In view of the desirable effects observed with β-carotene and its vegetable sources, another antioxidant phytochemical, namely curcumin of turmeric (a widely used spice), was also examined here for a possible beneficial influence on the bioaccessibilities of iron and zinc from food grains. Curcumin, included at 0.05/10 g grain, significantly enhanced the bioaccessibility of iron from sorghum, green gram and Bengal gram, in both raw and cooked condition (Table 4). The extent of increase in the bioaccessibility of iron ranged from 18.6% in raw chickpea to 165% in raw sorghum. Curcumin, on the other hand, did not have a similar positive effect on the bioaccessibility of zinc from any of the grains tested (Table 4).