Indian researchers at the Sri Venkateswara University also discovered that the supplement of piperonal considerably decreased the rat’s blood glucose level after just 60 mins when compared to the control group. The results showed that the preventive effects were maximised at a dosage of 40 mg per kg of body weight, administered for a 42-day period.
Piper nigrum
The research suggests that piperonal might have also helped regulate some of the genes associated with obesity. Black pepper or Piper nigrum is a well-known spice, rich in a variety of bioactive compounds, and widely used in many cuisines across the world. In the Indian traditional systems of medicine, it is used to treat gastric and respiratory ailments. In the study, piperonal significantly attenuated HFD-induced body weight and biochemical changes through modulation of key lipid metabolizing and obesogenic genes. In a separate study focused on very overweight children in Pakistan, UK researchers at Imperial College London discovered mutations in a gene related to obesity and have suggested ‘obesity is not always gluttony’. oth teams hope their findings can produce a new treatment for obesity, rates of which have nearly tripled worldwide since 1975.
