Friend or foe? How does black pepper affect your body?

According to numerous studies, this is because black pepper may be beneficial to your health.

According to spiceography.com, “the black pepper that we are so familiar with begins its life as green berries produced by a flowering vine called Piper nigrum.” While black pepper is grown in other parts of the world, it is grown specifically in the Western Ghats of Kerala State in India. Despite the fact that black pepper was first known and revered over 4,000 years ago, it is now the second most common household spice in our kitchens.”

According to Laura Brown for the Conversation, traditional Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine believed black pepper relieved flatulence, and ancient Chinese doctors used it to treat epilepsy.

Piperine, an antioxidant and the chemical that gives pepper its flavour, has been shown in animal and human cell studies to counteract free radicals. Smoking, sun damage, and overeating can all increase the number of free radicals in your body, which can lead to premature ageing, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and a variety of other health issues.

Piperine is also anti-inflammatory, and a 2009 study found that it reduced inflammation and pain in arthritis rats.