Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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29.04.2014 |
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Piperine makes curcumin more effective
If the studies are to be believed, curcumin [structural formula on right] is an anti-oestrogen, testosterone booster, bone builder, cancer inhibitor, muscle strengthener, slimming aid – and maybe even an antidepressant. Curcumin, it would seem, is a versatile supplement. But whatever use is intended, curcumin works better when combined with piperine [structural formula shown here], a compound found in black pepper.
Piperine, a compound found in the pepper species Piper nigrum and Piper longum, inhibits glucuronidation. So is it possible to increase curcumin uptake by ingesting piperine at the same time as curcumin?
The researchers tested this idea on 10 males in their twenties. The subjects were given 2 g curcumin on one occasion and 2 g curcumin plus 20 mg piperine on another.
Ordinary black pepper for cooking purposes consists of about 5 percent piperine. That means you need 400 mg black pepper to ingest 20 mg piperine. That's about a quarter of a teaspoon.
The combined intake resulted in a considerable increase in curcumin levels, as the figure below shows. Maximal concentration after intake of 2 g curcumin was 0.006 microgram per ml. After an intake of 2 g curcumin plus 20 mg piperine this was 0.18 microgram per ml – a factor thirty higher.
A measurement of total bioavailability is the Area Under the Curve [AUC]. Adding 20 mg piperine caused this to increase twentyfold.
The researchers observed no negative effects.
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