Follow-up – Nour Njeim:
Black pepper has great health benefits due to the alkaloid in it called piperine, the chemical that gives it its pungent flavor and makes it a powerful antioxidant.
It is known that antioxidants are molecules that get rid of harmful substances called “free radicals”. An unhealthy diet, excessive exposure to the sun, alcohol and smoking can increase the number of free radicals in the body.
An excess of these unstable molecules can damage cells. It also makes people age faster. It causes a range of health problems. Including cardiovascular disease, cancer, arthritis, asthma and diabetes.
Laboratory studies on animals and cells have shown that piperine combats these free radicals. In one study, mice were divided into several groups. Some mice were fed a normal diet, while others were fed a high-fat diet.
One group of mice was fed a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper. Another group of mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with piperine.
The results found that mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with black pepper or piperine had significantly fewer signs of free radical damage. Compared to mice fed a high-fat diet only. In fact. Signs of free radical damage were similar to rats fed a normal diet.