Benefits and Uses

Health Benefits

Long pepper powder is a natural herb known for its rich medicinal properties. It contains many nutrients such as essential oils, terpenoids, piperine, and sylvatine for added benefits. This humble natural spice offers the following health benefits –

  • Promotes weight loss by enhancing the body’s metabolism
  • Treats heartburn and acidity
  • Promotes bowel movements and helps treat constipation
  • Helps manage blood sugar levels in the body
  • A paste of long pepper powder with honey helps reduce pain and inflammation in the gums
  • Boosts immunity and helps treat wounds faster
  • Provides relief from cold, cough, and congestion
  • Treats a number of skin disorders

    • The root contains piperine, steroids, glucosides, pipelartine and piperlonguminine.

      • The piperine in long pepper is said to fight parasites and infective agents.
      • Piper Longum finds mention in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine, particularly for diseases of the respiratory tract, where the powdered fruit is used.
      • The root is used for bronchitis, stomach ache, diseases of the spleen, and tumours etc.
      • It also improves appetite. An infusion of the root is prescribed after child-birth to induce the expulsion of the placenta”
      • Indian long pepper consists of a chemical compound called Piperlongumine, which has shown positive activity against cancer.
      • Long pepper is also said to be good for the liver, diabetes and bacterial infections, apart from a host of other benefits.
      • It is useful for Liver and Spleen Ailments, for Diabetes, for Stomach Problems and Toothache.

      The unique chemical composition of this plant extends its utility beyond the culinary to curative.

Uses of Piper Longum or Long Pepper

    • Long pepper powder adds a pleasant deep aroma to vegetables, curries, soups, pickles, dals, marinades, salads, burgers, poultry, fish, and many other dishes. This exotic spice makes a fine alternative to black pepper in any dish you like if you need a little extra sting. The spice powder can also be mixed with milk, warm water, or honey to create simple but effective home remedies due to its antioxidant effects.

    • The roots and thicker parts of the stem are cut and dried and used as an important drug (Piplamool or Pippali) in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems.
    • The fruits are used as a spice and also in pickles and preserves. They have a pungent pepper-like taste and produce salivation and numbness of the mouth.
    • In some hilly parts of Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh, long pepper is grown for its roots. It is grown as a perennial plant in small plots and the roots are collected for 10-30 years, the first harvest commencing from 18 months after planting.
    • Fruits and roots are used for medicinal purposes too. These are “ for diseases of the respiratory tract, such as cough, bronchitis, asthma, etc; as counter-irritant and analgesic when applied locally for muscular pains and inflammation; as snuff in coma and drowsiness and internally as carminative; as a sedative in insomnia and epilepsy; as a general tonic and haematinic; as cholagogue (a medicinal agent which promotes the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward) in obstruction of the bile duct and gall bladder; as an emmenagogue (herbs which stimulate blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus; some stimulate menstruation) and abortifacient (causing abortion); and for other miscellaneous purposes such as anthelmintic (to destroy parasitic worms) and in dysentery and leprosy.”