3 reasons why you should eat more pepper
Black pepper (lat. Piper nigrum) is used around the world for flavouring and is probably the most widely used spice in the world. It is rightly known as theking of spices. In the past, pepper was even worth its weight in gold. However, black pepper is not only used to flavour food, it also promotes good health. This is due to the active ingredient piperine. This chemical compound is an alkaloid and gives pepper its pungency.
Piperine has a positive effect on digestion and has anantioxidant and circulation-promoting effect. Pepper therefore plays an important role in traditional Indian Ayurveda and is used to treat various illnesses such as colds, indigestion and fever.Pepper promotes digestion
Like many other hot spices, black pepper also increases the secretion of saliva and digestive juices. For example, it stimulates the liver to produce bile acids, which promotes fat digestion. One study showed that the stimulation of bile acid secretion when piperine was administered orally was approx. 30 % higher than in the control group. Other digestive enzymes such as chymotrypsin, trypsin, pancreatic lipase and pancreatic amylase were also significantly increased in studies. In addition, piperine shortens the so-called gastrointestinal transit time. It therefore ensures that the chyme is transported through the gastrointestinal tract more quickly. This is why we have also added black pepper extract to our defluefter-digestive-capsules. The piperine it contains works with other herbal ingredients to promote regular digestion. You can find out more about our capsules here.
Pepper protects the body from antioxidant stress
Free radicals are produced in our metabolism and by external factors such as UV radiation or cigarette smoke. If they are not rendered harmless, they cause oxidative stress and accelerate cell ageing. In the worst case, they can also cause diseases such as arteriosclerosis or cancer. It is therefore important that we provide our bodies with enough antioxidants and minimise oxidative stress. Many spices also contain antioxidants - as does black pepper. In in-vitro studies, for example, piperine protects against oxidative damage by inhibiting free radicals.
Piperine increases the bioavailability of other active ingredients
Piperine also increases the bioavailability of other substances, thereby increasing their effectiveness. Researchers suspect that this may be due to the promotion of faster absorption from the gastrointestinal tract or protection against premature breakdown in the liver. The simultaneous administration of piperine increases the bioavailability of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (a secondary plant substance that is found in green tea and is thought to be responsible for its positive properties), coenzyme Q10 or curcumin, for example. For curcumin (the main active ingredient in turmeric), an increase in bioavailability of up to 2000% has been observed when taken in combination with piperine. We therefore also use piperine in many of our sports supplements (e.g. EAA powder or V-Booster) to increase the bioavailability of the active ingredients.
Piperine also has other positive properties. It also influences the release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin and ensures relaxation and a good mood. Black pepper is also said to boost the metabolism and even make you slim.
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