Turmeric vs Curcumin: Why Black Pepper Is Added to Curcumin Capsules

By the Zespo team · Updated 26 October 2026

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), or haldi, is the golden root used in nearly every Indian kitchen. Curcumin is the main yellow compound inside it, but it makes up only around 2 to 5% of dried turmeric root.

What is a curcumin extract?

Supplement makers extract the yellow compounds, called curcuminoids, from turmeric root. Many extracts are standardised to about 95% curcuminoids, which is far more concentrated than turmeric powder.

Why add black pepper?

Black pepper contains piperine, the compound that gives it its bite. Piperine is commonly added to curcumin formulas, a pairing long familiar from Indian cooking where haldi and kali mirch go together. Some formulas also add ginger.

Turmeric powder or curcumin?

A label listing "turmeric root powder" and one listing "curcumin extract 95%" describe very different amounts of curcumin, so compare carefully.

What to check before you buy

• The amount of each ingredient per serving, not just per capsule
• How many capsules make one serving and how many servings are in the pack
• Whether any ingredient sits inside an undisclosed "proprietary blend"
• An FSSAI licence number and the veg/non-veg mark on the pack

Label facts: Zespo Curcumin 1,105 mg with Ginger & Black Pepper – 90 Capsules

• Each two-capsule serving provides a 1,105 mg formula with 1,000 mg of Curcumin Extract (standardized to 95% Curcuminoids), 100 mg of Ginger Rhizome Extract and 5 mg of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
• Contains 90 capsules providing 45 servings
• Made in India in a GMP-certified facility, FSSAI-licensed

See Zespo Curcumin 1,105 mg with Ginger & Black Pepper – 90 Capsules on zespo.in · Also on Amazon.in (search "Zespo").

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Zespo products are food supplements, not medicines. This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Take supplements as directed on the label and speak to a qualified healthcare professional if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a medical condition.