Ghee with Turmeric (Haldi): Does Fat Help Curcumin Absorption?

Haldi in hot ghee is the start of countless Indian dishes. There is some chemistry behind the habit.

We make A2 buffalo bilona ghee, so we have an interest here; figures are from our lab report and the cited sources.

Why fat and turmeric go together

Curcumin, the yellow compound in turmeric, dissolves poorly in water and well in fat. On its own it is absorbed and cleared quickly, so little reaches the bloodstream. Blooming turmeric in ghee or oil disperses it in fat, which is a reasonable way to eat it.

The black pepper evidence

The best-known study is from 1998 in Planta Medica: in healthy volunteers, adding piperine (from black pepper) to curcumin raised its bioavailability by about 2000%. It was a small study with high doses, but it explains the traditional pairing of haldi and kali mirch.

Simple ways to use it

• Tadka: heat a teaspoon of ghee, add a pinch of turmeric for a few seconds, then the dal or sabzi.
• Haldi doodh: warm milk with ¼ teaspoon turmeric, a pinch of black pepper and a little ghee (ghee and milk).
• Winter remedy traditions for colds (ghee for cough and cold).

What turmeric can and cannot do

Curcumin is studied for anti-inflammatory effects, but culinary amounts are small and results in people are mixed. Enjoy turmeric as food; do not rely on it as medicine. People on blood thinners or with gallstones should check with a doctor before taking turmeric supplements.

Which ghee?

Any pure ghee works; ghee’s high smoke point means the turmeric toasts without the fat burning (ghee smoke point). Other pairings: ghee with honey, ghee with jaggery.

Sources & references

1. Shoba G et al. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Medica, 1998; 64(4)