Black Pepper For Weight Loss: How Does It Help?
Due to its distinct flavor, black pepper is one of the most used spices around the world.
Besides its unique taste, it provides many health benefits that aid with weight loss such as boosting metabolism, curbing fat storage, and supporting your digestive system.
In this article, I will go over how black pepper helps with weight loss using scientific explanations and some additional information about black pepper.
What Is Black Pepper?
Black pepper also scientifically known as Piper nigrum originated from the berries of flowering vine native to southwestern India.
The black pepper is made by drying the berries from the piper nigrum plant. But despite its name, black pepper doesn’t come in just one color, in fact, it can be found in different colors:
White pepper- This is made from ripe berries with the outer layer removed, which results in a pale, creamy white color.
Green pepper- Green pepper is made from unripened green berries that are typically preserved in brine or vinegar. The preservation allows the berry to retain its green color and have a milder & fresher taste than black pepper.
Red pepper- These peppers are made from fully ripened berries. It is less common than black or white pepper and is known for its fruity and slightly sweet taste.
How Is Black Peppers Made?
The process of making black pepper involves various steps:
- Cultivation– Black pepper plants are grown in tropical climates where it rains often, has high temperatures, and soils that can drain water quickly.
- Harvesting– The berries are picked when they are still green and not fully ripened. The timing of harvest is important as the final color of the berry will affect its end flavor.
- Blanching– The freshly harvested green berries are briefly immersed in boiling water to soften the outer skin, which also helps preserve the quality.
- Drying– After blanching, the berries are spread out to dry in the sun to take out most of the moisture from it, which extends its shelf life. The berries also change color from green to black and develop their wrinkled appearance.
- Sorting– The dried peppercorns are then sorted by size and quality. The larger, higher-quality peppercorns are often referred to as Tellicherry peppercorns.Packaging– After sorting and checking the quality of the peppercorns, they are packaged for distribution and sale. They can be sold as whole peppercorns or ground into powders.
How Black Pepper Helps With Weight Loss?
Black pepper is believed to have several mechanisms that can potentially support your weight loss efforts.
Here are ways it does:
May Boost Metabolism
Black pepper includes a compound called piperine. Some studies have shown that piperine increases your metabolism.
Piperine enhances metabolism by promoting thermogenesis which is the process where the body generates heat by burning calories to maintain normal temperature.
By stimulating thermogenesis, it increases your metabolism, causing the body to burn more calories even at rest.
Being able to burn additional calories will make it easier to reach a caloric deficit state~ this is where your body will start using stored fat as fuel.
Improve Digestion
Black pepper may increase the secretion of digestive enzymes in the stomach such as pepsin. These enzymes are essential for breaking down your meals effectively.
The compound piperine has also been seen to stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid (HCL) in the stomach, which is also necessary for the breakdown of food.
With good digestion, your body is able to break down food efficiently, allowing you to absorb essential nutrients from your meals.
However, if your digestion is impaired, your body may not receive all the nutrients from the foods you eat~ in turn this can lead to increased hunger & cravings to prevent malnourishment.
Improve Insulin Sensitivity
Piperine has been studied for its potential to improve an individual’s insulin sensitivity~ meaning how well your body responds to insulin. Insulin works by controlling your blood sugar levels by transporting them within your cells.
If your body starts becoming insulin resistant for reasons such as having a sedentary lifestyle, then your body is unable to utilize glucose properly. Due to having excess glucose in your blood, it gets stored as fat around the body.
So with an improved insulin sensitivity, your cells are more responsive to insulin, allowing for a better control of blood sugar levels.
Includes Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Piperine has also been shown to inhibit certain inflammatory mediators in the body, including cytokines and enzyme-like cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).
As these mediators play a key role in the inflammatory response~ inhibiting their activity will reduce overall inflammations.
Inflammation can throw off normal bodily functions and lead to many adverse effects such as insulin resistance, increased appetite, slow metabolism, fatigue, and increased stress~ these all can hinder your weight loss efforts.
Therefore, reducing the chance of inflammation will make it easier for you to lose weight.
Help Curb Fat Storage
Adipogenesis is the process where fat cells get formed and stored around the body. Piperine can potentially reduce the action of adipogenesis, thus slowing down the formation of new fat cells.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, black pepper can support your digestion which in turn improves the absorption of various nutrients~ including those that play a role in fat metabolism such as vitamin C.
These effects can help reduce the amount of fat you accumulate from the foods you eat.
How To Incorporate Peppercorns To Your Diet?
Different colored peppercorns have their own distinct taste, giving each dish a unique twist.
Starting with your typical black pepper, you can get them as fine powder and whole peppercorns.
The whole peppercorns can be ground down to season meats before cooking as the larger pieces add texture. Whereas the fine powders are best for adding it directly into the cooking process.
You might be surprised that the whole black peppercorns can actually be eaten by itself as well. However, you need to be extra careful not to overeat the pepper as it can cause major adverse effects.
Compared to black pepper, white pepper has a milder taste. So this is a great alternative to people who have low spice tolerance. Its usage is the same as with the black pepper.
Next are the red peppercorns, these come in whole. Unlike the white & black peppers, the red peppercorns are not dried, which results in a more fruity note with a hint of spicy aftertaste.
Due to this sweeter taste, they make a great ingredient when making a dessert dish.
Finally the green peppercorns. These are usually preserved in brines, giving them a more tangy taste. Therefore it works great for sauces or chutney, to really liven up the flavor.
Combining Black Pepper With Other Weight Loss Ingredients
To enhance the effects of the black pepper you can combine it with other fat-burning ingredients:
Black Pepper and Turmeric
Turmeric comes from the root of the plant called Curcuma longa. It can help regulate lipid metabolism by promoting fat-molecule breakdown and inhibiting adipogenesis (fat cell growth).
Also, it can boost your metabolism by increasing thermogenesis. This is why people feel a warm sensation after consuming this spice.
You can combine the black pepper & turmeric to create dishes such as curry to give it a fiery kick.
Black Pepper and Green Tea
Camellia Sinensis goes through various procedures to create green tea. This might be surprising to hear but there are 1,500 different types of green tea available even though they are all made from the same plant.
Green teas are rich in catechins, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which is a potent antioxidant.
EGCG can potentially increase fat oxidation and release the fat molecules into your bloodstream, where the body can use it for energy.
Putting in just a pinch of black pepper in your green tea makes it an amazing beverage to give you a cozy feel on a cold day.
Black Pepper and Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is rich in proteins~ protein is a macronutrient that is known for its satiety properties. This will help reduce the overall calorie intake and prevent excessive snacking between meals.
Also, some Greek yogurt contains live probiotic cultures that can promote gut health. Having a healthy microbiome has various benefits which include improved metabolism and better nutrient absorption.
Greek yogurt and black pepper can be combined to create a savory dip or dressing.
Conclusion
Black pepper is a common spice found in kitchens around the world. It provides a wide range of benefits~ some shown to help you lose weight.
It is important to note that even though black pepper might help with weight management, it’s not a miracle solution.
You shouldn’t solely rely on it~ for achieving a steady weight loss, having a balanced diet, partaking in regular exercise, and getting quality sleep are extremely important.
