Black Pepper: 24 Reasons and uses to eat it for good health

Some of the health benefits of black pepper include aid in weight loss, helps to relieve pain, good for stomach, helps to detoxify the whole body from cancer causing toxins, anti-cancer, maintain brain health, useful in diabetes, can cure depression, enhance nutrient absorption, good for hearth health and helps to deal with various skin problems.

Nutritional benefits of Black Pepper

  • The biological name of Black Pepper is Piper nigrum.
  • It is also known as Sazonar con pimienta (Spanish),  Poivrer (French), Pepř  (Czech), Kalimirch (Hindi), Milagu (Tamil), Kurumulaku (Malayalam), Miriyalu (Telugu), Kada Mari (Gujarati), Golmarich (Bengali), Mire (Marathi), Golmaricha (Oriya), Kalimirch (Urdu & Punjabi) in many households.
  • A slight inch of black pepper adds great taste to the food and has many potential benefits. It contains protein, phytosterols, dietary fiber, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Omega-6 Fatty Acids, vitamins (Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Choline, Betaine)  and minerals (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Fluoride).Black pepper health benefits

Health Benefits of Black Pepper

1. Pain management

Black pepper has analgesics effect and helpful in relieving pain like tooth ache, head ache, neck pain.
In a study, an essential oil cream made that contain black pepper helps to improve neck pain.

2. Stomach health

Intake of black pepper helps to relax the smooth muscles of the gut, helping to prevent or relieve painful cramping spasms in the intestines. It helps to improve digestion by stimulating taste buds and stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach which helps to reduce intestinal gas problems.

Studies has found, the hot extract of black pepper has therapeutic role in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders.

3. Detoxification

In a study, black pepper is a potential detoxifier which is capable of removing harmful chemicals that can cause cancer from the system. Just adding a pinch of black pepper in detox drinks can multiply the effects of overall detoxification process.

4. Antioxidants

Black Pepper is rich in many strong antioxidants that help to prevent damage from free radicals. Studies has found, black pepper has piperine as an active compound which helps to prevent oxidative stress to the cells, when taken along with diet meal.

4. Nicotine or smoking addiction

Studies has found essential oils of black pepper and angelica  helps to reduce nicotine craving and allowed a longer delay before next use of tobacco. Inhaling of black pepper essential oil or aromatherapy can be useful in nicotine withdrawal.

In another study, intensity of sensations in the chest and respiratory tract are important factor in alleviating smoking withdrawal symptoms. Cigarette substitutes delivering pepper constituents may prove useful in smoking cessation treatment.

5. Useful for stroke patients

Black pepper helps to speed up the recovery in stroke patients. Studies indicate that the interaction of brain areas activated by the olfactory stimulation exerts an influence on the balance ability of stroke patients.

6. Anti-cancer

Studies finding indicate that piperine found in black pepper is as an effective anti-tumor agent in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer without toxicity to the host. In vitro study suggest, black pepper contains pellitorine, a potential anti-cancer lead compound against tumor cell lines.

A study indicated that piperine in black pepper reduces DNA damage and DNA-protein cross links in lung cancer.

In other study, piperine inhibits the growth of human colon cancer cells via G1 arrest and apoptosis triggered by endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Studies has found cumin and black pepper can prevent colon cancer.

In another study, piperine in black pepper may extend its chemopreventive effect through modulating the protein bound carbohydrate levels, as they are one of the indicators of tumorigenesis.

Black pepper also enhance the radiosensitivity of tumor cells.

7. Immune system health

Studies has fond that regular intake of black pepper promote the maintenance of a healthy immune system. This can be a potential therapeutic tools to regulate inflammatory responses and prevent or remove harmful cancer causing toxins from the body.

8. Prevent Alzheimer disease

Black pepper has protective effect on nerves system and helps to improves cognitive functioning while decreasing Alzheimer disease neuropathology and may thus represent a safe, natural treatment for AD.

In a study, black pepper is proven to be effective for prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and prevention of nerve degeneration.

9. Helpful in memory disorders

Studies has found black pepper plant extract significantly improved memory performance and exhibited antioxidant potential. This helps to decrease oxidative stress hippocampus of the brain.

10. Protects brain functions

Studies has found that  Piperine, the main alkaloid of Thai black pepper, protects against neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment.

11. Anti-parasites and anti-protozoa

Black pepper can be effective in various parasites and protozoan related diseases.

Studies has found an extract of black pepper showed a 98.6% and 99.2% inhibition of the growth of infection due to parasites or protozoa in 100mg and 200mg doses.

12. Diabetes

Studies indicate that intake of black pepper has significant impact on lowering blood sugar level and reducing serum lipids. Due to strong antioxidant potential black pepper helps to protect against diabetes.