Anyone attempting to lower their salt intake has a friend in pepper. Despite the fact that there is little or no flavour relation between the two condiments, a well-peppered dish needs less, and often no added table seasoning. Pepper's particular brand of phytochemical is called piperine. Piperine offers the extra benefit of assisting the body in nutrient absorption. Piperine is absorbed very quickly across the intestinal barrier, which is why it may enhance the absorption of nutrients from food that it has been graced.
Pepper rewards the user in a number of little ways.
It is rich in a mineral called chromium, which I'm sure you've never missed. Pepper also contains vanadium which, like chromium, has been found to improve glucose tolerance and the efficiency of insulin in diabetics. Historically, according to Thompson, black pepper was used to treat toothache, scarlet fever, leprosy, cholera and blood dysentery. She also recommends fresh black pepper preparations for haemorrhoids, colds, coughs and respiratory problems. I've eaten a lot of black pepper over the years I've never had scarlet fever or leprosy.