The Beneficial Powers of Black Pepper: For Your Digestion

Delicious & Nutritious

By: Pam Smith, RDN

The world’s most traded spice is a superfood in its own right; it’s the spice with the most potent anti-osteoporosis properties. It’s also rich in manganese, iron, and copper, an essential trace mineral needed for bone health and healthy red blood cell creation. Black pepper (Piper nigrum) stimulates the taste buds in such a way that an alert is sent to the stomach to increase hydrochloric acid secretion, thereby improving digestion of protein in the stomach. Black pepper has demonstrated impressive antioxidant and antibacterial effects, adding to the health of the digestive tract. And not only does black pepper help you derive the most benefit from your food (including turmeric!), the outer layer of the peppercorn appears to stimulate the breakdown of fat cells.

Use It:

Pepper is versatile; add it to anything you’d like. Key ingredient in Porcini Pepper, Creole Kitchen, Caribbean Kitchen, Adobo Kitchen, Texy Taco, and Smokey Southern.

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Get black pepper in your meals with any of my P.S. Flavor!™ Club recipes on this blog – every recipe has black pepper in one or all of the spice blends used in the recipe! Here are a few that will give you the most black pepper:

Grilled Creole Surf and Turf Kabobs and Veggies with Smokey Chermoula Sauce

Caribbean Shrimp Penne with Asparagus, Sundried Tomatoes, and Goat Cheese

Speedy Porcini Meatloaf with Cheesy Cauliflower and Adobo Green Beans

Adobo Black Bean Soup with Moroccan Spiced Shrimp and Tomato Bruschetta

Creole Pecan Crusted Cod with Cauliflower Hominy Hash and Smokey Broccolini

Porcini Pepper Asparagus, Tomato, and Cheddar Frittata with Chai Pear & Blackberry Crisp and Prosciutto Wrapped Strawberry Bites

Chili Lime Salmon with Porcini Pepper Polenta and Pan Seared Asparagus Porcini Pepper Crusted Steak with Creamy Horseradish Sauce and Roasted Baby Potato, Cherry Tomato, and Green Bean Salad