Benefits of Black Pepper Turns Out It Can Fight Germs and Diseases

One of the benefits of black pepper that we have known is as a spice in cooking. But who would have thought the ingredients used to make food spicy, have also been known as traditional medicines for centuries. Black pepper contains little carbohydrate, calories, vitamins A and K, calcium, potassium, and high antioxidants. Black pepper or commonly known as black pepper is a raw fruit from the dried Piper nigrum plant. Besides being used as a spice in cooking, it turns out black pepper is also often used as traditional medicines to alleviate certain diseases, for example stomach aches, scabies, nausea, diabetes, hypertension, to infections.

Review the Benefits of Black Pepper for Health

Some health benefits of black pepper that you should know about, namely:

• Acting as an anti-inflammatory

One of the potential health benefits of black pepper is as an anti-inflammatory agent. This is because the piperin compounds contained in black pepper have the ability to relieve inflammation and contain high antioxidants.

• Able to fight infection

Another benefit of black pepper is that it has antibacterial properties. A study revealed that black pepper oil can help fight E. coli bacteria which can cause infection through contaminated food. In addition, black pepper oil can also fight infections that Staphylococcus bacteria cause ulcers on the skin.

• Relieves flu symptoms

The benefits of black pepper also can be obtained as a reliever of cold symptoms. The spicy taste of black pepper can work as a natural decongestant and stimulates the formation of mucus to cleanse the airways.

• Maintain blood sugar levels

Black pepper oil might be used to prevent type 2 diabetes. A study revealed that black pepper oil can inhibit the amylase enzyme in breaking down starch into glucose. This ability is important for people with type 2 diabetes because it can help maintain blood sugar levels and delay glucose absorption. Clinical studies in people with type 2 diabetes also show that supplementation of piperin contained in black pepper, plus curcumin from turmeric, has a good effect on controlling blood sugar levels and appears to be able to suppress inflammation in the liver.

• Overcoming difficulty swallowing in the elderly

Difficulty swallowing food in the elderly often causes serious problems, such as pneumonia. Luckily, studies show that the aroma produced by black pepper oil can stimulate the body's reflexes to swallow food. This is good news for the elderly who have difficulty swallowing, such as post-stroke patients. Simply inhaling the natural aroma produced by black pepper oil can already help stimulate the swallowing muscle reflex.

• Prevents inflammation and stomach infections

The benefits of black pepper are traditionally used to treat symptoms of stomach disorders. Further research shows that black pepper does indeed contain substances that can protect the stomach lining from the effects of inflammation, can even suppress the growth of H. pylori bacteria that can cause infections and peptic ulcers. However, further clinical research is still needed to ascertain the benefits of black pepper as a herbal remedy in treating gastric infections.

• Help control tumors and cancer

A laboratory study revealed that the piperin contained in black pepper was thought to be able to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The substance piperin in black pepper works by reducing the effects of free radicals and suppressing inflammation, so that the growth of cancer cells can be inhibited. Nevertheless, further research is still needed to prove the benefits of black pepper in preventing cancer.

In addition, other benefits of black pepper are thought to be able to treat bronchitis, malaria, and cholera. However, there is no accurate medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of black pepper in dealing with these conditions. Considering the potential benefits of black pepper are very much for health, we should not be too resistant to food flavoring ingredients on this one. However, make sure you also use black pepper within normal limits and do not use it too much, especially for pregnant women because it has the potential to cause miscarriage. Always consult a doctor before you take the health benefits of black pepper.