14. BLACK PEPPER

                                              BLACK PEPPER

Black pepper grows on a vine.  It is harvested when it is green. It becomes black when it dries. Black pepper is used as a spice in various dishes. It is rich in essential oils and is an aromatic herb.

Black pepper is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C & K, calcium, Magnesium, iron and copper.  It is a good idea to use black pepper as a substitute for red or green chillie since it is not so harmful. Adding a little black pepper powder to your food is a good idea for it will help improve taste and digestion.

Benefits:

1. Digestion: Black pepper stimulates the taste buds, thus making the stomach produce more digestive juices (hydrochloric acid) that help digestion. It is good cure for constipation. It is good for people who don’t feel hungry. Black pepper powder with butter milk is a good cure for indigestion.

2. Black pepper prevents intestinal gas and increases sweating and urination.

3.  Black pepper has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

4. In Ayurveda, black pepper is used to cure sinusitis and nasal congestion.

5. Cough: if you have a bad cough, just put black pepper into your mouth and keep sucking it allowing the juice to go into your throat slowly.

6. Skin disease: Black pepper helps cure skin disease called vitiligo (skin colour turns white). It also reduces the risk of cancer due to excess of ultraviolet radiation.

7. Black pepper is good for curing insect bites, joint pain, ear-ache and gangrene. It is also god for the eyes.

8. Asthma: Black pepper is good for people suffering from asthma.

9. Black pepper is also used to treat tooth decay and tooth ache.

10. Obesity: Outer layer of black pepper helps breakdown of fat cells.

10. Painful joints: Pepper, cumin and ginger boiled in mustard oil makes effective massage oil. Apply it on painful joints.

11. Cough: Pepper powder with honey is licked to cure cough.

12. Diarrhoea: Mix one spoon of black pepper powder in water and drink to stop diarrhoea.

13. Lack of appetite: Mix black pepper in jaggery and make small balls. Take one ball twice a day to increase appetite.

14. Indigestion: soak black pepper in butter milk and dry it. Fry in low flame and powder it. Take this powder twice a day.

15. Indigestion: Mix tulasi leaves, black pepper powder and salt in curd and eat it four times a day to cure indigestion.

16. Stomach heaviness: Add black pepper powder and cumin seed powder to one glass of buttermilk and drink.

17. Loss of appetite: Fry curry leaves and grind with black pepper, cumin and dried ginger. Add a pinch of salt and mix it with rice to get a good appetite.

Danger: Too much of black pepper is not good. People with stomach ulcer should avoid black pepper. It can cause sneezing and irritate the intestine. Black pepper can cause gastric bleeding.