Curcumin + Piperine

Can you take Curcumin and Piperine together?

SynergyHuman data

Yes — take them at the same time; that is the whole point of the pairing.

What to do. Take in the same dose, with a fat-containing meal. If you take prescription drugs, check with a pharmacist first — or choose a piperine-free enhanced curcumin (phytosome, micellar).

Mechanism

Piperine increases curcumin bioavailability

Piperine inhibits the glucuronidation that rapidly clears curcumin. In a small single-dose human study, 20 mg piperine with 2 g curcumin increased curcumin bioavailability ~20-fold (the widely quoted "2000%"). The same enzyme inhibition can raise blood levels of some medications.

Evidence: Human data — Human pharmacokinetic, cohort or case-series data.

  1. 01Shoba G et al. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med 1998.
  2. 02NIH NCCIH — Turmeric

Timing

A day with Curcumin and Piperine

  1. 12:30

    Lunch

    with meal

Taking more than these two?

Add the rest of your stack and your medications for a complete check.

Check my full stack

Buying guide

What to look for on the label

  • Curcumin

    • With piperine (BioPerine®)
    • Or enhanced forms: phytosome, micellar, or with turmeric oils

  • Piperine

    • Standardized 95% piperine, usually pre-combined with curcumin

Related

Other interactions

Curcumin + Iron

Curcumin binds iron

Note→

Piperine + Resveratrol

Piperine may increase resveratrol exposure

Synergy→

Learn more about Curcumin and Piperine.