Black pepper: a natural cough and cold remedy

---

Extract from the article: Black pepper, or piper nigrum by its scientific name, is the most widely used and common pepper. What are the health benefits of pepper, from its medicinal uses to the problems it can cause the human body ?

---

Black pepper, or piper nigrum by its scientific name, is the most widely used and common pepper. What are the health benefits of pepper?

Black pepper contains numerous minerals, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, selenium and iodine, as well as vitamins (E, A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9).

Pepper contains a powerful alkaloid that gives it its many health benefits: piperine. Black pepper contains between 5 and 8% piperine, which is responsible for its pungent flavour.

In addition to piperine, black pepper berries contain 1 to 3% essential oil rich in terpene acids.

Digestive problems

Pepper stimulates the secretion of gastric juices, helping to improve digestion and stimulate the appetite. Pepper is recommended in cases of nausea, bloating, flatulence or constipation. The increased gastric juices help to reduce these symptoms. The piperine in pepper helps to produce more saliva, with an anti-acid effect on the oral cavity.

Pepper and turmeric

When turmeric is eaten, curcumin is poorly absorbed and rapidly eliminated by the body. Simultaneous consumption of turmeric and pepper shows a very strong increase in curcumin absorption, approximately 20 times greater than consumption without pepper.

Pepper improves turmeric's antiseptic, antibacterial and, above all, anti-inflammatory effectiveness. It is the piperine that prevents the curcumin from being eliminated.

Pepper stings, but it's anti-inflammatory

It contains a chemical compound called piperine. In a scientific study carried out in India in 1998, piperine extract significantly reduced arthritis pain over four to eight days. In particular, study participants noted a reduction in inflammation in the ankle joints.

Black pepper, a natural cough and cold remedy

The piperine present in black pepper has antibacterial properties that are effective in the natural treatment of infectious coughs, and its decongestant properties help to clear blocked noses. Consuming black pepper can help to naturally treat wet coughs, dry coughs and colds.

Black pepper for stomach pains

Black pepper is an excellent natural remedy for treating or curing gastrointestinal disorders. Regular use of black pepper in dishes helps to combat a range of problems including stomach pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation.

The cholinergic and antispasmodic properties of piperine, black pepper's main alkaloid, help combat pain.

An excellent stimulant

Black pepper is an excellent vasodilator, accelerating blood flow. It is known to be a good stimulant, which means it boosts libido. In the past, it was used as an aphrodisiac, and men used to take 2 to 5 grams of pepper every day.

Elom AKAKPO