Black Pepper Oil
Black Pepper Oil

Black pepper has an almost constant presence at the kitchen table, as most cultures utilize the dried berries of the black pepper plant for food consumption. The black pepper shrub, Marich, grows in Southern India, providing food lovers with some of the world’s spiciest dishes. However, in addition to pepper’s ability to add an exciting kick to a meal, it provides many more benefits to the human body.

Black pepper is harvested into oil, which is sold online and in most health food stores at prices that are twice as expensive as those associated with most essential oils. There are two interesting reasons for this distinct price difference. Firstly, black pepper oil can be challenging to harvest. Secondly, black pepper oil was actually once used as a form of currency in India! According to the Organic Facts Network, black pepper was once valued much more than even gold. The list below will explain why.

1. The cellulite-hater

Most women would highly value anything that works against the challenge of cellulite, and the good news is that black pepper oil can reduce fat in the body from outside of the body. Many people appreciate that the oil is unlike many other fat-reducing remedies, in that it does not require ingestion. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies states that “Black pepper stimulates the plasma and the blood, the nervous system, the spleen, and reduces fat.” Often times, a lack of blood circulation to certain areas of the body can lead to an increase in fat. Black pepper oil boosts circulation in these problem areas (i.e. the back of the thighs for most!), and it offers a noticeable reduction in cellulite over time.

2. A treatment for congestion

For those with busy work and family schedules, nasal congestion can be a distraction from everyday tasks. Black pepper oil offers a very quick solution to congestion. While most over-the-counter drugs take at least fifteen minutes to be absorbed into the system, black pepper oil almost instantaneously clears nasal passages. A small amount of oil can be rubbed onto the chest in order to alleviate symptoms. For those in the workplace, perhaps the aromatherapy method of simply inhaling the oil may be a better option. Your boss may not thank you for causing a sneezing epidemic that spreads through the entire staff during a meeting!

3. A friend to painful joints

Black pepper can also relieve joint pain caused by arthritis or even just by poor muscle tone. One of the best ways to reap the benefits of black pepper’s pain relief properties is through the creation of a compress, which can be used at either a hot or cold temperature. First, determine whether heat or ice works best for your symptoms before compress the application. Next, you can use the following pain-relieving compress recipe from The Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies: “Add three drops of black pepper, two drops of chamomile, [and] two drops of marjoram to a bowl of hot or cold water. Apply to the affected area as directed.” Black pepper oil has the qualities of something called a rubefacient, causing capillaries to dilate. This, in turn, leads to an increase in blood circulation and a decrease in pain.