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For instance, rats fed a high-fat diet plus either black pepper or a concentrated black pepper extract had significantly fewer markers of free radical damage in their cells after 10 weeks compared to rats fed a high-fat diet alone (9Trusted Source).
2. Has anti-inflammatory properties
Chronic inflammation may be an underlying factor in many conditions, such as arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
Many laboratory studies suggest that piperine — the main active compound in black pepper — may effectively fight inflammation (12Trusted Source).
For example, in studies in rats with arthritis, treatment with piperine resulted in less joint swelling and fewer blood markers of inflammation (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
In mouse studies, piperine suppressed inflammation in the airways caused by asthma and seasonal allergies (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source)
However, the anti-inflammatory effects of black pepper and piperine have not yet been studied extensively in people.
May improve blood sugar control
Studies suggest that piperine may help improve blood sugar metabolism (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
In one study, rats fed a black pepper extract had a smaller spike in blood sugar levels after consuming glucose compared to rats in the control group (25Trusted Source).
Additionally, 86 overweight people taking a supplement containing piperine and other compounds for 8 weeks experienced significant improvements in insulin sensitivity — a measure of how well the hormone insulin removes glucose from the bloodstream (26Trusted Source).
However, it’s unclear whether the same effects would occur with black pepper alone, as a combination of many active plant compounds was used in this study.
May lower cholesterol levels
High blood cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death worldwide (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).
Black pepper extract has been studied in animals for its potential to reduce cholesterol levels (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source).
In one 42-day study, rats fed a high-fat diet and a black pepper extract had decreased blood cholesterol levels, including LDL (bad) cholesterol. The same effects were not seen in the control group (31Trusted Source).
Additionally, black pepper and piperine are believed to boost the absorption of dietary supplements that have potential cholesterol-lowering effects like turmeric and red yeast rice (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).
For example, studies have shown that black pepper may increase the absorption of the active component of turmeric — curcumin — by up to 2,000% (34Trusted Source).
Still, more studies are needed to determine whether black pepper itself has significant cholesterol-lowering effects in humans.
May have cancer-fighting properties
Researchers hypothesize that the active compound in black pepper, piperine, may have cancer-fighting properties (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).
Though no human trials have been performed, test-tube studies found that piperine slowed the replication of breast, prostate, and colon cancer cells and induced cancer cell death (37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).
Another test-tube study screened 55 compounds from spices and observed that piperine from black pepper was the most effective at enhancing the efficacy of traditional treatment for triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive cancer type (41Trusted Source).
What’s more, piperine has shown promising effects in laboratory studies for reversing multidrug resistance in cancer cells — an issue that interferes with the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment (42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source).
Though these results are promising, more studies are needed to understand the potential cancer-fighting properties of black pepper and piperine.