Whole Black Pepper - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Whole black pepper is a spice that is used all over the world. It's called the "king of spices," and it's a big part of a lot of cuisines around the world. It's used in cooking and as a garnish.

This spice was once one of the most widely traded goods in the world. Its trade history goes back 4000 years. Black pepper is more than just a humble kitchen ingredient. In the Middle East, it is also used as money.

Peppercorns, which come from the Piper nigrum plant, are ground into black pepper powder. This powder has a mildly spicy taste. Black pepper has been thought to be good for your health since ancient times.

So, black pepper is not only good for adding flavour to food, but it also has many health benefits. It helps fight cancer, relieves coughs and colds, treats skin problems, helps people lose weight, and so on.

What is black pepper?

Black pepper is the fruit of a flowering vine called Piper nigrum. It is grown for its fruit. This dried fruit is used as a spice and seasoning, and most of us know it as black pepper.

Peppercorn is the name for the dried fruit. Peppercorns come in three different colours: black, green, and white.

Nutritional value of whole black pepper: 

Black pepper contains approximately 304 calories per 100 gm. We can call it a "superfood" because it has a lot of different nutrients.

Application of whole black pepper: 

Black peppercorns are among the most popular spices in the world, and they are often used as a condiment when mixed with salt. Black peppercorns can't be used whole; you have to crack or grind them with a spice mill or mortar and pestle to get their strong smell and spicy, fruity flavour out. Cracked black peppercorns can be used to coat steaks like ribeye and T-bone, or they can be added to spice rubs for meats that take a long time to cook. It is also an important part of almost every recipe. Like salt, it is added to suit the taste of the cook. You can add black pepper to spice mixes for fish, meat, poultry, and vegetables. The spice is used in many spice mixes around the world, including garam masala, ras al hanout, masala chai, berbere, and many others. Black peppercorn tastes better when mixed with something acidic, like lemon or tomatoes. It can also be used to add a unique flavour to cocktails and desserts. Black peppercorns can be kept for up to two years in an airtight container if they are not broken. Once cracked, the spice quickly loses its fruity and spicy smell and taste, so only make small amounts of cracked or ground black pepper and use it quickly.

Nutritional value of black pepper:

1. Makes digestion better

Black pepper makes digestive juices and enzymes work better by making them more active. This is especially true if you eat black pepper with a meal, which may help your body break down and digest food better. Research has shown that black pepper also helps pancreatic enzymes work better, which is good for digestion as a whole.

Black pepper is also a carminative, which means it helps get rid of gas in the stomach. It can also help with gas and stomach pain. Putting black pepper in your food instead of chilli powder can help with gas.

Black pepper is also a carminative, which means it helps get rid of gas in the stomach. It can also help with gas and stomach pain.

2. Prevents Cancer

Research has shown that the piperine in black pepper protects against many types of cancer. Piperine also makes it easier for your intestines to absorb important nutrients like selenium, curcumin, beta-carotene, and B vitamins. These nutrients are important for gut health and preventing cancer.

Piperine is also the reason that another Canadian study says black pepper can help fight cancer. It makes the rectum less stressed and helps stop colon cancer. It had the same effects on prostate cancer as well. Not only that, but it was also found that piperine made docetaxel, a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat prostate cancer, work better.

3. Brings down blood pressure

In another study, piperine was shown to help control blood pressure when it was taken by mouth. Curiously, piperine also makes curcumin, which is another important compound found in turmeric, more bioavailable.

4. Helps lose weight

Studies have shown that the same compound in black pepper that makes you sneeze also stops fat cells from forming. This can help you get a little closer to your goal of losing weight. Researchers say that black pepper could be used instead of fat-related treatments.

5. Helps with a cold or cough

Even ancient Chinese medicine used black pepper for this purpose. People know that pepper can improve blood flow and mucus flow. And when you mix it with honey, it works even better because honey is a natural way to stop coughing.

6. Fends off infections

Black pepper's antibacterial properties come into play here. The piperine in black pepper kills dangerous insects while they are still larvae. This helps stop infections and the spread of disease.

7. Helps your teeth

Black pepper is one of the main ingredients in some massage oils and creams. Because piperine is antibacterial, these massages help with toothaches and other mouth infections.

Pepper also helps treat gum inflammation because it has anti-inflammatory properties.

8. Helps keep the brain healthy

Black pepper is great for the health of the brain. Piperine in the pepper stops an enzyme from breaking down serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel calm. This enzyme also hurts the way melatonin, a hormone that controls when you sleep and wake up, works.

Piperine is important for Parkinson's disease as well. It stops another type of enzyme from working, which stops the feel-good hormone dopamine from being made. Parkinson's patients often don't get enough dopamine, and black pepper can help ease the symptoms. When someone is depressed, the same things can be seen.

9. Improves Fertility In Men

Pepper has a big part to play in making men more fertile. It is high in zinc and magnesium, two minerals that are important for male sex hormones. Because of this, it is known to raise testosterone levels. It also makes more sperm and makes them stronger. Pepper also helps sperm grow and move because it has zinc in it.