What Are the Health Benefits of Kali Mirch?

What Are the Health Benefits of Kali Mirch?

Kali mirch contains piperine, a cancer-fighting compound.

While you might not immediately recognize the name kali mirch, you likely have it sitting on your dinner table. Kali mirch is simply an alternative name for black peppercorn, or black pepper, a staple seasoning in a variety of cuisines. Using kali mirch in your cooking offers a range of health benefits, because it contains essential nutrients your tissues need to function, and it also contains phytonutrients that fight disease.

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Fiber

Kali mirch serves as a good source of dietary fiber. Fiber makes what you eat more filling by absorbing water in your digestive tract to physically fill your stomach. As a result, fiber-rich foods tend to help stave off hunger between meals. Dietary fiber also helps prevent digestive disorders, such as constipation, and helps lower your risk of heart disease. Using 2 tablespoons of kali mirch in your cooking boosts your fiber intake by 3.5 grams, and provides 9 percent of the daily fiber intake requirements for men and 14 percent for women, as set by the Institute of Medicine.

Vitamin K

Consuming kali mirch also helps you reach your recommended daily vitamin K intake. Each 2-tablespoon serving of kali mirch contains 23 micrograms of vitamin K, which is 26 percent of the Institute of Medicine's recommended daily intake for women and 18 percent for men. The main role of vitamin K involves blood coagulation -- it allows your body to form blood clots needed to prevent or stop bleeding. Getting enough vitamin K in your diet also promotes healthy cell growth and supports your skeletal health.

Manganese and Copper

Kali mirch also contains essential minerals, providing a considerable amount of manganese and copper. You need both minerals for a healthy metabolism. Manganese helps your body break down nutrients, while copper aids in energy production. Manganese and copper contribute to the health of your cartilage and bone tissue, and copper also promotes nervous system health. A 2-tablespoon serving of kali mirch boasts 1.8 milligrams of manganese and 184 micrograms of copper. This provides 20 percent of the daily recommended copper intake established by the Institute of Medicine, as well as 78 percent of the daily recommended manganese intake for men, and the entire daily recommended intake for women.

Piperine

Adding kali mirch to your cooking also ups your intake of piperine, a phytonutrient abundant in black pepper. Piperine has an effect on gene activity in your cells, and consuming piperine helps fight cancer growth and development. One study, published in "Food Chemistry" in 2013, found that piperine reduces the activity of HER2, a gene that drives the growth of breast cancer cells. And according to a study published in "PLoS One" in 2013, piperine promotes the death of prostate cancer cells, and it helps prevent the spread of cancer by inactivating genes that prostate cancer cells need to invade other tissue.