In recent decades, turmeric has become a worldwide sensation. Originally, it was used by only a few cultures — specifically in South Asia — as not just a health remedy and spice, but for ceremonial practices. And it still is!
In some cultures, both the bride and groom apply a turmeric paste to their skin as a blessing and to radiate their skin. In other cultures, turmeric is the reason the bride and groom wear yellow clothes on their wedding day.
It’s a staple in many dishes and a go-to for several health issues in many health practices, including Ayurveda.
You can read more about how turmeric has been used for millennia here.
Simply put, due to its culinary and health abilities, turmeric has been heralded for thousands of years. People have been using it for generations for a good reason. But as its popularity has grown, so have the myths surrounding the root.
We’re going to cover 5 beliefs about turmeric that you may have heard and reveal why they aren’t necessarily true.
1. “Turmeric is all about curcumin”
Since being isolated in the early 1900s, curcumin has taken a lot of the spotlight away from turmeric. This is for a big reason, though. Curcumin is a powerful compound. It seems to be the most important part of turmeric when it comes to supporting joint health and promoting a healthy inflammatory response.
But here’s what’s important to know…
Firstly, curcumin is in turmeric. A fair dose of pure, organic turmeric still provides a healthy amount of curcumin.
Secondly, there is much more to turmeric than just this one compound. Turmeric has hundreds of other compounds — like turmerone, ar-turmerone, and zingiberene — which have also been studied and shown to support brain health, have high antioxidant properties, and promote overall well-being.
To read more about turmeric versus curcumin, click here!
2. “Turmeric has no benefit without black pepper”
This may be the biggest misconception regarding turmeric. But there is some truth to it.
It’s true that black pepper — or specifically piperine, an alkaloid present in black pepper — can significantly increase the absorption of turmeric. However, there’s more to it…
Piperine allows for increased absorption because it inhibits certain metabolic functions. See, the body can’t always recognize the difference between a good drug and a bad drug. As such, the liver filters out a lot of the beneficial compounds in turmeric, stopping you from getting the most out of each dose. But piperine stops the liver from filtering out these compounds.
That’s a big problem, though…
Not only does the piperine hinder your liver’s ability to filter out the curcumin, it impedes the filtration of other substances. Substances your liver would regularly filter out, like toxic chemicals.
And on top of that, if you’re on medication, your doctor would have prescribed your dose understanding the role of your liver in filtering things out. But if you’re regularly and excessively taking piperine, your medication’s dose may become much more powerful — and that’s not something you want to be risking.
If you’re taking turmeric with added black pepper or piperine and you’re on medication, you should talk to your doctor about any potential risks.
And even if you’re not on medication, you don’t want to be leaving your body vulnerable to outside toxins. Find a better way to get absorbable turmeric. Purality Health infuses organic turmeric with a micelle liposomal formula. These are fatty cells that are natural to your body and greatly enhance the absorption of the encapsulated turmeric — and nothing else!
Click here to learn more about our turmeric delivery system.
3. “Turmeric stains your teeth”
If you’re at all familiar with turmeric, you know that its deep yellow pigment can get on everything and stain clothes, cupboards, and, well, pretty much any light-colored surface. So, it stands to reason that it would do the same to your teeth, right?
Surprisingly, it’s actually the opposite. While turmeric won’t stain your teeth, many experts agree that it can actually whiten your teeth!
Because it’s natural, it’s a preferable option against other teeth-whiteners that may be harsh on your teeth and gums.
While there are no hard studies on turmeric and teeth whitening, and all of the evidence so far is anecdotal, there are studies showing that ingesting turmeric supports the health of the teeth and gums.
To read more about using turmeric to whiten your teeth, click here!
4. “All turmeric is the same”
Turmeric can come in many forms. You can buy pills, powders, drinks, or other formulas. You can buy just the raw root, but even that can vary in quality. Like any produce, you want something that was grown responsibly, preferably organic, and minimally processed.
When it comes to turmeric supplements, some companies add coloring agents to their powders. Not only can these colorings be unhealthy, but it’s often making up for poor quality. Some companies don’t use quality turmeric that was sourced responsibly and even dilute their formulas.
On top of that, hardly any turmeric supplements take bioavailability into consideration when producing their products. This leads to nothing more than a waste of money. And the ones that do often use piperine, which as we saw above, isn’t ideal, especially for regular or long-term use.
Here at Purality Health, we use organic, non-GMO turmeric that’s infused with our micelle liposomal formula for enhanced absorption.
To learn more about how Purality Health’s turmeric is superior, click here.
5. “You need a lot of turmeric to get any benefits”
This myth comes from turmeric’s poor bioavailability. If it has a low absorption rate, it makes sense you will have to take more of it to experience the benefits. This is somewhat true. If you’re taking turmeric raw, you should still be getting some benefits. But if you want to experience the full range of benefits that turmeric can provide, it’s best to take it in a form that’s designed to be absorbed.
Purality Health’s Micelle Liposomal Turmeric is designed with absorption in mind. That way, you only need 8 pumps of our tasty formula (about ½ teaspoon)! Just this small amount daily can provide you with a wide range of health benefits.
Curious to know what they are?
