People know that salt is harmful to health. However, another ingredient to add to the list is black pepper. Over the years, people have come to believe that black pepper has a small effect on the body. Black pepper has been a part of traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine for thousands of years. It is a dried berry of Piper Nigram vine.Also read – Add black pepper to your bracelet to protect yourself from Omicron flu
Ayurvedic practitioners believe that it has “carminative” properties – that is, it eliminates bloating. And in traditional Chinese medicine, black pepper is used to treat epilepsy. Also read – Healthy Lifestyle Tips: Each kitchen should have 7 essential spices
Modern science suggests that black pepper actually offers health benefits, primarily as a result of an alkaloid called piperine – a chemical that gives pepper its pungent taste and powerful antioxidants. Also read – Can salt affect blood flow to the brain? Here’s what the study says
Antioxidants are molecules that pick up harmful substances called “free radicals”.
An unhealthy diet, too much sunlight, alcohol and smoking can increase the number of free radicals in your body. Excess of these volatile molecules can damage cells, accelerate people’s aging and cause health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma and diabetes.
Laboratory studies in animals and cells have shown that piperine resists these free radicals.
In one study, rats were divided into several groups, with some rats being fed a normal diet and others rats being fed a high-fat diet.
One group of rats was given a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper and another group of rats was given a high-fat diet supplemented with piperine.
Rats fed a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper or piperine had significantly less markers of free radical damage than rats fed only a high-fat diet. Indeed, their free radical damage markers were comparable to those of normal-feeding rats.
Piperine also has anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is associated with a variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis.
Here again, animal studies have shown that piperine reduces inflammation and pain in arthritic rats.
Black pepper can also help the body better absorb certain beneficial compounds, such as resveratrol – an antioxidant found in red wine, berries and peanuts. Studies suggest that resveratrol may protect against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
The problem with resveratrol, however, is that it breaks down before the intestines can absorb it into the bloodstream.
Black pepper, however, has been found to increase the “bioavailability” of resveratrol. In other words, more use is available for the body.
Black pepper can also improve the absorption of curcumin, an active ingredient in the popular anti-inflammatory spice turmeric.
Scientists have found that consuming 20 milligrams of piperine with 2 grams of curcumin improves the availability of curcumin in humans by 2,000 percent.
Other studies have shown that black pepper can improve the absorption of beta-carotene, which is found in vegetables and fruits that your body converts to vitamin A.
Beta-carotene acts as a powerful antioxidant that can fight cellular damage. Research has shown that taking 15mg of beta-carotene with 5mg of piperine significantly increases blood levels of beta-carotene compared to taking beta-carotene alone.
Piperine and cancer
Black pepper may also have anti-cancer properties. Test-tube studies have shown that piperine reduces the proliferation of breast, prostate and colon cancer cells and kills cancer cells.
Researchers compared 55 compounds from different spices and found that piperine was most effective in increasing the effectiveness of treatment typical for triple-negative breast cancer – the most invasive type of cancer.
Piperine also shows promising effects in reducing multi-drug resistance in cancer cells, potentially reducing the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
A word of caution, though. All of this is uncertain, as most studies have been done on cell culture or animals. And such experiments do not always “translate” for humans.
However, you can be absolutely sure that adding a few extra grinds of pepper to your diet is not likely to harm you – and it can be beneficial.
(By Laura Brown, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, Food and Health Sciences, Teaside University, PTI Inputs)
