What are its benefits?
Piper longum has been the subject of many scientific studies, one of which showed that a combination of piper longum, turmeric, black pepper, and ginger produced a distinct beneficial shift in the gut’s microbial community in less than two weeks. In addition:
- Piperine, the major active incredient in piper longum, has been shown to have anticancer and antioxidant properties.
- Other studies have noted that piperine plays a large role in piper longum’s antiarthritic (anti-inflammatory) attributes.
- Some extracts of piper longum have shown good antibacterial activity against certain pathogens.
- Piper longum is also thought to benefit diabetics because it can regulate the rate at which glucose is released in the blood.
What is it?
Piper longum (long pepper) is a flowering vine whose dried fruit is used as a spice. The fruit contains a large proportion of alkaloids and related compounds, the most abundant of which is piperine. Long pepper also contains various nutrients, such as fats, proteins, sugars, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamins C and A, dietary fiber, and sodium ions.
