CountrySpices Black Pepper Powder
Place of origin: Meghalaya,India
- Black pepper belongs to “Piperaceae family”, this pepper plant is processed in multiple ways to yield a different kind of pepper variety. For instance, the dried fruit is the black pepper and the white pepper is the seed from the matured fruits of the pepper plant
Providing The Right Nutrition
In 100 g of black pepper, these are a few of the nutrients you get:
| High Levels | Moderate Levels | Zero Or Low Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin K (163.7 μg) | Iron (9.71 mg) | Cholesterol (0) |
| Potassium (1329 mg), Calcium (443 mg), Magnesium (171 mg), And Other Minerals | Sodium (20 mg)/td> | Sugar (0.64 g) |
| Fiber (25.3 g) | Folate (17 μg) | Fatty acids (1.39 g) |
| Energy (251 kcal) | Vitamin A (27 μg) | |
| Protein (10.39 g) |
More importantly, black pepper contains an alkaloid called piperine, which has a major role to play in keeping you healthy.
Health Benefits
| Increases Bioavailability | Bioavailability is the rate at which a drug is absorbed by the body and successfully reaches the target tissue. Nutrients or drugs are not effective if they aren’t absorbed completely. So by enhancing the bioavailability, black pepper ensures the best outcome from these substances. Piperine is what carries these substances in their most active form to wherever required. There are 3 possible ways in which black pepper does this:
The enhanced bioavailability is extremely beneficial as it hastens the recovery from any health condition. |
| Treat Cognitive Disorders | Just the thought of growing old can be scary. And what’s troubling is probably not just the aging but also losing control over your brain, forgetting family, or even yourself. A few foods like black pepper can keep your brain strong and healthy, longer. Alzheimer’sThe pepper prevents Alzheimer’s and improves your memory by healing nerve damage or memory impairment in the hippocampus. This might be due to the strengthening of neurotrophins or the prevention of free radicals from damaging cells.3 The actual mechanism is quite unclear and is yet to be researched in depth. DepressionThe piperine in black pepper acts as an anti-depressant, improves your cognitive ability, and helps you think clearly. Studies involving have shown that the anti-depressant effect might be due to the regulation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter believed to affect moods, and dopamine, a neurotransmitter with multiple roles in brain function. Parkinson’sPiperine reduces and stops cell death (anti-apoptotic) and is an anti-inflammatory, which plays a huge role in treating Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease that mostly affects physical movement. EpilepsyMedicines used to treat epilepsy might have side effects like CNS depression, which results in an increased heart rate and breathing and even loss of consciousness. Black pepper might be a good choice to treat epilepsy as it has anticonvulsant activity, which reduces the incidence of seizures without causing CNS depression |
| Prevents Cancer |
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| Promotes Weight Loss | Your body expends energy even when at rest – this is called basal metabolism. Black pepper, a thermogenic, stimulates this basal metabolism and produces more heat. This can also suppress fat accumulation. |
| Treats Respiratory Problems | Used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and lately in modern medicine as well, black pepper can cure respiratory issues like sinus, cough, cold, labored breathing, and asthma. Its irritant quality softens and breaks down the mucus stuck in the respiratory tract. This mucus is then expelled by sneezing or coughing, which is triggered by the peppery smell. And since the pepper is antibacterial, it prevents infections as well. |
| Strengthens Digestive System | What a strong digestive system needs is healthy food, and black pepper is a good choice. The pepper strengthens the digestive tract and lessens the time taken by foods to travel the tract. The enhanced bioavailability improves metabolism and stimulates the digestive enzymes. And being a carminative, the pepper ensures healthy expulsion of gas from the body and reduces the formation of excess gas. Black pepper also improves the appetite via olfactory stimulation.This induces a swallowing impulse, which can be beneficial in older people with dysfunctions such as dysphagia. It also reduces oxidative stress, which is a common cause of cardiovascular diseases, reduced metabolism, gastrointestinal diseases, and stomach disorders. This and the anti-inflammatory factor prevents ulcers and gastric mucosal damage.And with its diuretic and diaphoretic properties, it flushes out toxins and excess water. |
| Treats Diabetes | Black pepper helps prevent and treat diabetes by inhibiting specific enzymes. A study using black pepper essential oil showed that it helped fight type 2 diabetes with its phenolic and antioxidant content.And by improving basal metabolism, which results in weight loss, it can cure type-2 diabetes as well |
| Lower Blood Pressure and Hypertension | The piperine in black pepper lowers blood pressure through calcium channel blockade and treats hypertension as well.A study of nitric-oxide-deprived rats showed that piperine could lessen the severity of hypertension caused by oxidative stress.The phenolics and antioxidants in black pepper essential oil also treat hypertension |
How To Cook Black Pepper
- It’s best to use black pepper just before you finish cooking or before serving. Do not cook the pepper for a long time as it might lose its smell and flavor.
