Some of you will know from my previous posts that my family has a long history in ayurvedic medicine, this is where I first got my interest in natural remedies. So I try and understand as much as possible what the health benefits are of the ingredients I use. I’d like to highlight two that I think really go well together, turmeric and pepper. Although they sound like a crime fighting partnership, they are a fantastic duo for maintaining healthy lifestyle.
Let’s take turmeric, there is an increasing body of evidence suggesting a range of benefits, helping to fight depression, diabetes and viral infections. Though the evidence isn’t a hundred percent on these, what is very clear is the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric. This the reason why trendies are drinking turmeric chai latte. However, there’s a problem, curcumin the good compound in turmeric responsible for all the goodness is present in only small quantities. Moreover it’s hard for the body to absorb curcumin. That’s where pepper can help.
Pepper on it’s own is a great spice, I don’t need to tell you about how it helps with taste. Though one trick you may not know, if you want to make your curries hotter, don’t add chilli add pepper. From a health perspective, pepper research suggests it helps to eliminate cancer inducing chemicals called HCAs. Pepper may also help in stimulating digestive enzymes that help with the absorption of nutrients. This is where the relationship with turmeric comes in. Studies have shown that the piperine in pepper improves the absorption of curcumin by as much as 2,000%.
So turmeric and pepper really are a dynamic duo. Both are contained in Masala Burst, and unlike the typical turmeric chai that use processed powdered turmeric, I use fresh whole turmeric. Although it’s only anecdotal evidence, many of my customers have said the curries they’ve made using Masala Burst don’t leave them bloated, where other curries do. I believe that’s down to having the right balance in ingredients, and I am sure the dynamic duo play a part in that.
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