Piperine makes the pepper hot. But it also has many positive health effects – we’ll tell you what they are.
What is piperine?
Piperine is the most important component of pepper and is responsible for its sharpness. Positive health effects are attributed to the alkaloid, which is why it is used as a remedy in traditional medicine in almost all cultures.
Pepper imported from India was one of the most important remedies in traditional Western naturopathy as early as the Middle Ages. Pepper was said to improve digestion and strengthen the liver. At that time, the principles of western naturopathy were similar to those of traditional Chinese medicine. In modern medicine, on the other hand, piperine is only rarely used, since drugs from the pharmaceutical industry have replaced many home remedies.
Nowadays, piperine is often added to dietary supplements such as curcumin capsules. Curcumin has only a low bioavailability, so it does not have a very strong effect in the organism because it does not fully enter the bloodstream. Piperine is added to the capsules so that our body can absorb more via the intestine.
How is piperine used?
In traditional naturopathy, piperine is most commonly used against:
rheumatism
Muscle aches
flu
Diarrhea
Fever
digestive problems
The scientifically proven health effects of piperine include:
Piperine has an antioxidant effect and therefore protects our body from free radicals from the environment that can damage our cells.
Piperine has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Piperine improves the bioavailability of other nutrients, which is why it is often found in supplements.
Where is piperine found?
The piperine content of pepper typically ranges from 2 to 7.4 percent. Black pepper often has a slightly higher piperine content than white pepper. This could be related to the fact that black pepper is not peeled. In addition to the two traditional types of pepper, piperine is also found in stick pepper, which tastes similar to black pepper.
