Black Pepper for good digestion

Dried ground pepper has been used since ages as a spice and as a healing herb.  It is world’s most common spice, often found along with salt on dinning tables.  The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical called piperine.

Black pepper is native to India and extensively cultivated in tropical regions.  The fruit of the pepper is known as peppercorn when dried.  Peppercorns are often categorized under a label describing their region or port of origin.  There are black, white, green and orange varieties of peppercorn in the world but the most popular is black peppercorn.

 

Black pepper has been used in India since the prehistoric times.  After the middle ages, black pepper found its way to Europe, Middle East and North Africa from India’s Malabar region.  By the 16th century, due to the Portuguese influence, pepper was also being grown in Java, Sumatra, Madagascar, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.

Pepper became known in Greece as early as the 4^th century but it was an expensive spice which only rich could afford.  Pepper was used to both honor the Gods and to pay taxes or ransom.  During the fall of ancient Rome, the invaders were honored by being given black pepper.

Black pepper was believed to cure illness such as constipation, diarrhea, earache, gangrene, heart disease, hernia, hoarseness, indigestion, insect bites, insomnia, joint pain, liver problem, lung disease and toothaches.  There is no current medical evidence that black pepper cured all these ailments.  But in traditional Indian medicine, black pepper powdered or its decoction is used as a home remedy for relief from soar throat, congestion and cough etc.

Piperine present in black pepper acts as a thermogenic compound.  Piperine enhances the thermogenesis of lipid and accelerates energy metabolism in the body and also increases the serotonin and beta-endorphin production in the brain.  Black pepper is an excellent source of manganese, iron, vitamin K and dietary fiber.

Black pepper increases hydrochloride acid secretion in the stomach, hence, improving digestion.  Hydrochloride acid is necessary for the digestion of proteins and other foods in the stomach.  When the body’s production of hydrochloride acid is insufficient, food may sit in the stomach for extended period of time, leading to heartburn, acidity or indigestion.

Black pepper belongs to Piperaceae family and the other member almost close to this family is Indian long pepper or Java pepper.  Its botanical name is Piper Nigrum.