For many centuries, Indian people using long pepper as one of the spice in their cooking. Therefore, many people called it Indian long pepper. Based on ancient Indian medicine Ayurveda, there are some health benefits of Indian long pepper. Like most of the pepper, it is rich with vitamin C and capsaicin. Due to its health benefit, the Indian long pepper can be used as a treatment for many kinds of disease.

Indian long pepper as similar with other pepper, having strong spicy taste. It is a fragrant plant with thin and hairy branches. All part of the plants, including its root and fruit are useful. The fruit size is small and contain alkaloid piperine. It is almost the same with chili pepper fruits. While the root contains piperine, steroids, glucosides, pipelartin and piperlongumine.

Nowadays, the plant is well growth in India and some places in Asia. At the grocery, it is commonly labelled as pippali. It is can easily grind and used as the substitute of black pepper. Therefore, it can mix well in any kind of cooking. It will give flavor on many type of cuisine.

Nutrients of Indian Long Pepper

A single serving of Indian long pepper (15gr) contains below nutrition:

• Calories 26cal
• Total fat 0mg
• Sodium 115mg
• Protein 0gr
• Sugar 6gr
• Carbohydrates 6gr
• Dietary Fiber 0gr
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Calcium 2mg
• Vitamin C 2.4mg
• Vitamin A 0mg

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

There are main benefits of health benefits of Indian long pepper. Those are:

1. Cold Treatment

Indian long pepper can be used to treat cold symptoms such as cough, fever, headache and mucus condition. It is good to provide the pepper as a homemade treatment for the cold. It helps to act as an expectorant, therefore it is work best to reduce cough.

2. Allergies

Piperine help to relieve allergies such as asthma. The decongestant effect help to threats respiratory disorder caused by allergic issue. It is also work reducing the intensity or frequency of asthma attack.

3. Prevent Diabetes

Long pepper gives medical benefit for diabetics as it regulates the rate at which glucose is released in the blood. It is also boost the insulin production, then, regular consumption of long pepper works for all diabetes types.

4. Bacterial Infection

The small amount of essential oil in a long pepper help to act as anti-bacterial. Therefore, it helps to prevent bacterial infection disease such as arthritis or any kind of bacteria inflammation.

5. Digestive Treatment

It is a good treat for nausea and heartburn. It is also work increase the digestion metabolism. So that it is able to enhance the secretion of digestive enzyme. Furthermore, it helps the digestive to avoid endanger chemical which lead to carcinogenic.

6. Pain Relief

Pain is the classic manifestation of inflammatory process. Indian long pepper works as anti-inflammatory. That is why it helps to relieve the pain which happened during the inflammatory process. It works by blocking the pain felling transmission to the nerve cell.

7. Respiratory Treatment

The hot sensation of this pepper help to release the mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract. It gives a relief in the respiratory. That is why this pepper is good for respiratory treatment.

8. Diarrhea

What’s more health benefits of Indian long pepper? There is a research that Indian long pepper is a good therapy for people who infected with amoebas. Or it is commonly act as diarrhea of stomach flu. The anti-bacterial works to eliminate the bacteria from the body. So, it will lead on a fast cure and relief the ache. It works to aid in the digestion of food.

9. Liver Treatment

Indian long pepper has a healing effect to the overworked liver. It is eliminating the toxin inside the liver. So that the liver will works lightly and avoiding liver disease to happen such as hepatitis.

10. Anti-cancer

Piperlingomerine contain in the pepper react as anti-cancer. It helps fighting the cancer cell by slowing down the cancer cell to growth up. It cuts off the energy supply to cancer cell so that the cancer cell is self-destructed. But this matter shall be confirmed again by more research.

11. PMS Syndrome

Piperine also act as anti-depressant agent. Therefore, it helps to relief the stress during menstruation period. It is also help to soothe the menstrual cramp. It helps to stimulate the menstrual flow by acting controlling the hormone.

12. Reproductive System

Some research show that this pepper is one of the aphrodisiac. Therefore, it helps to boosts the reproductive system. The Ayurveda medicine also mentioned about this benefit. Consuming Indian long pepper is good to keep sexual capability and reproductive system.

13. Nervous System

Indian long pepper can strength the nervous system. There is a research showing that piperine contain in the fruit help to improve brain function. It improves memory power. Therefore, the nerve which connected to the brain works optimize. This mean that the pepper is good to avoid neuro disease such as Alzheimer.

14. Weight Loss

Some people use the long pepper combined with honey as a weight loss treatment. It is because the piperine increases thermogenesis of the human body.

According to research, Indian long papper also improves the bioavailability of the nutritive substances such as beta carotene, curcumin selenium, pyroxidine (B6), glucose and amino acids. Therefore, the body metabolism can be increased. Means that the body will work extra to reduce fat and help to prevent overweight.

15. Insomnia

In its correlative, as anti-depressant, it helps to people with sleep disorder. Normally insomnia comes to people with high stress condition. The capability of long pepper in relieving stress help to reduce the possibility of people having insomnia. This might have to research further. But it is a worth try. Thus, there are many health benefits of Indian long pepper.

How to Use Indian Long Pepper

There are two forms of Indian long pepper, wet form and dry form. Depend on the form, the use will also be different. Each form also has its special health benefits of Indian long pappers. That’s why this pepper can be widely used. This is also reasons of the high necessity of this pepper in the herbal medicine world. The use of each forms will explain below.

The wet, fresh Indian long pepper can be used for many kinds of recipes. This version mostly used as pickles. A homemade Indian long pepper is easy to make. It is also can used in a briyani, kebab, or pizza. Simply cut off the pepper into small pieces and use as necessary. The wet version brings more health benefits since the composition is still natural and through no chemical process.

The dry version of Indian long pepper can be grind into powder and used in some cooks. This form is longer lasting than the wet pepper. That is why most people like to keep the dry version. So that it can used in months. The dry version can be spread in the soup, or mix in the vegetables. It also can use to marinated meat or fish. The lack of this dry version is that health benefits of Indian long pepper and the strong hot taste is not as much as the wet form.

Side Effect of Indian Long Pepper

Indian long pepper has some side effects too. There are several effects that normally reported:

1. It is an irritant to the skin when applied and possible to manifest allergic reaction. People with allergically history may feel irritated, get rashes and get itchiness. Therefore, it shall use with carefully and needs to consult with the doctor.
2. It is bringing a mouth burning sensation. This is because of the spicy taste and hotness in the mouth. To reduce this sensation, a glass of milk can soothe the feelings.
3. People with weak digestive shall not regularly consume this pepper. As it can make a nausea feeling from the produced gas. Sensitive stomach may not welcome with any kind of pepper, including this one.
4. It is not for used on a very long period of time. This is because of its hotness and less oiliness. So, for long period it wouldn’t give a medical benefit. But it is potential to add illness.
5. Pregnant woman and breastfeeding mom better to avoid this pepper. There is no evidence whether it is harmful or not. But during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it is suggested to keep the awareness on consuming something.