Tag Archives: digestion

food, health, nutrition, science, wellness

Why you must add black pepper to your daily diet

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**Why You Must Add Black Pepper to Your Daily Diet**
*By Anujj Trehaan | Sep 22, 2025, 06:53 PM*

Known as the “king of spices,” black pepper is much more than just a kitchen staple. Packed with antioxidants, it combats oxidative stress and offers numerous health benefits. Here are five compelling reasons why black pepper’s antioxidants make it a must-have in your daily diet.

### 1. Boosts Digestive Health
Black pepper stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which aids digestion. Effective digestion ensures that nutrients are absorbed efficiently and waste is eliminated properly. Additionally, the antioxidants in black pepper help reduce inflammation in the gut, promoting overall digestive wellness.

### 2. Enhances Nutrient Absorption
The active compound piperine in black pepper enhances the bioavailability of nutrients from other foods. This means that when consumed with nutrient-rich ingredients, black pepper helps your body absorb more vitamins and minerals. For instance, it can increase the absorption of curcumin from turmeric by up to 2,000%. Including black pepper in your meals is a smart way to maximize nutritional benefits.

### 3. Supports Respiratory Health
Traditionally, black pepper has been used to alleviate respiratory issues due to its expectorant properties. Its antioxidants help clear congestion by breaking down mucus in the airways, while its anti-inflammatory effects soothe irritated respiratory passages. This makes breathing easier when dealing with colds or allergies.

### 4. Promotes Skin Health
Thanks to its antioxidant properties, black pepper contributes to healthier skin by combating free radicals, which are responsible for premature aging and skin damage. Regular consumption may help maintain skin elasticity and reduce signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines. Moreover, black pepper’s antibacterial qualities can help prevent acne by keeping pores clean and free from bacteria.

### 5. Aids Weight Management
Adding black pepper to your diet may support weight loss efforts through its metabolism-boosting effect called thermogenesis—the process by which the body burns calories faster after consuming certain foods and spices. Piperine not only accelerates metabolic rate but also helps prevent fat storage when combined with regular exercise and a balanced diet focused on a healthy lifestyle.

Incorporate black pepper into your daily meals to enjoy these health benefits and enhance your overall well-being.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/lifestyle/black-pepper-s-antioxidant-power-five-health-benefits-revealed/story

biology, engineering, entertainment, health, science

Pizza-loving lizards to alcoholic bats: Bizarre research wins Ig Nobel

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**Pizza-loving lizards to alcoholic bats: Bizarre research wins Ig Nobel**

*By Akash Pandey | Sep 19, 2025, 05:21 PM*

The 35th annual Ig Nobel Prize awards, a celebration of bizarre yet thought-provoking scientific achievements, took place recently at Boston University. The event was also streamed online, allowing a global audience to join in the fun. This year’s ceremony centered around the theme of **digestion**, featuring intriguing talks and unique performances.

One highlight was a presentation by Dr. Trisha Pasricha, who explored the curious connection between smartphone use on toilets and the incidence of hemorrhoids. Additionally, attendees enjoyed a mini-opera titled *“The Plight of the Gastroenterologist,”* adding an artistic touch to the scientific festivities.

### Unusual Research Topics Recognized

The Ig Nobel Prizes, awarded by actual Nobel laureates, honored a variety of unconventional studies that blend curiosity with humor. Some of the standout topics included painting cows with zebra stripes to reduce fly bites and investigating pizza preferences among different lizard species.

Among the notable winners were William B. Bean, who received a posthumous award for meticulously documenting the growth of his fingernail over 35 years. Julie Mennella and Gary Beauchamp were recognized for their research on how garlic consumption affects nursing babies. Meanwhile, Marcin Zajenkowski and Gilles Gignac studied how narcissists react when told they are intelligent, revealing quirky insights into human psychology.

### Innovative Chemistry and Engineering Research

The awards also celebrated groundbreaking work in chemistry and engineering. Rotem Naftalovich, Daniel Naftalovich, and Frank Greenway won the chemistry prize for their unusual study on eating Teflon to increase food volume without adding calories—an idea sure to spark both laughter and curiosity.

In the field of engineering design, Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal examined how foul-smelling shoes influence the experience of using a shoe rack, blending everyday annoyances with scientific investigation.

The physics prize was awarded to a team that analyzed the clumping behavior of pasta sauce, a seemingly trivial phenomenon with surprisingly complex underlying principles.

Carly York, an associate professor of biology at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, commented on the event’s overall impact: these winners perfectly fulfill the Ig Nobel’s mission—to make people laugh and then think.

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The Ig Nobel Prizes continue to celebrate the weird and wonderful side of science, proving that curiosity knows no bounds and that humor can be a powerful tool for learning.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/bizarre-research-honored-at-2025-ig-nobel-prize-awards/story