bioperine benefits

Bioperine Benefits: Everything You Need to Know

Black pepper is grown in tropical Asian countries like India. It’s one of the most commonly used spices around the globe. White and black pepper come from the same plant species; however, what’s different is the process of preparation. While white pepper is made by cooking and drying the seeds, black pepper is made by cooking the dried unripe fruit.

A universal feeling we all get when sprinkling a little black pepper on our food is the wave of heat. That heat not only improves the flavor of the food we’re eating, but there are processes that are happening on a chemical level that make it more than just a staple in the kitchen.

Traditional medicine has been using black pepper for generations. Today, there are better ways to unlock the benefits that black pepper has to offer. Something that’s become an important element of modern approaches to wellness and health is the nutrient Piperline, otherwise known as Bioperine.

What Is Bioperine?

Bioperine is black pepper’s active ingredient that contributes to the taste you get when you’re consuming this spice. Piperine was first isolated from black pepper in 1819 by Danish chemist Hans Christian Orsted. Later, Piperine was discovered in other Piper species, like the West African pepper and the long pepper. 

In 1882, Pipererine was first synthesized by mixing piperonyl chloride and piperidine.

Bioperine, on the other hand, was created by a health and wellness company, called Sabinsa, in 1988. At first, it was used as a nutritional supplement to offer a more powerful, safe, and accessible way to enjoy the health benefits that are connected with the chemical ingredients found in black pepper.

Black pepper has been seen as beneficial to health throughout the years of our existence. It was recommended for use in traditional medicine for different types of problems. However, nowadays, thanks to research and modern science, more benefits of Bioperine have been discovered.

Bioperine Benefits

Below, we’ll go over some of the benefits that Bioperine offers.

High in Oxidants

Unstable molecules that can cause damage to your cells are called free radicals. Some free radicals are created in a natural way, like when you digest food and exercise. However, exposure to things like sun rays, cigarette smoke, and pollution can lead to the formation of excessive free radicals.

Some major health problems can occur as a result of excess free radical damage. For instance, excess free radical damage has been connected with certain diseases, such as cancers, heart disease, premature aging, and inflammation.

Piperine has potent antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that a diet that’s high in antioxidants can help delay or prevent the damaging effects that free radicals cause.

Studies have shown that free radical damage can be reduced by Piperine supplements and ground black pepper. For example, a study has shown that rats that were fed a diet that was high in fats plus concentrated black pepper extract or regular black pepper had fewer markers of free radical damage to their cells after ten weeks when compared to rats that were fed a diet that was high in fats alone.

Benefit Your Brain

Several studies done on animals have shown that Piperine can improve brain function. To be more specific, Piperine has shown potential benefits for symptoms connected to degenerative brain conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s.  

For instance, a study done on rats with Alzheimer’s disease has shown that memory was improved by Piperine because the distribution of Piperine allowed rats to repeatedly run a maze in a more efficient manner than the rats that weren’t given Piperine. Another study conducted on rats concluded that the Piperine decreased the formation of amyloid plaque, damaging protein fragments that can be found in the brain and have been connected with Alzheimer’s.

Control of Blood Sugar

Blood sugar metabolism can be improved by Piperine, as studies have shown. In one study that was conducted, black pepper extract was given to rats, and those rats had a smaller spike in levels of blood sugar after they consumed glucose, compared to the rats that were in the control group.

In addition, another study included 86 people that were overweight and were taking a supplement that contained Piperine and other compounds for eight weeks. These people had a big improvement when it came to their insulin sensitivity, which is a measure of how well glucose is removed from the bloodstream by the hormone insulin. 

However, it’s important to note that a combination of several active plant compounds was used for this study, so it isn’t clear if the same effects would happen if only black pepper was used.

Lower Cholesterol Levels

One of the leading reasons for death all over the globe is heart disease, and something that’s connected with an increased risk of heart disease is high levels of cholesterol in the blood. To examine the potential that black pepper and Piperine have in reducing cholesterol levels, there have been several studies conducted on animals.

For instance, in a study that lasted for 42 days, rats were fed a diet that was high in fat and black pepper extract. These rats had lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as lower levels of bad cholesterol, also known as LDL cholesterol. The control group didn’t experience the same effects of decreased blood cholesterol levels.

In addition, Piperine and black pepper can also help with the absorption of supplements that have the potential for lowering cholesterol, such as red yeast, rice, and turmeric. For instance, a study has shown that the absorption of curcumin, the active component of turmeric, can be increased by black pepper up to 2,000%.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

An underlying factor in many conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis, seems to be chronic inflammation. Many conducted studies have suggested that the main active compound in black pepper, i.e., Piperine, can help in effectively fighting inflammation.[18]

For instance, studies have been done on rats that have arthritis, and those studies have shown that Piperine helped with fewer blood markers of inflammation, as well as less joint swelling. However, it’s important to note that the anti-inflammatory properties of Piperine and black pepper haven’t been studied in people yet.

