Black pepper is often used to season savory dishes, but did you know the spice is also used to make black pepper essential oil?

This amazing natural ingredient offers various health benefits, such as improving your digestion and relieving arthritis pain.

What’s in black pepper essential oil?

Black pepper (Piper nigrum) essential oil is derived from black pepper, one of the most common spices used in kitchens across the globe.

The oil is made via steam distillation. High-pressure steam is filtered through a vine until the oils can be separated from the floral water made from black pepper.

While it’s not as common as lavender or tea tree oil, black pepper essential oil is a must-have in your kitchen, thanks to its many health benefits.

The main components of the black pepper essential oil include:

• Alpha-terpineol
• Alpha-terpinene
• Beta-bisabolene
• Beta-caryophyllene
• Camphene
• Limonene
• Linalool
• Myrcene
• Phellandrene
• Pinene
• Pinocarveol
• Sabinene

Black pepper also contains vitamins and minerals such as:

• Beta-carotene
• Calcium
• Iron
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Vitamin K 

Health benefits of black pepper essential oil

The idea of black pepper essential oil might seem weird if you’re used to more common oils like clove or lemon, but here are nine reasons to use it for various home remedies.

It boosts your digestive health

Black pepper essential oil is good for digestion because it stimulates the whole digestive system, from the salivary glands in your mouth to your large intestine. The oil also promotes the secretion of digestive juices like acids and bile into the stomach to speed up digestion.

Black pepper is a safe alternative to chili peppers, which is usually forbidden for those on a bland diet, have extreme acidity, jaundice, or an ulcer of the mouth or digestive system.

It eliminates excess gas

Black pepper essential oil is carminative, meaning it can help treat flatulence or gas buildup.

The oil can help eliminate gases and prevent gas formation in your stomach and in the intestines. Using black pepper essential oil will also help get rid of bacteria responsible for the formation of gas.

It can help clean the excretory system

Black pepper oil has mild purgative properties, and it’s safe for your excretory system, which discharges waste from your body. The system includes other organs like your sweat glands, the liver, the lungs, and kidneys.

The essential oil will help clean your intestines and reduce infections in the digestive and excretory systems.

It helps relieve arthritis pain

Black pepper essential oil is a must-have for those suffering from arthritis pain because it’s warming and stimulating.

The oil helps improve circulation and relieves pain due to rheumatism and arthritis. People with gout can also benefit from the oil since it helps eliminate toxins like uric acid from the blood.

It’s a natural detoxifier

As a natural detoxifier, black pepper essential oil helps protect your body from free radical damage linked to health problems like cancer.

Additionally, the oil helps delay adverse effects of aging like:

• Degeneration and loosening of the muscles
• Loss of mobility in the joints
• Macular degeneration
• Memory loss
• Vision loss
• Wrinkling of the skin

It’s a natural diuretic 

Black pepper oil is a natural diuretic and ingesting it increases sweating and promotes urination. Both bodily functions help eliminate toxins from your body, clear your pores and disinfects the body.

It can treat bacterial infections

Black pepper oil has antibacterial properties and can treat bacterial infections in the mouth, colon, digestive system and urinary tract.

When added to food, the oil can disinfect and prevent bacterial infections.

It relieves spasms

As a natural antispasmodic, black pepper essential oil can be used topically to treat cramps, pulled muscles, spasms, or convulsions.

Other benefits of black pepper essential oil

Black pepper oil is full of vitamin A (beta-carotene), a nutrient essential for good vision. Vitamin A also has beneficial antioxidant activity.

The oil is also a good source of vitamin K, which is essential for maintaining your bone and muscle health, along with proper circulatory and metabolic functions.

Finally, black pepper oil contains nutrients like calcium, potassium and selenium. You need calcium for healthy bones and potassium for regulating blood pressure. Selenium is needed for the proper formation of bones, nails, hair follicles and teeth, along with the proper functioning of the brain.

Blending black pepper oil with other essential oils

You can blend black pepper oil with other beneficial essential oils such as:

• Bergamot
• Clary sage
• Clove
• Coriander
• Fennel
• Frankincense
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Juniper
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Lime
• Mandarin
• Sage
• Sandalwood
• Ylang-ylang

Black pepper oil sore muscle rub recipe

When applied topically, black pepper oil provides a soothing, warming sensation. Follow the simple recipe below to make an effective sore muscle rub.

You will need:

• 1 Ounce of coconut oil
• 4 Drops of black pepper essential oil
• 2 Drops of lavender essential oil
• 2 Drops of peppermint essential oil

Steps:

1. Combine the coconut out and essential oils in a jar or small container, then shake well.

The peppermint oil adds a nice cooling sensation to balance the warmth from the black pepper oil, mimicking the “icy hot” effect of store-bought rubs without any harmful chemicals. Adding lavender gives the mixture a relaxing scent.

Precautions when using black pepper oil

Black pepper essential oil is considered safe for regular use, but using it in large quantities may cause side effects like:

• Irritation
• Inflammation of the intestines
• Overheating
• Sleeplessness
• Uneasiness
• Unrest
• Vomiting

When using the oil topically, keep it away from your eyes and nose to avoid irritation, sneezing and burning in the eyes.

Use black pepper essential oil to relieve sore muscles and to improve your digestive health.

Sources:

OrganicFacts.net

AromaOutfitters.com

ScienceDaily.com