Is Black Pepper A Healthy Spice?
Black pepper is the most popular spice in the world. Black, green and white peppercorns all come from the black pepper plant (Piper nigrum), native to Asia. Black pepper is the whole, partially ripened fruit; green is the unripe fruit; and white is the peeled seed.
Black pepper can provide you with significant health benefits: it is a proven antibacterial agent, and compounds in this spice help protect the integrity of DNA as well, making it a possible weapon against cancer. It also can aid in the absorption of healthy anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric.
Learn to enjoy the spice by investing in a grinder to break down the whole peppercorns onto any dish you make. Not only might there be greater health benefits to grinding fresh, but a better, richer taste as well. Keep in mind that overconsuming black pepper can irritate the GI tract, urinary tract, and prostate, so should not be eaten frequently in high quantity.
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