Black Pepper

     While pepper originally belongs to South India, it's grown in other tropical countries as well. It's played a vital role in history, and has been considered as an important spice from time immemorial. In ancient Greece, it was also used as currency. In later years, it became pivotal in the spice trade across the world.
      Incidentally Vietnam is considered to be the largest grower and exporter of pepper. India, Brazil, and Indonesia follow suit. Black pepper, while used in cooking and garnishing in cuisines the world over, comes with lots of health benefits.

Here's are six reasons to sprinkle some more -
1. To prevent cancer
2. Stimulates digestion
3. Relieves cold and cough
4. Enables weight loss
5. Improves skin
6. Addresses depression

                        Black peppers have a strong pungent flavor that comes from volatile-oils, such as piperine. These volatile oils may disappear in the case of milled-peppers because of evaporation.

Black peppercorns contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell production.

They are also an excellent source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as Pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin.

Peppercorns are a good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A. They are also rich in flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants like carotenes, cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lycopene. These compounds help the body remove harmful free radicals and help protect from cancers and diseases.