8 surprising benefits about Black Pepper essential oil

Piper nigrum, more commonly known as black pepper, is the world's most widely used spice and has origins dating back to 2,000 B.C. in India.  India is still one of the top three producers of black pepper but has been surpassed in production by Vietnam and Indonesia.  Black pepper was such a valued product that in some cultures, it was used as a form of currency in trading.  It was considered more valuable than gold!

Black pepper is a highly aromatic spice and there are many benefits to incorporating the spice into an essential oil.  Essential oils are made by extracting the flavor and aroma by distilling the spice using a steam, water or cold press process and incorporating the essence of the herb (in this case, pepper) into a carrier oil. 

The purpose of the carrier oil is to dilute the concentration of the distilled extracted spice.  If used without a carrier oil, the potency is so high that direct contact with the skin can cause irritation.  The carrier oil dilutes the extract and allows the spice to easily be applied to your skin. Extracting the essence via chemical process is not allowed when creating an essential oil.  If you use a chemical process, it is no longer considered an essential oil. 

Black pepper essential oil has been studied extensively because pepper has many properties that are beneficial to your health.  There have been many studies on how black pepper oil has improved overall health, cut cigarette cravings and reduced anxiety.

Black pepper essential oil is most commonly used in aromatherapy applications.  Black pepper essential oils are used to fight fatigue because the aroma is so uplifting and energizing.  

Essential black pepper oil can be used in a diffuser to fill the air with black pepper.  Black pepper contains properties that invigorate, so diffusing the oil makes people who are tired feel energized.

The essential oil can be used as a massage oil.  It helps with fatigue when massaged into feet and the temples. You can combine black pepper with ginger as ginger also has similar properties to black pepper and will be a compatible oil to use to fight fatigue.

Black pepper essential oil can relieve aches and pains.  Warming the oil first adds to the potency of a pain reliever.  Massage the black pepper oil into legs and calves to relieve pain from over-worked muscles.  You can massage any part of the body right after a strenuous exercise before you even have pain, to prevent the aches from occurring.

Black pepper oil works well with fractionated coconut oil when used as the carrier oil.  The coconut oil is great for your skin all by itself, but combined with the black pepper oil, it will greatly reduce muscle strains.

Black pepper essential oil has been documented to help with digestive disorders.  The oil needs to be ingested, to be effective for digestion, so it can be added to salad dressing or vegetable dips.  If you suffer from diarrhea, gas, constipation or irritable bowel syndrome, adding essential black pepper oil to your diet will help to alleviate many of the symptoms and pains associated with these disorders.

If your doctor has told you that you must reduce your cholesterol level, consider ingesting black pepper essential oil every day.  Research has been done on laboratory rats who were given essential black pepper oil and saw a reduction of LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, and an increase in HDL, the "good" cholesterol.

Always consult with your doctor before adding the pepper to your diet.  It would be best to have the before blood work cholesterol levels and then have the levels checked again after three months of using the essential black pepper oil in your diet so you can see how your cholesterol has improved.  

Add several drops of black pepper essential oil to a hot compress and apply to your neck, legs or abdomen, depending upon where it is that you would like to increase blood flow and circulation.  If you have a hot water bottle, you can use that as a compress.

If you do not have a hot water bottle, you can make one. To make a hot compress, take a washcloth and saturate with warm water.  Put the wet cloth into a bowl and put in the microwave for one minute.  When the minute is up, remove the cloth, fold it and apply to the area of concern.

Adding black pepper essential oil to your diet can also lower your blood pressure.  In addition to improving circulation, the warming properties in the black pepper can improve heart health circulation and lowers blood pressure.  

Black pepper essential oil eases anxiety.  The oil can be diffused or inhaled directly from the bottle.  Studies have shown that black pepper essential oil can help with nicotine withdrawal symptoms.  The anxiety people feel when they try to quit smoking can be lessened by inhaling black pepper essential oil.

Combining lavender with black pepper essential oil is a good combination for relieving stress and anxiety.

Black pepper essential oils can be added to recipes to enhance the taste of your food.  Because it is an essential oil, the potency of the aroma is high and concentrated so you will only need a few drops of the black pepper oil to flavor your food.

Add two to three drops to your homeade soup recipes. The black pepper oil goes particularly well with tomato soup or veggie soup.  If you like very spicy foods, you can go ahead and add 4 or 5 drops of the black pepper essential oil.
 

Substitute canola oil for black pepper essential oil when making your sti fry to give it an extra kick. The mushrooms really absorb the spice well.  It also tastes great when you add it to mashed potatoes or rice. 

Add a few drops of black pepper oil to the cast iron skillet and heat over a high flame before adding your steak to the pan.  Allow the beef to sear for 4 minutes, and then flip the steak over to continue cooking.  The black pepper adds a zesty flavor to your steak.   

You can make essential oils at home but you do need a crockpot! Here are the ingredients and supplies that you need:

• A crockpot and its lid
• Distilled water
• 4 cups of black peppercorns
• cookie sheet
• glass bottle to store the oil
• A slotted spoon

1. Pour the peppercorns onto the cookie sheet.  Put the cookie sheet into the oven at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. Add the toasted peppercorns to the crockpot and pour in enough distilled water to just cover the peppercorns. 
3. Put the cover on the crockpot, but invert the cover so that the handle of the top is inside of the crockpot facing the bottom of the pot.  Essentially, it will look as if it is on wrong, but putting the cover on upside down will keep the condensation inside of the crockpot.
4. Turn the crockpot on high until the water is boiling and then turn it down to low. Simmer for 4 hours on the lowest temperature.
5. Allow the liquid to cool.  This may take up to two hours.
6. Once cooled, separate the crockpot from the heating unit and put the crock into the refrigerator and store 8 hours or overnight.
7. When the crockpot is removed from the fridge, there will be a thin layer of oil on top of the water.  This is your essential oil. 
8. Using a slotted serving spoon, remove the oil and transfer to a glass bottle.  You must work quickly because it will begin to melt. Store away from light and heat.

The essential oil will need to be combined with a carrier oil for you to use it.  Applying the essential oil without a carrier oil can lead to skin irritation, so do not use it in its purest form. Even if you are going to use the black pepper essentail oil in your food, you still need to mix it with a carrier oil because the concentration is too high and the oil will be too peppery. You must use a carrier oil to diffuse the concentration of your essential oil.  

There are so many benefits and uses for black pepper essential oil that you should consider adding it to your lifestyle.  Try different oil combinations to see which ones you like best.  Black pepper essential oils can be combined with other essential oils such as clove, cinnamon, tangerine, peppermint, lavender, ginger, lemon, and basil. The different combinations will give you a variety of scents from which to choose.  However, be sure to consult your physician before incorporating it into your diet.