Black Pepper ~ Piper nigrum

Black Pepper

Latin name: Piper nigrum

Family: Piperaceae

Part used: Fruit (peppercorn)

Habitat: Tropics, includingIndia ,Indonesia, and naturalized in S. America

Main constituents: volatile oil, alkaloids (piperine)

Energetics: warming, spicy, very drying (Ayurveda)

Main herbal actions: carminative, stimulant, alterative (Ayurveda)

Minor herbal actions: analgesic, antiseptic, digestive, febrifuge, stomachic

Main medicinal uses: indigestion, flatulence, mental fogginess, heartburn, appetite loss, nausea, catarrh

Minor medicinal uses: muscle pains, rheumatism, and stiffness (external oil), colds, flu

Preparations: widely used as a condiment; oil: steam inhalation or topical; 10 peppercorns boiled in milk (Ayurveda)

Contraindications: pregnancy (possible)

Toxicity: rubefacient /irritant

Notes: Premier alterative in Ayurveda

Sources: Wren, R.C. Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations; http://www.andybarson.btinternet.co.uk/pepper.htm