Saumya Tandon, who amazed us with her powerful performance as Ulfat in Dhurandhar, swears by a simple 3-ingredient concoction to power her metabolic health. In an Instagram reel, Tandon shared that she starts her day with a tablespoon of ghee, with a pinch of turmeric (haldi) and black pepper.

“You are what you eat. And since everyone keeps saying, ‘ I diet or asks, ‘ What do I eat to stay fit (slim, etc.)? ‘, I actually never diet. I have a few good habits that help me.


1. One Tablespoon ghee with turmeric and black pepper powder


2. One big glass of lukewarm water with grated ginger


3. No sugar, honey, or jaggery ever


4. Protein-rich diet, including nuts throughout the day


5. Finish dinner before 7 pm,” she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.

Kanikka Malhotra, Consultant Dietician & Diabetes Educator, says that ghee, haldi and black pepper on an empty stomach might be trending as a “gut healing” ritual, but the real story is in the chemistry, and it is more nuanced than most reels suggest.

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Ghee + haldi + black pepper: Let’s decode this

Suggesting that ghee is rich in “butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that nourishes colon cells and supports gut lining integrity, Malhotra adds that turmeric’s active compound, curcumin, is poorly absorbed on its own, and less than one per cent reaches the bloodstream in studies. Therefore, black pepper’s piperine can boost curcumin absorption by up to two thousand per cent” by inhibiting its breakdown in the liver and gut, she continues.

“Combined with ghee’s fat content, which helps dissolve curcumin since it is fat soluble, this trio genuinely enhances bioavailability far more than turmeric with water or milk alone,” she tells indianexpress.com.

In addition, she mentions that this same piperine boost also affects how the body metabolises certain medications, including diabetes and blood pressure drugs, by the same liver enzyme pathway. This matters for anyone on regular medication.

 

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A post shared by Saumya Tandon (@saumyas_world_)

What’s the best way to take this?

According to Malhotra, best practice lies in taking “half to one teaspoon of ghee with a quarter teaspoon turmeric and a pinch of black pepper”, mixed together and taken with warm water.

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“Since ghee already supplies the fat curcumin needs for absorption, this preparation is sound,” she says, adding that in this case, timing matters less than consistency.

However, she suggests having it alongside a meal rather than strictly on an empty stomach, as the food may ease absorption further and reduce any gastric irritation from turmeric or piperine.

Who should be careful?

As for precautions to take, Malhotra warns those those with “gallbladder disease, fatty liver, or on blood thinners like warfarin” to consult their doctor first, since turmeric has “mild anticoagulant properties” to watch out for.