Black pepper is a common seasoning used in cooking throughout the world. The black pepper, or Piper nigrum, seeds come from plants that are cultivated as a commercial crop in many tropical countries including India, Indonesia, Brazil and Malaysia. It also grows as a wild plant in parts of Southern India, from where it originated. This spicy and pungent ingredient not only adds flavor and taste to foods, but also has medicinal properties. Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine discovered the benefits of black pepper and used it to treat various conditions.
Components in Black Pepper
Berries from the Piper nigrum plant grow in clusters of 50 to 60 fruits per spike. Each berry has a single seed, which is obtained by harvesting and sun drying green, unripe berries for about a week, producing the familiar black pepper seeds that we use in our food. Black pepper has a number of elements that give it its distinctive flavor and taste. Piperine, an alkaloid present in black pepper, is responsible for the pungent taste and irritant action of black pepper. Black pepper also contains some essential oils, fiber, eugenol, the enzyme lipase and minerals.
Use of Black Pepper
The use of black pepper was discovered thousands of years ago. Indian literature from the first century refers to the use of black pepper as a spice. Ayurvedic medicine, the classical medical system of India, used black pepper to treat many medical conditions like improving appetite and treating digestive disorders such as flatulence, constipation, diarrhea and dyspepsia. Black pepper was used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat epilepsy. In Europe, black pepper was used to season and preserve meat as early as the Middle ages.
Health Benefits of Black Pepper
Ayurvedic medicine also used black-pepper paste to treat boils, hair loss and some skin diseases. Other medical conditions treated with black pepper were coughs, colds, diabetes, anemia, toothache, sore throat, piles, colic and heart problems. Some studies suggest that the alkaloids in black pepper have antifungal and antioxidant properties, along with antifever, pain-relieving, antiinflammatory and insecticidal effects. Black pepper has also been used for treatment of malaria, cholera and syphilis.
Scientific Views on Benefits of Black Pepper
In the February 2010 article in the journal "Nutrition Today", Dr. Keith Singletary, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois, rated scientific studies on the benefits of black pepper. He found some evidence that intake of black pepper affected the functions of the digestive system,but inconclusive data supporting an increase in body metabolism with the intake of black pepper. He reported that more human studies are needed to confirm the positive benefits of black pepper in stimulating the nervous system, treatment of skin disorders, anticancer actions, and its functions as an antiinflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent.
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