Turmeric: Old Gold, New Signals

Michelle Donath
Feb 24
4 min read

Updated: Jun 25

Inflammation. Mood. Detox. Turmeric’s been in the conversation long before science caught up.

We've seen it in lattes, capsules, glowing wellness shots, and golden curries.

But turmeric’s power isn’t in its trendiness. It’s in its history. Its chemistry. Its ability to show up again and again across cultures, kitchens, and contexts, as food, as medicine, as signal.

It’s not just a root, it’s a reminder.

That the kitchen was always a pharmacy. That food has always spoken.

The Root of It All

Turmeric comes from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family.

Its colour, deep ochre, unmistakable, comes from curcuminoids, with curcumin at the centre.

Curcumin is the compound most studied for:

Lowering inflammation
Neutralising oxidative stress
Supporting joints, mood, metabolism, and even cognition

But curcumin doesn’t work alone. And it doesn’t work well without help.

The Power Pairing: Why Turmeric Travels Better with Black Pepper and Fat

Curcumin is a tricky guest. It doesn’t absorb well on its own, and the body’s quick to clear it out.

That’s where piperine (the compound in black pepper) steps in, boosting absorption, slowing the body’s breakdown of curcumin to help it sneak across the gut barrier.

But there’s another key: fat.

Curcumin is fat-soluble, which means it needs a carrier. Ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, these aren’t just traditional for flavour. They’re molecular chauffeurs.

Piperine unlocks the gate. Fat carries the message.

That’s why traditional turmeric isn’t dry, dusty, or raw. It’s simmered. Stirred. Served warm and whole.

When the Gate Opens Too Wide: Why Some People React to Pepper

Of course, the story isn’t one-size-fits-all.

While piperine is a powerful bio-enhancer, it doesn’t just enhance curcumin. It enhances everything passing through your system at the same time.

If you have:

Histamine sensitivity
Gut permeability
Sluggish detox genes (UGT1A1, COMT, CYP450 variants)

…you might notice that turmeric supplements with black pepper make you feel off.

Headachy. Buzzy. Bloated. Or just… not quite right.

That’s not failure. It’s feedback.

If that’s you, go back to the kitchen. Start with turmeric in food. Combine it with fat.

Skip the pills that punch above your current pathway capacity.

Let your biology set the pace.

What Kind of Turmeric? The One That Matters Is What You Eat With It

Turmeric is a simple root, with Curcuma longa being the culinary and therapeutic star.

But what you combine it with does make a difference.

That black pepper? It’s not a garnish, it’s an activator. That ghee or olive oil? It’s not a side, it’s a system.

Whether you’re cooking a dal or stirring a golden paste, turmeric’s effects depend on what it rides in with.

And while some supplements isolate curcumin and megadose it, whole turmeric, used traditionally, in food, is already wisdom in motion.

It’s not just about the root. It’s the rhythm.

Gene Talk: Why Turmeric Doesn’t Work the Same for Everyone

Your genes shape how you handle curcumin.

UGT1A1 and other phase II detox genes help clear it, but if they’re sluggish, curcumin may hang around too long
CYP450 enzymes influence how fast it's broken down
Nrf2 activation means turmeric may upregulate your body’s own antioxidant defences, but not equally in everyone

This is why turmeric helps some people feel incredible, and leaves others with brain fog, agitation, or nothing at all.

Again, food form first. Dose second. Genetics always in the background, whispering your processing speed.

Turmeric + Methylation: A Quiet Intersection

Turmeric doesn’t just lower inflammation, it also modulates gene expression.

And while it’s not a methyl donor, curcumin has been shown to influence DNMTs (DNA methyltransferases) and help balance epigenetic methylation patterns.

That means turmeric doesn’t just manage your symptoms, it may shape how your genes behave.

It doesn’t act like a hammer. It acts like a message. A recalibration. A reset.

In the Kitchen: How I Use Turmeric

I get teased, lovingly, I think, for how often turmeric shows up in my cooking.

There’s always a bit in something.

“Let me guess… turmeric?” Yes. Yes, there is.

A sprinkle into the water while quinoa cooks. A pinch in broth. A generous stir through coconut cauliflower, muffins, dal, tonics. Even in almond butter and tahini.

It’s not about golden milk rituals or turmeric as a headline. It’s just there. Woven in.

Subtle but steady.

Because when something works that well, you don’t need to shout about it. You just keep it close. Stir it in. Let it do its work quietly, in the background, just like it always has.