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A study in Nutrition & Metabolism found that black pepper helps your body fight against obesity. Black pepper does this by reducing body fat and blood sugar levels. This study was carried out by researchers from the Sri Venkateswara University in India.
In this study, the researchers fed lab rats a high-fat diet for 22 weeks. They then included piperonal, a beneficial compound in black pepper, in their diet starting from the 16th week.
For the study, the research team experimented on obese rats who were administered with a high-fat diet in a period of 22 weeks. Then, they drew out piperonal, the compound in black pepper, from black pepper seeds and included it in the diets of some of the rats starting from the 16th week.
The results of the study showed that the rats whose diets were supplemented with piperonal had increased their lean body mass, bone mineral concentration and bone mineral density compared with the control group of rats. Furthermore, the researchers also found that supplementing with piperonal decreased the blood glucose levels of the rats after an hour.
The study also indicated that the optimal dosage and length of time to be given piperonal was 40 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight for 42 days. Additionally, the study also indicated that piperonal also assists in the regulation of some genes connected to obesity.
“Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of piperonal as a potent anti-obesity agent, provide scientific evidence for its traditional use, and suggest the possible mechanism of action,” wrote the researchers in the conclusion of their study.
Researchers continue their investigations into what specific mutations cause obesity. In a separate study conducted by a team of researchers from Imperial College London on obese children. For the study, the researchers concentrated on obese children in Pakistan because they found genetic links to obesity in around 30 percent of cases from that country. The researchers said that the reason behind the genetic links to obesity is the high level of inter-family relationship in its population. In addition, they found in the past study that parents who are closely related have more chance on carrying the same mutation, therefore a child may inherit it from both sides. This leads to a more severe mutation to take effect.
In the current study, they found mutations in one certain gene related to obesity called adenylate cyclase 3 (ADCY3), with the use of genome sequencing. This gene results to abnormalities associated with appetite control, diabetes, and the sense of smell. Furthermore, the research team discovered that they also had anosmia, which showed a link to mutations in ADCY3.
“Early studies into ADCY3 tested mice that were bred to lack that gene, found that these animals were obese and also lacked the ability to smell, known as anosmia,” said Philippe Froguel of Imperial College London.
The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Genetics.
Black pepper isn’t just beneficial for countering obesity. If supplemented with a healthy diet and proper exercise, black pepper can also:
Piperonal is just one of the many nutrients found in black pepper. To learn more about the other vitamins, minerals and other compounds in black pepper and in other superfoods, check out Nutrients.news.
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