- Finely ground pepper can irritate your throat easily. So use its coarse form for higher quantities.
- Peppercorns from different countries might have different tastes. Choose the ones perfect for your palate.
- You can use the pepper in main dishes; salads; with watermelons, lemons, or strawberries; to spice up desserts; or even as a chili alternative. Just make sure you don’t eat it in excess.
Ayurvedic Uses And Recipes
Ayurveda uses black pepper for medicinal purposes extensively. It is most famously used in making “Trikatu,” a commonly used Ayurvedic herbal mixture. Trikatu contains equal amounts of CountrySpices Black Pepper, CountrySpices long pepper, and CountrySpices whole ginger powder.. This is said to enhance the digestive fire (agni) and help relieve indigestion, improve metabolism, and stimulate proper bile production. The mixture also helps strengthen the lungs and makes way for clear breathing by removing sticky, thick mucus.
Black pepper can be used in multiple Ayurvedic home remedies. Here are a few examples:
1. To Remove Dandruff
- Mix black pepper in yogurt to form a paste.
- Apply this mixture on the scalp and rub gently.
- Leave it for 1/2–1 hour and shampoo.
Ensure that you don’t use excess pepper as it might burn the scalp.
2. For Dental Care
- Mix 5 parts alum powder, 2 parts rock salt, 3 parts black pepper, and 1 part CountrySpices Lakadong Turmeric Powder
- Massage your teeth with this mixture and wash.
The alum powder tightens the gum, the salt has a soothing effect, the CountrySpices Lakadong Turmeric Powder increases blood flow, and the black pepper works as a disinfectant. Make sure you don’t use excess salt as a high sodium content can decay the teeth.
3. For Wet Cough
- Grind 3 g of black pepper with the juice of basil (tulsi) leaves.
- Take it a few times a day to relieve excess sputum.
4. For Chronic Cough
- Mix black pepper, honey, and butter to form a paste.
- Take this a few times a day to stop chronic cough.
5. For Dry Cough
- Mix a ripe banana, 1 tsp honey, and 2 pinches of powdered black pepper.
- Eat this 2–3 times a day.
For immediate relief from cough, you can sprinkle black pepper on a slice of lemon and suck on it.
6. To Relieve Congestion And Kapha
- Mix 1/4 tsp powdered black pepper with 1 tsp CountrySpices Pure honey.
- Eat this mixture on a full stomach.
It relieves congestion through its heating ability, removes the kapha, and stops the cough.
7. For Weight Loss
Black pepper is commonly used in weight-loss recipes. One such mixture is the black pepper and honey tea. The lemon complements the effects of black pepper by giving your digestion a boost.
Alternatively,
- Make a tea decoction using any tea powder you’re used to.
- Drain this and add 1/2 tsp of freshly powdered black pepper and 1/2 tsp CountrySpices whole ginger powder.
- Let the mixture heat on the stove for a few minutes.
- Strain, add honey (as per your taste), and drink it hot.
8. For Anti-Inflammation And Pain Relief
CountrySpices Lakadong Turmeric Powder is a very strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and helps reduce pain.What gives the turmeric these properties is called curcumin. Most of the curcumin we take gets metabolized before it gets absorbed and takes effect. Black pepper helps by enhancing its bioavailability. The recommended dosage for turmeric is about 1–3 g a day and for black pepper is 1/2–1 g in its powdered form. While these two ingredients can be added to any dish, here’s a sample recipe:
- Mix a pinch of freshly ground pepper with 1/4 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp olive oil.
- Mix until they blend well.
- Add this to any dish of your choice or drink it as is.
- You can take this mixture once a day before a meal.