailability enhancer” was first coined by the Indian scientists who discovered and scientifically validated piperine as the world’s first bio-enhancer3 in 1976. Since then, scientific evidence has shown that piperine can help increase the bioavailability of bioactives such as resveratrol4, iron5, and curcumin (the principal bioactive curcuminoid in turmeric).*

It’s exactly why you grind a little fresh pepper into your golden milk, and you better believe it's the reason mbg chose black pepper fruit extract as one of the ingredients in our plant-centric multivitamin formula and our high-potency turmeric supplement (that these Ayurveda experts, longevity physicians, culinary nutritionists, and more are raving about). 

The botanical bioactive we boost with piperine is resveratrol from Japanese knotweed root extract. On its own, resveratrol is a powerful phytonutrient that promotes cognitive function6, aids cardiovascular health7, and supports the immune system8.* Unfortunately, it's tough for the human body to take advantage of resveratrol's health properties from this source because it metabolizes rapidly. When paired with piperine, resveratrol's bioavailability is increased9 and the duo becomes a botanical longevity powerhouse that supports cellular resilience, combats oxidative stress, and protects mitochondrial health.* 

Like resveratrol, turmeric’s most active and scientifically popular curcuminoid—curcumin—is notoriously difficult for the body to absorb and utilize. When taken with turmeric through diet or supplementation, piperine has been shown to enhance serum concentrations (i.e., blood levels) of curcumin in both animal and human studies.* 

But how much does piperine enhance curcumin’s health benefits, really? A lot, it turns out: According to a Planta Medica scientific review, piperine increases curcumin’s bioavailability by 2,000% with no side effects!* (So seriously, don’t forget the black pepper next time you’re making curry.)

Piperine is a dynamic plant bioactive that is highly valued for its bio-enhancing abilities (and a "secret sauce" ingredient for botanical teamwork and absorption).* That’s why we’ve included it in two of our mindbodygreen daily essential formulas.

We're proud of the lineup of revered ancient botanicals (i.e., turmeric, ginger, and piperine from black pepper extract) that promote antioxidant actions in our turmeric potency+ and the longevity botanicals that support cellular functions, integrity, and health in our comprehensive and cutting-edge ultimate multivitamin+.*

Thanks to the power of piperine, our formulas are more bioactive and bioavailable for users, making them prime choices for supporting your daily nutrient and the body's healthy inflammatory response.*