Peppercorns

What are different health benefits of whole peppercorns?

Peppercorns, scientifically known as Piper nigrum, is a very popular seasoning used throughout the world. It is indispensable from our kitchen and the dinning table. Since ancient times, pepper has been used to add that extra bit of taste to food not just because of its taste but also because of it innumerable health benefits.

Peppercorn is rich in proteins and minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc. Pepper is also rich in Vitamin A, B, C, E and K. Pepper also contains some amount of fats and dietary fiber. All of these components of pepper make it invaluable for maintaining good health. Some of the important reasons why pepper is a must in our diets are discussed below.

Anti inflammatory
Peppercorns have been used since ages as anti inflammatory agent. One of the commonly known health benefit of whole peppercorns is that it helps in reducing pains and is a popular medication given to cure throat infection and cough. Due to its strong and spicy taste it helps immensely in treating colds and flu.

Digestion
The presence of pepper in the food allows easy digestion and absorption of nutrients. It has been observed that pepper increases the absorption of selenium and Vitamin B and Vitamin A from food, these are essential nutrients required by the body. Moreover, easy absorption of food allows easy motility in the gastro intestinal tract. Pepper is also know for its carminative property and helps in avoiding gas or flatulence.

Cardiovascular heath
Pepper is rich in potassium, one of the various minerals found in pepper. Potassium is an essential mineral required by the body to maintain the fluid levels. Potassium helps in maintaining blood pressure and also helps in controlling the heart rate.

Blood
Pepper is also a rich source of iron which is an important mineral required to maintain hemoglobin level in blood Deficiency of iron may lead to anemia causing breathlessness and weakness. Hemoglobin is that part of the blood which carries oxygen to different parts in the body.

Antioxidant
Pepper is a rich source of Manganese. Manganese is an essential cofactor required by the enzyme superoxide dimutase which helps in removing free radicals. Apart from manganese, peppercorns are also rich source of vitamin A and C which are again active antioxidants which in getting rid of the harmful free radicals from the body which may otherwise lead to the formation of cancer cells in the body.

Anti microbial
The pepper corns are popularly used for their antimicrobial properties. They are anti bacterial in nature which helps in getting rid of any bacterial infection in the body .Pepper also helps in removing intestinal parasites. Due to the anti inflammatory and antiseptic nature of pepper corns it is also used in dental treatment for tooth decay and gum swellings or ulcers.

Sinusitis
Pepper corns are also used in the relieving sinusitis. Peppercorns help by drying the mucus membranes and stopping the further build up of mucus thus reliving of blocked sinuses.

There are various other heath benefits of whole peppercorns which through the ages have helped in keeping health disorders at bay. Although research is being conducted to understand it further, many health claims are baser on clinical experiences rather than scientific data.

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What are different health benefits of white pepper corns?

White pepper, scientifically known as Piper nigrum, is a milder version of the strong back pepper. It is derived from same pepper corns. The only variation is that once the pepper berries in this case is ripened and then it is soaked in water to remove the hulls.
The white pepper corns are not as pungent and strong as the black pepper. However, it has the same nutrition value. White pepper is rich in minerals and vitamins. It also contains some amount of fats in the form of essential oil and has dietary fibers as well. This high nutritive content is the reason why there are various health benefits of white pepper to the body. Some of these are discussed below.

Anti inflammatory
The white peppercorns are used as an anti inflammatory agent. It has a property that it causes numbness in a mild way which helps in reducing pain, this is the main reason pepper is so popularly used to treat throat infection, influenza, arthritis and stiffness in joints.

Digestion
Pepper when added to food helps in its easy digestion and assimilation. Certain food components like vitamin A and B and minerals like selenium cannot be easily absorbed. However, presence of pepper allows easy absorption of these essential nutrients in the body. Pepper is also known to help in the treatment of gas or flatulence.

Cardiovascular health
Potassium is a mineral which is very abundantly found in pepper. This mineral helps in maintaining fluid level in the cells as well as in maintaining the heart rate and blood pressure levels in the body.

Anemia
Another very important health benefit of white pepper is the presence of iron. Iron is the oxygen binding factor in the hemoglobin part of the blood. A deficiency in hemoglobin may lead to a decrease in the oxygen binding capacity of the blood leading to weakness and breathlessness.

Anti oxidant
White pepper is rich in vitamin C and A, both of which are active antioxidants. These anti oxidants helps in removing the free radicals produced in the body during various metabolic activities. These free radicals cause harmful reactions in the body which may lead to cell damage and cancer. Anti oxidants also help in reducing cell damage thus slowing the aging process, Manganese is another mineral found in pepper this is a cofactor of the free radical removing enzyme superoxide dismutase hence, an ample supply of these anti oxidants to the body can help significantly.

Anti septic
Pepper is anti microbial in nature. It can help in getting rid of the intestinal parasites like round worm and tape worms. It has an anti bacterial property as well which help in avoiding bacterial infections. Due to its added property of being anti inflammatory in nature it is used in dentistry to treat tooth decay or any other oral infections.

There are various other health benefits of white peppercorns, it can be used to treat sinusitis. It helps in drying the mucus and prevent the formation and accumulation of further mucus. It is suggested in the treatment of gonorrhea, dysentery, flu, diabetes, diarrhea, mental exhaustion etcetera. However, all of these claims do not have scientific proofs and are based only on clinical experiences.