Piperine is a compound found in black pepper, giving it its sharp and spicy taste. This can then help enhance the taste of various kinds of foods since it acts as a seasoning.
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What Is Piperine Extract?
Apart from its flavor, however, piperine can also allow us to receive and retain its numerous health benefits through the consumption of black pepper or even through piperine supplements.
You can go through further information about piperine, its benefits and its recommended dose through the following sections.
What Is Piperine?
Piperine is an alkaloid compound present in black pepper. It is mainly responsible for giving black pepper its distinct flavor while also giving you a range of health benefits simply through its regular consumption.
Piperine, however, is sometimes also extracted from black pepper and used in supplements to enhance the health benefits for your body.
Usually, however, small quantities used in cooking and seasoning can help provide you with these benefits. Piperine can also indirectly improve the effects of other medications that you might be taking.
Health Benefits Of Piperine
Here, you can go through the benefits of piperine on your health.
Antioxidants
The presence of too many free radicals in your body can lead to harmful health impacts and increase the potential of developing certain diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and more.
In order to contain these free radicals, foods that contain antioxidant elements are important to consume. Piperine through black pepper is one such compound that can help with this since it can minimize the damage or at least reduce it to a certain extent.
Nutrient Absorption
Piperine can also prove to be useful when it comes to aiding the absorption of certain nutrients in your body. One of the main compounds whose absorption can improve in your body through piperine is that of curcumin present in turmeric, especially since the body has difficulties fully absorbing curcumin alone.
Another compound that can benefit from piperine is beta carotene since its absorption and serum response can improve through the consumption of piperine alongside it.
Brain Health
Your brain or cognitive health might feel the benefits of piperine as well since the compound can improve your memory, attention and retention of information. This can indicate several advantages and potentials when it comes to dealing with Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s.
However, there is not enough evidence to suggest a definite advantage in this regard, especially since most of the research is based on rats with not enough developments when it comes to humans.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Piperine can help regulate blood sugar levels in your body by increasing the capabilities of your cells to absorb this sugar so that it does not remain and gather in the blood.
This kind of intake of piperine and consequent uptake of glucose can then help reduce the intensity of diabetes in your body. Piperine, when combined with other spices or bioactive foods, can also help with insulin sensitivity.
Anti-Inflammation
Too much inflammation in your body can lead to the development of harmful diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and others. However, spices with bioactive compounds such as piperine in black pepper can have anti-inflammatory impacts on the body.
This can then help prevent or reduce the impact of harmful diseases in the long run, although there is not yet enough evidence or research to prove this benefit in humans since most of the studies have been conducted on rats.
Cholesterol Control
Controlling the level of cholesterol in your body is important to prevent certain chronic or fatal conditions such as strokes and heart diseases. In this regard, piperine can go a long way in regulating the cholesterol level in your blood due to its impact on the cholesterol proteins in your body.
In combination with curcumin and other spices or supplements, this effect can further be enhanced to keep you generally free of risk.
Gut Health
There are several bacteria present in your gut that are important when it comes to the effects of diseases, mood changes, the strength of your immunity and more. Through piperine and other spices, it is possible for changes to take place in the composition of your gut bacteria by retaining the good bacteria and reducing the bad.
This can then also have a major impact on your metabolism.
Foods With Piperine
Piperine is mainly present in black pepper and long pepper. You can use these as seasoning to enhance the taste of your food.
Piperine: Daily Recommended Dose
There is no daily recommended dose of piperine, although taking up to 20 mg of piperine every day can prove to be beneficial and safe. Supplements of around 5 mg taken thrice a day can generally work.
It is essential for you to seek your doctor’s opinion to determine the dosage and requirements so that it does not end up causing harm.
How To Take Piperine
You can take piperine simply by ensuring that you use black pepper in your food as a seasoning. Eating it with turmeric can also be quite beneficial since the curcumin in turmeric and piperine in pepper can improve each other’s medicinal properties and effects.
You can also take a piperine supplement in controlled doses by first confirming with your doctor that it is okay for you to take it.
Piperine: Side Effects
If you end up taking too much piperine, some side effects that can show up are as follows:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Interference with certain medications
- Slight pain or discomfort
If you only consume piperine through black pepper, then you are unlikely to experience side effects unless you have certain allergies.
What Is Piperine Extract? Summing Up
It is now clear that piperine, a primary component in pepper, has a range of health benefits that you can obtain either through its consumption in the form of pepper or through supplements.
However, before you decide to take supplements, make sure you confirm their suitability with your doctor and by doing prior research to ensure that they do not interfere with other underlying conditions that you might have.
