Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Black pepper is basically used as food. It adds zest and spice to a variety of foods that you eat. But black pepper is more than food or a spice it is also used in traditional medicine as a natural treatment of a variety of illnesses including pains and inflammation.
Black pepper comes from a climbing vine and in fact all types of pepper (black, white and green peppercorns) come from a single plant. To make black pepper, the peppercorns are harvested before these begin to open, are fermented and are placed for two to three days out in the sun to dry.
The reason why black pepper is effective as an anti- inflammatory is that it contains about 3% essential oil while the rest is made of valuable compounds like sabinene, beta-pinene, monoterpenes, limonene and other compounds that are seen as helpful for the reduction of inflammation. Black pepper is combined with other essential oils ingredients to create a topical pain reliever. These products may either be ointments, creams, gels or liniments which are applied directly on the skin of the affected area. When the product is applied there is immediate relief of pain as well as reduction of swelling, stiffness and other conditions related to inflammation. There is pain relief and improved mobility on the area.
Black pepper supplements are from the dried whole berries of the plant. After drying for a long time, these are ground and processed in capsule form. But even with these methods, still the most practical way to take advantage of black pepper benefits to pain relief is to use a topical ointment or cream.
Black pepper has been long used as a spice by adding it to food. Local traditional medicine uses it for various ailments as well as pain relief.
References:
Black pepper oil (Piper nigrum) – information on the origin, source, extraction method, chemical composition, therapeutic properties and uses. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/black-pepper.htm
Black pepper – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pepper
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