Black Pepper
Profile
| Latin Name | Piper nigrum |
| Chinese Name | Hu Jiao Family: Piperacea |
| Note | Middle |
| Aroma | <Moderate> Spicy, Sharp |
| Color | Clear to Yellow |
| Parts Distilled | Unripe Fruits (Peppercorns) |
| Regions | China, India, Java |
| Taste | Spicy Nature: Hot |
| Affinity | LU/ST/LI |
| Major Chemical Constituents | Monoterpenes (~70%), Sesquiterpenes (~25%) |
| Skin Type | NI A; can irritate skin |
| Dosage | ½-4% |
TCM Categories
Functions
- Release Wind-Cold with Cold-Phlegm in the Lungs
- Warm the Stomach to expel cold
Indications
- Wind-Cold with fever, chills, no sweat, body aches and pain, watery discharge or thin-white mucous
- Stomach Cold with nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, food poisoning
Topical Applications
- For rheumatic pain (damp-cold bi-obstruction), make a liniment of 10 drops of Black Pepper, 10 drops of Rosemary, and 10 drops of Lavender in ½ pint of rubbing alcohol.
- Apply a ½% dilution for toothache due to cold.
- Apply 2 drops of Black Pepper in a warm water compress over the abdomen for sluggish digestion.
- Apply 2 drops of Pepper, 2 drops of Pine, and 2 drops of Eucalyptus globulus in a bath for Wind-Cold (esp. acute bronchitis)
Other Applications
- Smelling Black Pepper oil stimulates the mind and keeps drivers awake on long-distance drives.
Specific Protocols
- Apply a½% dilution on CV-12 and ST-42 to tonify Stomach qi (promotes the production of white blood cells)
- Apply ½% dilution on ST-21, ST-25, and BL-21 for food stagnation and meat poisoning.
- Apply½% dilution on CV-23 and CV-13 to reduce appetite.
- Apply a½% dilution on CV-1 for impotence.
Actions
- Digestive stimulant
- Stomachic - promoting the appetite or assisting digestion
- Expectorant
- Diuretic
- Analgesic
Contraindications & Cautions
- Deficient yin with heat signs
- Not used during pregnancy
- Not for pre-pubescent children