Along with chili peppers, garlic, and ginger, pepper is an essential spice that cannot be overlooked. Pepper adds aroma and a tingling sensation to food; what effect does it have on health?

Pepper emits a strong aroma and functions to mask the smell of meat or fish. The famous gourmet Apicius from ancient Rome was said to sprinkle pepper on almost every dish. The reason for adding pepper to rice soup or fish dishes is also to mask the odor.

After entering the body like this, pepper also helps with digestion. The alkaloid components in pepper stimulate the secretion of saliva and digestive juices. It also contains ingredients that prevent food from spoiling. Due to its sterilizing, insecticidal, and preservative effects, pepper is added to processed foods such as ham and sausages.

There has been a research finding suggesting that black pepper influences genes and helps improve obesity. This is thanks to piperine found in black pepper, a type of plant nutrient. According to a research team from the Department of Biotechnology at Sejong University, piperine weakens a substance called PPAR gamma, which promotes fat cells in the body. It also inhibits the activity of various genes that cause obesity, such as SREBP-1c, C/EBPβ, Adipsin, aP2, and LPL. The research team stated, "Everyone has obesity-related genes, and frequent overeating activates these genes regardless of calorie intake, making obesity more likely. Conversely, frequent intake of piperine from black pepper can somewhat prevent the expression of these genes."

If you are someone who usually consumes a lot of black pepper, you may have heard the saying, "Eating a lot of black pepper causes it to accumulate in the body and not be excreted." Is this true? Some components of black pepper are not water-soluble. However, since black pepper is just a spice added in small amounts to food, there is generally no need to worry as long as you don't eat it excessively out of habit.

Depending on the type, different dishes suit different kinds of pepper. Black pepper is made from unripe green pepper berries that are heated and dried with their skins intact, and it goes well with steak or salad. White pepper is made by soaking ripe red peppers in water to remove the red skin and then drying them. It is good to use in white sauces or fish dishes. Green pepper can be sprinkled on soups or cream sauces.

Pepper in powder form quickly loses its flavor and aroma. For a fresh pepper scent, it is better to grind whole peppercorns each time you cook rather than using pre-ground pepper.

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I only use ground pepper... haha.

I really need to buy this whole peppercorns once.

I really like eating soft-boiled eggs with extra pepper on top.

The taste is good, and I love pepper in soup dishes.

As expected, it also tastes good... and helps with weight control.