Black Pepper
Black pepper is the world's most traded spice, and is one of the most common spices added to cuisines around the world. Its spiciness is due to the chemical compound piperine, which is a different kind of spiciness from that of capsaicin characteristic of chili peppers.
Black pepper is a good source of manganese, a mineral that can help with bone health, wound healing, and metabolism. In fact, one teaspoon of black pepper offers 13 percent of your daily recommended intake (DRI) of manganese and 3 percent of your DRI of vitamin K.
People apply black pepper to the skin for measles, nerve pain, itchy skin caused by mites (scabies), and to treat pain. People inhale black pepper oil to prevent falls, to help quit smoking, and for trouble swallowing. In foods, black pepper and black pepper oil are used as a spice.
