Is Black Pepper Healthy? Here’s What the Science Says

Like salt, black pepper sits on almost every kitchen table or countertop in America. But while whole books have been written about sodium consumption and human health, black pepper and its compounds have garnered little attention from experts.

But pepper probably deserves more scrutiny. Some research has linked black pepper marinades to the elimination of heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, which are the cancer-causing chemicals that form when meat is charred or cooked at high temperatures.

Like salt, black pepper sits on almost every kitchen table or countertop in America. But while whole books have been written about sodium consumption and human health, black pepper and its compounds have garnered little attention from experts. But pepper probably deserves more scrutiny. Some research has linked black pepper marinades to the elimination of heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, which are the cancer-causing chemicals that form when meat is charred or cooked at high temperatures.