SC - Re: Black Pepper

[Tara Sersen]

>    Interesting! Hadn't heard that tidbit, but I *did* read not too long ago,

>in one of the several herb magazines I get, that studies done of late have

>shown that pepper helps the nutrients in your food be absorbed by the body.


Haven't heard that one, but it doesn't surprise me:

>From Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions by Francis Brinker, N.D.,


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Black Pepper
Piper nigrum fruit

Contraindications
1) pregnancy - due to its abortifacient effect in large doses (empirical)

Drug interactions
1) increased bioavailability of spartein when administered together with teh
compinent piperine due to increased absorption and/or reduced metabolic breakdown
(PO in rats)
2) phenytoin was absorbed more rapidly and more completely and eliminated more
slowly when taken with the component piperine (PO in human study)
3) propanolol was more rapidly and more completely absorbed combined with piperine,
while theophylline was more completely absorbed, and both reached significantly
greater maximum concentrations when taken with the component piperine (PO in
human study)
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- -Magdalena