The Health Benefits of Black Pepper

In the ancient world, peppercorns were thought to be fitting sacred offerings to gods, and at one time they were actually worth more than gold. The search for pepper, which was an expensive commodity took Vasco da Gama and other Portuguese explorers to the Indian coast. In the middle ages, peppercorns were so expensive that they were used as currency and rents could be paid with them, hence the phrase "a peppercorn rent." Now of course that phrase means that something is almost free. However in the middle ages, it meant just the opposite.

Black pepper has been used for its health benefits as well as to flavor food for centuries. Just one black peppercorn is packed full with vitamins and minerals such as iron, vanadium, molybdenum, selenium, copper, manganese and phosphorus. It contains vitamins K, C, B6, B3 and B2 as well as vitamin E. Of course, if peppercorns have been irradiated some of these vitamins, such as vitamin C will be reduced.

Black pepper can get our taste buds stimulated so that the stomach is alerted to an imminent intake of food. It can then produce increased amounts of hydrochloric acid, which we need to promote digestion. It is also a carminative, meaning that it can reduce flatulence. You can also make a spicy tea containing black pepper in order to promote sweating and bring down a high temperature if you have a fever. If you suffer from water retention, judicious use of black pepper can promote urination.

Black pepper also has antibacterial properties as well as antioxidant ones, so it can boost the immune system and keep our guts healthy and free of harmful bacteria. The outer skin of a black peppercorn can stimulate the breakdown of fat which is stored in cells, so it can help keep you slim and energetic.

In the Ayurveda system of medicine black pepper is used to treat a number of ailments including anaemia, coughs, heart problems and even diabetes. If you chew a peppercorn it can reduce inflammation of the throat. In Unani medicine, black pepper is thought to be an aphrodisiac. In south-east Asia black pepper is used to get rid of intestinal worms, so clearly there are a myriad uses for this versatile spice, which is no longer as expensive as it was in the past.

You should buy whole black peppercorns and invest in a pepper grinder in order to get the maximum benefits from this spice. Why not have a steak dressed with crushed black peppercorns for an evening meal sometime soon?