What Happens When You Consume Black Pepper Daily? Here's What Science Says
Too much consumption of salt is bad for the health, you have probably heard a lot about this. But, do you know about the health effects of other condiments? Let's talk about pepper, or, piper nigrum. This is another spice which is widely used in a lot of dishes. Be it Indian or Italian, peppers are favourites of many. But, are they healthy? Are there any side effects of peppers?
Black pepper, the dried berries of the Piper nigrum vine, has been part of traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine for thousands of years. According to the Ayurvedic practitioners, this herb has "carminative" properties that is: It relieves flatulence. In traditional Chinese medicine, black pepper is used to treat epilepsy.
According to the modern science black pepper does indeed confer health benefits, mainly as a result of an alkaloid called piperine the chemical that gives pepper its pungent flavour, and a powerful antioxidant. Some of the health benefits of Black Peppers are:
Black peppercorns are a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that mop up harmful substances called "free radicals". Our daily diet consists of a lot of foods that increases the body's toxic levels. An excess of these toxic elements can damage cells, making people age faster and causing a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma and diabetes.
Piperine also has anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is linked to a range of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. According to the studies, piperine or peppercorns can reduce inflammation and pain due to arthritis.
Black pepper also contains properties that helps the body to fight cancer-causing bacteria. Several studies over the years have found that piperine reduced the reproduction of breast, prostate and colon cancer cells and encouraged cancer cells to die. According to the experts, piperine or black pepper has also shown positive effects in minimising multi-drug resistance in cancer cells, which potentially reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Black pepper also helps the body to absorb certain beneficial compounds, such as resveratrol an antioxidant which is usually found in red wine, berries and peanuts. According to the studies, resveratrol can also protect a person from developing serious heart diseases, cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Not just what we learned so far, consumption of black pepper on a daily basis can also improve the absorption of curcumin, which is the active ingredient in the popular anti-inflammatory spice turmeric. This Ayurvedic herb is also great for improving the body's absorption of beta-carotene, a compound found in vegetables and fruits that your body converts into vitamin A.
Caution: Make sure to consult your physician before making any changes to your daily diet. All the above mentioned facts are taken out from various study results. However, you can be fairly certain that adding a few extra grinds of pepper to your food is unlikely to cause you harm and may well be beneficial.
(With inputs from agencies)
