FYI folks,

Piperine is what gives black pepper it's spiciness.
I have a friend who is a nutritionist who recommended that I use black pepper in combo with curcumins/turmeric to enhance it's beneficial effect.

I try to save money when I can and turmeric in bulk is fairly inexpensive. So is black pepper. Since I use pepper in almost everything, including desserts, it doesn't bother me. I also add turmeric to everything I am cooking. It doesn't have to be a large amount, since the cumulative benefit happens whether it is one dose or spread out through meals. We do all our cooking from scratch and make a lot of soups and stews, and I put it in eggs, sauces and it's a part of my spice rubs for meats.

You don't have to spend large amounts of money buying manufactured pills to benefit from it.