Black Pepper (Piperine) (Piper nigrum): Uses, Evidence and Safety
Black pepper (Piper nigrum) and its main compound piperine: how it can raise blood levels of other substances and medicines, what trials show, and the gap between seasoning and supplements.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Safety first: black pepper on food and isolated piperine in supplements are different exposures. German risk assessors (BfR) reviewed isolated piperine taken as a single bolus and found interactions with several drugs, in most cases increased drug bioavailability (the share of a medicine that reaches the blood). [1] Depending on the drug, such interactions may carry the risk of unintended, harmfully increased drug effects. [1] If you take any prescription medicine, ask a pharmacist before using a supplement that contains piperine or black pepper extract. See how interactions work.
Overview
Black pepper is the dried fruit (the peppercorn) of Piper nigrum L., family Piperaceae. [2] Its main active compound is piperine. [3] It is a different plant from chili and cayenne peppers, which are covered on the cayenne pepper page. The BfR review notes that supplements use piperine "in an isolated, concentrated form," unlike pepper used for seasoning. [1] Food use is covered in black pepper, cayenne and capsaicin foods.Traditional use (not proof of benefit)
A systematic review of folk uses found the most traditional reports of P. nigrum came from India. [3] Human uses were mostly for menstrual and ear-nose-throat disorders, and preparations were mostly powders, pills or tablets, and pastes. [3] We did not find a regulator monograph for black pepper in the sources we read.What research shows
| Use | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Form and population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raising blood levels of curcumin | In healthy volunteers, serum curcumin was undetectable or very low after 2 g of curcumin alone. Adding 20 mg piperine raised levels, with a reported 2000% increase in bioavailability and no adverse effects noted. [4] | Promising but limited (absorption measure only, one small 1998 study; not a health outcome) | Isolated piperine plus curcumin, healthy volunteers |
| Cholesterol in metabolic syndrome | A meta-analysis of randomized trials of curcumin plus piperine found lower total cholesterol and LDL-C. The authors say long-term trials are needed. [5] | Promising but limited (the combination; the pepper's own part cannot be separated) | Curcumin plus piperine, adults with metabolic syndrome |
| Black pepper alone for health conditions | Most studies were done in test tubes (60); only 21 were in animals and 1 was a clinical trial. [3] Proper evidence not found for human outcomes (we searched PubMed for black pepper and piperine reviews and trials). | Preclinical (cells or animals) | Spice, extracts, piperine |
| Colds, digestion, weight, pain | Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. | Insufficient evidence | n/a |
Absorption is a measurement, not a benefit. Higher blood levels of a substance are not the same as better health, and with a medicine they can be a risk.
Forms and why the form matters
Ground or whole peppercorns are a seasoning. Isolated piperine and pepper extracts appear in supplements. [1] Studies that raised curcumin levels used isolated piperine, so they do not tell us what pepper on food does. See turmeric vs curcumin and curcumin supplements.Safety
- Medicines. Reviews find piperine can change how enzymes and transporters handle other drugs, with a beneficial or adverse effect depending on dose, schedule and duration. [6] Another review says the clinical importance of black pepper-drug interactions must be carefully assessed. [7] Specific medicines are not named in the abstracts we read, so ask a pharmacist: how the body processes herbs and supplements.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. In animal studies with higher daily piperine doses than human interaction studies, the BfR review found signs of disturbed spermatogenesis and of maternal reproductive and embryotoxic effects. [1] Human safety in pregnancy is not described in the sources we read. See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Allergy. Allergy to black pepper is rare. A case report described occupational nasal inflammation in a worker exposed to pepper dust for 10 years. [8] Another described a 17-month-old with hives and swelling whose skin tests to black and cayenne pepper extracts were positive; the paper notes pepper allergy in children is rare. [9]
- Safety of human studies. The BfR review says human piperine studies rarely reported adverse effects but focused little on safety beyond drug interactions. [1]
- Surgery, liver, kidney, children. Not described in the sources we read. Tell the surgical team about any supplement: herbs before and after surgery.
Quality
The sources we read do not describe adulteration of pepper. For supplements, see quality testing and certifications.Official statements
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), 2021 review: considers it advisable to weigh potential health risks of isolated piperine taken in bolus form, for example in some food supplements. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Does black pepper help the body absorb turmeric?
In one small 1998 study in healthy volunteers, isolated piperine raised blood curcumin levels. [4] That does not show a health benefit, and it used piperine, not table pepper.
Is black pepper safe with my medicines?
Food seasoning is not the concern in the sources we read; isolated piperine is. [1] Ask a pharmacist before taking piperine or black pepper extract with any prescription medicine. [6]
Is a piperine supplement the same as pepper on food?
No. Supplements deliver isolated, concentrated piperine as a bolus. [1]
Does black pepper treat colds or aid digestion?
Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. A systematic review found only one clinical trial among its pharmacology studies. [3]
Is black pepper allergy common?
Reports describe it as rare. [9][8]
References
- Ziegenhagen et al. (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), Foods 2021, safety aspects of isolated piperine ingested as a bolus. PubMed 34574230. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, Piper nigrum L.. Read 2026-10-23.
- Takooree et al., Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2019, systematic review on black pepper: from folk uses to pharmacological applications. PubMed 30740986. Read 2026-10-23.
- Shoba et al., Planta Med 1998, influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin. PubMed 9619120. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hosseini et al., Phytother Res 2023, curcumin and piperine combination and lipid profile: systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed 36649934. Read 2026-10-23.
- Lee et al., Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2018, piperine-mediated drug interactions. PubMed 29250980. Read 2026-10-23.
- Han, Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2011, effects of black pepper on intestinal absorption and hepatic metabolism of drugs. PubMed 21434835. Read 2026-10-23.
- Perić et al., Occup Med 2023, occupational rhinitis caused by hypersensitivity to black pepper. PubMed 36255261. Read 2026-10-23.
- Gimenez and Zacharisen, WMJ 2011, severe pepper allergy in a young child. PubMed 21748999. Read 2026-10-23.