Bioenhancer Assessment of Black Pepper with Turmeric on Self-Reported Pain Ratings in Adults: A Randomized, Cross-Over, Clinical Trial

Leandra Durham, Robert A. Oster, Matthew Ithurburn, Chelsi Reynolds, James O. Hill, Daniel L. Smith, Jr.

Objective:
A randomized, crossover clinical trial tested the effectiveness of turmeric only (one of three amounts within culinary ranges) or turmeric with black pepper to influence pain in adults ≥ 40 years of age.

Methods:
Participants (n = 30, with moderate pain: 4–7 on 0–10-point scale) were enrolled in a 21-day trial, and an experience sampling methodology approach was used. Participants were prompted to report current pain using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS; 0–10) via text message three times per day for the full study period. Data were averaged and analyzed via linear mixed effects models for repeated measurements.

Results:
Pain ratings from baseline to week 3 were reduced and statistically significant (p < 0.001) but not statistically different between groups. The provided turmeric, both with and without black pepper, and varying amounts of turmeric (300 mg, 1 g, and 3 g, n = 10 participants/amount) did not show statistically significant differences in pain ratings (p = 0.157 and p = 0.338, respectively). 

Conclusions:
Consuming dietarily relevant amounts of turmeric, either alone or with black pepper, appears to improve average pain ratings. This result suggests a feasible dietary option for further study of nutritional interventions for chronic pain management.