Black pepper helps in weight loss
Pepper added to the diet helps keep the arteries clean, scraping excess cholesterol from the walls, thereby helping to reduce atherosclerosis, the condition highly responsible for heart attacks and strokes.
After enjoying HK for a whole week, I arrived home with lots of trapped air in my body. My massage therapist kneaded a lot away but said we would need more than one session which I perfectly understood and gladly agreed to. She reminded me to drink a cup of hot water with crushed black peppercorns. Without the proper instruction but
raring to try it, I mixed a teaspoon of crushed black pepper to a mug of hot water. I stirred it and waited a few minutes before sipping the peppered water.
It worked for me that night. But I wanted to know how to prepare it right. What healing properties does black peppercorn really have, if any?
Black pepper or Piper nigrum is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It has an active component called piperine that gives black pepper its characteristic taste. Plus, it contains iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, chromium, vitamins A and C, and other nutrients.
According to both local and international sites, black pepper is rich in nutrients and minerals with known health benefits. The roots, leaves, and seeds of the plant are all used here in the country for medicinal purposes. The roots can be boiled as a medicinal drink. The leaves can be pounded and its oils mixed with coconut oil as a healing balm while the seeds are boiled and the water is used as a rinse, tonic or wash.
For toothaches and sore throat, boiled water with pepper is used as a mouthwash to relieve pain. It is also used to relieve skin irritation. Boiled water with pepper is given as a drink in cases of fever and flatulence. It can also be used as a rinse to prevent falling hair.
The piperine in black pepper promotes the production of hydrochloric acid which is essential to the digestion of protein and other foods. Undigested food can cause flatulence, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, and acidity. As my therapist Jen wisely counseled, black pepper is a carminative that relieves stomach gas and helps prevent gas formation.
Black pepper is great in aiding the proper assimilation of all the nutrients of food. Moreover, its outer layer contains potent phytonutrients that stimulate the breakdown of fat cells. The piperine suppresses fat accumulation in the body. Black pepper
is also a diuretic and diaphoretic herb that promotes urination and perspiration to help flush toxins and excess water from the body. No wonder this spice ranks high among the best weight loss aids.
Crushed pepper can be added to a face scrub to slough off dead skin, stimulate circulation, and help deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the skin. The antibacterial and anti- inflammatory properties of black pepper can help skin infections like acne and even insect bites.
The compound piperine, according
to the Journal of Food and Chemical Toxicology, increases the cognitive function of the brain and helps beat depression. It was also found that pepper, eaten on a regular basis, helps the brain function properly.
Pepper added to the diet helps keep the arteries clean by acting in a similar way to fiber and scraping excess cholesterol from the walls, thereby helping to reduce atherosclerosis, the condition highly responsible for heart attacks and strokes.
Crush 30 black peppercorns and boil in two cups of water until a fourth of the water remains. Strain and add one teaspoon of honey. Drink in the morning and at night for best result.
For coughing and gas, boil 10 black peppercorns in a glass of water and drink. Alternatively, swallow 10 crushed black peppercorns with hot water and lemon juice twice a day to help stop gas formation.
Would you like to clear a congestion? Apparently, black pepper helps loosen phlegm and has antimicrobial properties, that’s why it is a component of most cough and cold remedies. Drink a glass of lukewarm water mixed with half a tablespoon of black pepper powder, twice or thrice a day to clear your respiratory system.
So stack up on whole black peppercorns, use them in cooking, and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper on your meals for a healthier you.
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