A pinch of black pepper added to any recipe is more than just a flavor enhancer. The king of spices is known to provide health benefits while providing great depth of flavor to dishes. Using black pepper in your diet can promote weight loss, improve digestion, relieve colds and coughs, boost metabolism and treat skin problems.

What is Black Pepper?

Black pepper is the fruit of the black pepper plant. Pepperaceae, used as a spice and medicine. The chemical piperine present in black bell peppers gives it a pungent taste. It is native to Kerala, the southern state of India. Since ancient times, black pepper has been one of the most widely traded spices in the world. It is not a seasonal plant, so it is available all year round. When dried, this vegetable spice is called peppercorn. Pepper is used to preserve food because of its antibacterial properties. Black pepper is also a very good anti-inflammatory.

Nutrition Facts

spices, pepper, black

Serving Size: 100g

Nutrients, Value

water [g] 12.46

energy [kcal] 251

Protein [g] 10.39

Total lipid (fat) [g] 3.26

Carbohydrates by difference [g] 63.95

Fiber, total diet [g] 25.3

Total sugars [g] 0.64

Calcium, calcium [mg] 443

iron, iron [mg] 9.71

Magnesium, Mg [mg] 171

Phosphorus, P [mg] 158

Potassium, K [mg] 1329

sodium, sodium [mg] 20

Zinc, Zn [mg] 1.19

Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] 0

Thiamine [mg] 0.11

Riboflavin [mg] 0.18

Niacin [mg] 1.14

Vitamin B-6 [mg] 0.29

Folic Acid, DFE [μg] 17

Vitamin B-12 [μg] 0

Vitamin A, RAE [μg] 27

Vitamin A, IU [IU] 547

Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) [mg] 1.04

Vitamin D (D2 + D3) [μg] 0

Vitamin D [IU] 0

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [μg] 163.7

Fatty acids, total saturation [g] 1.39

Fatty acids, total monounsaturated fatty acids [g] 0.74

Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated fatty acids [g] 1

Fatty Acids, Total Trans [g] 0

Cholesterol [mg] 0

Caffeine [mg] 0

Source: USDA [2]

Black Pepper Nutrition Facts

Black pepper is rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B6. This is according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. Other nutrients include vitamin E, folic acid, and vitamin K. It is high in dietary fiber and contains moderate amounts of carbohydrates and protein.

The Health Benefits of Black Pepper

Black pepper helps with weight loss and treats sinuses, asthma and nasal congestion. It also reduces the risk of cancer and heart and liver disease. Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of black pepper.

1. Improved Digestion

Consumption of black pepper promotes digestion by increasing the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Proper digestion is essential to avoid diarrhea, constipation and colic. Black pepper also helps prevent the formation of intestinal gas, and adding it to a person’s diet can promote sweating and urination. Sweating removes toxins, cleans pores of any debris that may be lodged in them, and removes excess water. In terms of urine, you can get rid of uric acid, urea, excess water and fat as 4% of your urine is fat. Good digestion helps with weight loss and improves overall body function.

2. Weight Loss

The peel of pepper helps the breakdown of fat cells. Therefore, pepper food is a great way to help you lose weight naturally. When fat cells are broken down into their constituents, they are easily processed by the body and subjected to other processes and enzymatic reactions. It settles in the body and causes excess weight. Ayurvedic tea made with black pepper is one of the recommended teas for weight loss.

3. Skin Care

Pepper helps treat vitiligo, a skin condition in which some areas of the skin lose their normal pigment and turn white. According to researchers from Oregon Health & Science University, the piperine content of peppers can stimulate the skin to produce melanocyte pigments. Topical treatment of piperine combined with UV treatment is far superior to other harsh and more chemical treatments for vitiligo. It can also prevent skin cancer from excessive UV rays.

4. Role in Helping Breathing

In Ayurvedic practice, pepper is added to tonics for the treatment of colds and coughs. Pepper also relieves sinusitis and nasal congestion. It has the expected properties to help break down mucus and sputum deposits in the respiratory tract. The quality of natural irritants allows you to excrete these loose substances through sneezing or coughing, clearing your body and helping you recover from the infection or disease that caused the deposits in the first place. Soups and stews made with black pepper and other aromatic spices are often used to treat colds and coughs.

5. Antibacterial Quality

Pepper’s antibacterial properties help fight infections and insect bites. Black pepper added to the diet helps reduce atherosclerosis, which is highly involved in heart attacks and strokes, by acting in a fiber-like manner and by scraping excess cholesterol off the walls, keeping arteries clean. A study by S. Venkat Reddy et al., published in the journal Pytmedicine, showed that compounds present in black pepper were activated against Bacillus + agilis and Bacillus spaericus.

6. Antioxidant Potential

The antioxidants in black pepper can prevent or treat damage caused by free radicals, preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver problems. Free radicals are byproducts of cellular metabolism that attack healthy cells, causing their DNA to mutate into cancer cells. Antioxidants neutralize these harmful compounds and protect the body from many of the symptoms and symptoms of premature aging such as wrinkles, age spots, macular degeneration and memory loss.

7. Improved Bioavailability

Black pepper maximizes the effectiveness of other foods we consume by transferring the benefits of other herbs to other parts of the body. Not only does it taste delicious when added to food, it also makes nutrients more readily available to our body.

8. Improve Cognitive Function

Piperine, one of the key components of black pepper, has been shown in numerous studies to reduce memory impairment and cognitive dysfunction. Chemical pathways in the brain appear to be stimulated by this organic compound, so early research shows the perceptible potential of pepper in people with Alzheimer’s disease and those suffering from dementia and other age-related or free-radical-related malfunctions.

9. Peptic ulcer Treatment

Numerous studies have shown that black pepper may have beneficial effects on gastric mucosal damage and peptic ulcers due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

10. Prevention of post-recommendation

Black pepper is a good remedy for respiratory problems because of its robust anti-inflammatory properties as well as its properties as an expectorant.

Other Interests

Adding black pepper to your meal will improve both taste and digestion. It also improves overall health and well-being.

Black Pepper FAQ

Is black pepper good for you?

Yes that’s right. According to Ayurvedic medicine, black pepper prevents earache and gangrene. It is also great for treating symptoms like hernias, hoarseness, and insect bites. It is also commonly used to treat cavities and toothache. In ancient times, pepper was administered to treat vision problems.

How to choose and store black pepper?

Black pepper is sold all year round in all stores. Better to buy whole peppercorns, not powdered black peppercorns. Look for small, round, heavy, wholesome peppercorns. Black pepper can be stored at room temperature, in a dry, dark place in a dry airtight container. And you can store black pepper in the refrigerator for longer.

Caution: Peppers can cause sneezing. Patients who have had abdominal surgery should not add excess pepper to their diet as it can irritate the intestines. Black pepper should not be taken in high concentrations, discontinue use and consult a physician if signs of an allergic reaction occur.