04:00 am
Sunday 10 April 2022
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Everyone knows that consuming too much salt is bad for your health. But no one mentioned the potential effect of other spices, such as black pepper.
People believe that black pepper, a flowering vine plant in the Capsicum family, is healthy, having been a part of traditional Indian medicine for thousands of years, and they say it has “carminative” properties, meaning it relieves flatulence. In traditional Chinese medicine, black pepper is used to treat epilepsy, according to the Russia Today website.
Modern science indicates that black pepper does indeed confer health benefits, mainly due to an alkaloid called piperine, the chemical that gives pepper its pungent flavor and a powerful antioxidant.
Antioxidants are molecules that get rid of harmful substances called “free radicals”. An unhealthy diet, excessive exposure to the sun, alcohol and smoking can increase the number of free radicals in the body. An excess of these unstable molecules can damage cells, making people age faster and causing a range of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma and diabetes.
Laboratory studies on animals and cells have shown that piperine combats these free radicals. In one study, mice were divided into several groups, with some mice fed a normal diet while others were fed a high-fat diet.
One group of mice was fed a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper and another group of mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with piperine.
The results found that mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper or piperine had significantly lower signs of free radical damage compared to mice fed a high-fat diet only. In fact, the signs of free radical damage were similar to that of rats fed a normal diet.
Piperine also contains anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation is linked to a range of diseases, including autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Here again, animal studies have shown that piperine reduces inflammation and pain in mice with arthritis.
Black pepper can also help the body better absorb some beneficial compounds, such as resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, berries and peanuts. Studies show that resveratrol may protect against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.
However, the problem with resveratrol is that it tends to break down before the intestines can absorb it into the bloodstream. But researchers have found that black pepper increases the “bioavailability” of resveratrol. In other words, there is plenty of it available for the body to use.
Black pepper may also improve the absorption of curcumin, the active ingredient in the anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Scientists found that consuming 20 mg of piperine with 2 g of curcumin improved the availability of curcumin in humans by 2000%.
Other studies have shown that black pepper may improve the absorption of beta-carotene, a compound found in vegetables and fruits that the body converts into vitamin A.
Beta-carotene acts as a powerful antioxidant that may combat cellular damage. Research showed that taking 15 mg of beta-carotene along with 5 mg of piperine significantly increased blood levels of beta-carotene compared to taking beta-carotene alone.
Piperine and cancer
Black pepper may have anti-cancer properties. Test tube studies found that piperine reduced the proliferation of breast, prostate and colon cancer cells and encouraged cancer cells to die.
The researchers compared 55 compounds from a variety of spices and found that piperine was the most effective in increasing the effectiveness of a typical treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive type of cancer.
Piperine also shows promising effects in reducing multidrug resistance in cancer cells, thus reducing the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
Despite all of the above, all this information is somewhat uncertain, as most studies were conducted in cell cultures or animals. These types of experiences do not always “translate” into humans. However, you can be fairly certain that adding a pinch of ground pepper to your food is unlikely to harm you, and may even be beneficial.