I was just going to comment on this, then saw your post.
When we cook, our muscle memory is to add black ground pepper when adding turmeric.
We also favor cinnamon because it is anecdotally supposed to be a good anti-inflammatory agent - if this is not true, at least it tastes good with many foods.
I've been mixing cinnamon, ginger, and tumeric in oatmeal and juice blends every morning for a while, but hadn't heard about the interaction with piperine. Looks like that information was primarily based on one study in 1998, but it probably can't heard too much. Added black pepper this morning. Thanks for the tip.
>>If you don't have Parkinson's, and the associated brain changes that this is reversing, what would be the point?
The point...hedging my bets. I don't know whether I've got Parkisons...not will I until its too late.
So as long as its backed by something resembling science I'm OK with integrating minor changes into my life on the off chance that it might work. e.g. Right now I'm throwing a decent dose of tummeric into most of my cooking. Tastes fine, costs near zero and might help somewhere along the line. Worse case scenario is that nothing happens and I'm 0.1 USD poorer per month. Hell I suspect I'll receive more positive benefit from believing I might gain a benefit...some difference really.
Well, worst case scenario is the (very rare) chance of getting contaminated product through international spice adulteration and counterfeiting - and that contamination giving you some unpleasant food poisoning that gives you kidney disease leading you to either need a transplant or to live on dialysis for years.
I just did a web search for contaminated spoces and there are some recent US cases of imported turmeric that was high in lead. So worst case is that you very slowly give yourself lead poisoning.
>>Well, worst case scenario is the (very rare) chance of getting contaminated product through international spice adulteration and counterfeiting
True enough. Though as far as contamination goes...I'm far more worried about other products. The spices are all a local brand - one in which I've got reasonable trust. Things like olive oil though...fake olive oil seems to be par for the course. That freaks me out 100x more than "fake" parsley.
Or you can buy turmeric + BioPerine from a reputable US based company with extensive metal testing to make sure there's no contamination, like DrVita (where I happen to be employed and can confirm an obsession with testing for heavy metals)
Also, welcome to the club: http://www.reddit.com/r/supplements