Black Pepper Fights Fat

A simple, widely available spice and kitchen staple may help us trim our waistlines. New research published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry gives the nod to black pepper. The study provides evidence of a long-sought explanation for the beneficial, fat-fighting effects of the common seasoning. Piperine, the pungent-tasting substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste, helps block the formation of new fat cells.