Recommended Dosage and Side Effects

Bioperine’s typical dosage is between 5 and 10 milligrams, but it depends on the reason you’re using it for and your individual needs. It can be split into two doses or be taken as a single dose during the day with some food.

You need to consult your physician if you’re thinking about exceeding the recommended daily dosage. Excessive amounts of Bioperine can cause constipation, nausea, and upset stomach.

Supplements to Combine with Bioperine

Bioperine plays a substantial role in the absorption of supplements like:

  • Minerals: magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, iodine, chromium, vanadium, iron, and calcium
  • Amino Acids: methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, valine, threonine, leucine, isoleucine, and lysine
  • Antioxidants: zinc, selenium, germanium, pink bark, lutein, lycopene, trans beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and vitamin E
  • Fat-soluble Vitamins: vitamin K, E, D, and A
  • Water-soluble Vitamins: vitamin C, folic acid, B12, B6, B2, and B1.
  • Herbal Extracts: capsaicin, ginkgo, ashwagandha, boswellin, and curcumin

Final Thoughts

Piperine, the bioactive ingredient that can be found in the product Bioperine, as well as in black pepper, has countless benefits for our health. The high concentration of Piperine that Bioperine contains makes it an effective and convenient way to access all of the powerful health benefits that it offers. 

You can get Piperine by adding black pepper to your meals or, alternatively, by consuming a product that delivers a concentrated dose of this ingredient!

References

  1. Black pepper. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. 2020.
  2. Takooree Heerasing, et al. A systematic review on black pepper (Piper nigrum L.): from folk uses to pharmacological applications. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019; 59(sup1): S210-S243.
  3. Tiwari Anshuly, et al. Piperine: A comprehensive review of methods of isolation, purification, and biological properties. Medicine in Drug Discovery. 2020; 7: 100027.
  4. About Sabinsa. BioPerine®. 2021 Oct.
  5. Pryor W A. Cigarette smoke radicals and the role of free radicals in chemical carcinogenicity. Environ Health Perspect. 1997; 105(Suppl 4): 875-882.
  6. Matschke Veronika, et al. Oxidative stress: the lowest common denominator of multiple diseases. Neural Regen Res. 2019; 14(2): 238-241.
  7. Poljšak Borut and Dahmane Raja. Free radicals and extrinsic skin aging. Dermatol Res Pract. 2012: 135206.
  8. Hussain Tarique, et al. Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: What Polyphenols Can Do for Us? Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016: 7432797.
  9. Vijayakumar R S, et al.Antioxidant efficacy of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and piperine in rats with high fat diet induced oxidative stress. Redox Rep. 2004; 9(2): 105-110.
  10. Kannappan Ramaswamy, et al. Neuroprotection by spice-derived nutraceuticals: you are what you eat! Mol Neurobiol. 2011; 44(2): 142-159.
  11. Hritcu Lucian, et al. Methanolic extract of Piper nigrum fruits improves memory impairment by decreasing brain oxidative stress in amyloid-beta(1-42) rat model of Alzheimer’s disease. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2014; 34(3): 437-449.
  12. Subedee Lokraj, et al. Preventive role of Indian black pepper in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015; 9(4): FF01-FF04.
  13. Panda S and Kar A. Piperine lowers the serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, glucose and hepatic 5’D activity in adult male mice. Horm Metab Res. 2003; 35(9): 523-6.
  14. Maeda Ayumi, et al. Piperine Promotes Glucose Uptake through ROS-Dependent Activation of the CAMKK/AMPK Signaling Pathway in Skeletal Muscle. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018; 62(11): e1800086. 
  15. Rondanelli Mariangela, et al. Improvement in insulin resistance and favourable changes in plasma inflammatory adipokines after weight loss associated with two months’ consumption of a combination of bioactive food ingredients in overweight subjects. Endocrine. 2013; 44(2): 391-401.
  16. Parim Brahma Naidu, et al. Effects of Piper nigrum extracts: Restorative perspectives of high-fat diet-induced changes on lipid profile, body composition, and hormones in Sprague-Dawley rats. Pharm Biol. 2015; 53(9): 1318-28.
  17. Gupta Subash C., et al. Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials. AAPS J. 2013; 15(1): 195-218.
  18.  Mujumdar A M, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of piperine. Jpn J Med Sci Biol. 1990; 43(3): 95-100.
  19. Bang Jun Soo, et al. Anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic effects of piperine in human interleukin 1beta-stimulated fibroblast-like synoviocytes and in rat arthritis models. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009; 11(2): R49.

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