Distinct Benefits of Black Pepper Essential Oil

Black pepper as a condiment needs no introduction. It is one of the most widely used and popular spices in the culinary world. But, its value extends beyond the culinary and into the realm of healthcare, perfumery and preservatives. It is well known that consuming pepper boosts blood circulation in the body, improves metabolism and purifies the body. Black pepper is also available in its essential oil form and it is used to get relief from body aches and headaches, for lowering cholesterol and increasing appetite etc. The gyalabs black pepper essential oil has not been as popular as it should have been, but that is changing rapidly. Usually essential oils are used for aromatherapy and hence people choose the oil with the best aromas. But, as more and more people have tried black pepper essential oil its popularity has raised manifolds. It is often said that more research is needed to prove and understand the efficacy of essential oils in the field of healthcare, but black pepper oil is perhaps one of those oils that has been researched the most.

Every essential oil gets its properties from an underlying compound. In the case of black pepper essential oil the compound is piperine. This compound has been researched and proven to have several properties beneficial to health. In fact, research is ongoing to find out whether this compound has anti-cancer properties. Doctors recommend its inclusion in the diet to treat, prevent and mitigate cancer.

What are the benefits of black pepper? There are several unique health benefits of black pepper essential oil, some of which are mentioned here.

Quitting cigarettes and stopping smoking cessations

One of the unique benefits of black pepper oil that makes it stand aside from other essential oils is its use in stopping smoking. Black pepper oil has dual benefits. It lowers the cravings of cigarettes for chain smokers and it also lowers the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in the body for those trying to cut down cigarettes. A study has validated that black pepper can suppress the cravings for cigarettes. The research involved participants who were avid smokers. They were asked to refrain from smoking for a 24 hour period. Later the participants were divided into three groups and each group was given an inhaler. The ingredients in each inhaler were different; the first group had vapors with black pepper oil, the second group had a mint vapor and the third group was given an empty inhaler. And, no guesses for which group felt the least craving to smoke a cigarette. Inhaling black pepper made the cravings for cigarettes lesser by a huge percentage. Before essential oils were popular, smokers used to bite on black pepper to stop their nicotine cravings. Black pepper also lowers the symptoms associated with quitting cigarettes. Symptoms such as headaches, sore throat, anxiety etc. were lesser in the group that inhaled the black pepper oil vapors. Furthermore, this group was able to experience the sensations in the chest. This finding is important because, to successfully quit smoking the smoker needs to realize the sensations in the respiratory tract and chest. So, if anyone is planning to quit smoking with essential oils, then black pepper essential oil is the answer.

Stimulates appetite

First we need to understand the swallowing reflex. In simple words this is a process of the tongue pushing back chewed food to the back of the mouth into the oral cavity. Swallowing reflex is necessary, otherwise the food will aspirate into the air cavity. Now, black pepper is a potent appetite stimulant as well as an olfactory stimulant. It helps people with neurological disorders to swallow. It does so by activating the insular cortex.

Relief from neuropathy

Neuropathy is a condition caused due to damage or destruction of the nerve cells. This causes the nerves to behave erratically or with less strength leading to symptoms such as numbness and mild to moderate pain. It can change the way a person walks or feels. This feeling is common in the feet and hands. Those at risk are diabetics. The use of black pepper oil in providing relief from diabetes-related neuropathy has been studied in research by a Turkish team. People suffering from the disorder were divided into two groups. The hands and feet of the first group were massaged and rubbed with essential oils three times everyday up to four weeks. The other group only took medications to relieve the pain. After four weeks, the first group reported 66% relief from pain, whereas the second group only felt 9% relief. The essential oil blends used in another study included black pepper, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus and geranium oils. This mixture was massaged into the feet and the participants reported less pain in half an hour.

These are some of the rare benefits of using black pepper essential oil. Now let’s see how to use this oil.

How to Use Black Pepper Oil

There are several ways of using black pepper essential oil. It can be used in aromatherapy by using a diffuser, or can be applied topically on the skin after adding a carrier oil, ingested in small quantities after consulting a doctor or reading the instructions on the product packing and it can be sniffed.