The Copper In Black Pepper

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Did you know that black pepper has copper? Yup, you heard it right! That’s dietary copper. Did you know that copper is essential to humans and most animals because we need it to absorb and utilize iron?

According to NutritionData.Com, "the influence of copper on health is due to the fact that it is part enzyme, which are proteins that help biochemical reactions occur in all cells" such that the symptoms of a person having deficiency in copper is "similar to a person having iron deficiency anemia".

Copper is, in short, involved in the absorption, storage and metabolism of iron. However, recent studies suggest that copper can do more than this—especially for dieting women.

Scientists of the Agricultural Research Service of the United States suggests consuming about three times the recommended amount of dietary copper to help women retain calcium in their bones when dieting. This recommendation was given after findings conducted by the said agency revealed that people who are overweight or obese are vulnerable to losing unhealthful amounts of calcium from their bones when they go on weight-loss diets.

Increasing your intake of black pepper when dieting is therefore helpful, since black pepper is a rich source of dietary copper. But whether or not on the diet, giving your meals a dash of pepper every time prevents the unwanted effects of osteoporosis, iron-absorption problems, and digestion difficulties.

(Sources: Copper, Glossary, NutritionData.Com, 2006; Study Suggests Boning Up On Copper While Dieting, United States Department Of Agriculture Website, March 2006)