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Bioperine

Bioperine ® is a standardized extract of the fruit of Piper nigrum L (black pepper) or Piper longum L (long pepper). It contains 95 percent piperine. Bioperine ® can be administered in addition to various nutrients for both humans and animals. Black pepper is a common household spice. The extract of black pepper has also been extensively used as a medicine by our ancestors especially in India. Bioperine ® is an extract obtained in the black pepper fruit grown in the moist, nutrient-rich soils of South India. The fine pepper berries are harvested shortly before ripening and then sun-dried to guarantee optimum ripeness and quality. The extract of piperine, called Bioperine ® in its patented form, has been clinically tested in the United States. Bioperine ® significantly increases the bioavailability of various supplement nutrients through enhanced absorption.

How Bioperine works ®

The metabolic process that generates energy in the cells of the human body is called thermogenesis. Although thermogenesis has been identified as a key factor in consistent weight loss, it has also been found to play an important role in utilizing the daily food and nutrients that the human body consumes. It triggers mechanisms that lead to digestion and subsequent gastrointestinal absorption. Piperine, in its patented form as Bioperine ® increases the body's natural thermogenic activity - hence the name thermonutrient ®. This can be explained as an agent that increases thermal energy sufficiently to "ramp up" the mechanisms associated with thermogenesis. This then amounts to enhanced metabolic processes, which creates a "demand" for "supply" of a wide range of nutrients that contribute to metabolism, i.e. vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, etc. It appears as though Bioperine ® activates a metabolic "sprocket wheel" that selectively provides a more efficient way of transporting nutrients into the blood.

The benefits of Bioperine ®

Bioperine ® is the only product made from piperine that has received patented status for its ability to increase the bioavailability of nutrient compounds. Secondly, it is the only source of piperine that has undergone clinical studies in the United States to establish safety and efficacy as a nutrient.

The refined and potent properties of Bioperine ® have been measured in several clinical studies in healthy volunteers in the United States. These studies measured the absorption of three different product categories. The categories evaluated with and without Bioperine ® were - fat-soluble (beta-carotene), water-soluble (vitamin B6) and a mineral (selenium, in the form of selenomethionine). Gastrointestinal absorption of all nutrients studied, as measured by current blood levels, increased dramatically when administered with Bioperine ® compared to the control group receiving the nutrient alone. Selenium levels increased by 30%, beta-carotene by 60% and the vitamin B6 increase was slightly higher than with beta-carotene. All studies used Bioperine ® at 5 mg per dose.

The truth of ancient wisdom

A recognized feature of the 6000-year-old practice of Ayurveda is its emphasis on the proper functioning of the digestive tract, specifically the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Almost two-thirds of all traditional Ayurvedic recipes contain a special blend of ingredients that includes black pepper for this purpose. There are various reasons discussed in the scientific literature regarding the unfavorable nutritional status of a given population, but the focus essentially boils down to a single problem - the bioavailability of nutrients. By far, the biggest factors that reduce the bioavailability of nutrients are those that reduce the absorption capacity of the gut. Even today, there is a growing consensus among nutritionists that the obstacle to better nutrition is clearly the efficient delivery of nutrients to the body. It's not what you eat that counts, but what you absorb.

Possible mechanisms for the increased bioavailability of nutrients using Bioperine ® Non-specific mechanisms that promote rapid absorption of nutrients

  1. Increased blood flow to the gastrointestinal tract
  2. Increasing the emulsifying content in the intestine
  3. Enhancement of active nutrient transport

References

  1. Planta Med. (1998) 64(4):353-356 Influence Of Piperine On The Pharmacokinetics Of Curcumin In Animals And Human Volunteers G. Shoba, D. Joy, T. Joseph, M. Majeed, R. Rajendran and P.S. Srinivas (ABSTRACT)
  2. Nutrition Research (1999) 19(3) 381-388 Piperine, An Alkaloid Derived From Black Pepper, Increases Serum Response Of Beta-Carotene During 14-Days Of Oral Beta-Carotene Supplementation. Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., Ph.D., Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D. and Edward P. Norkus Ph.D. (ABSTRACT)
  3. J. Nutr. Biochem. (2000) 11: 109-113. Piperine Derived From Black Pepper Increases The Plasma Levels Of Coenzyme Q10 Following Oral Supplementation. Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., Ph.D., Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D., and Lakshmi Prakash, Ph.D. (ABSTRACT)
  4. Book, Nature's own Thermonutrient®and Natural bioavailability enhancer. Muhammed Majeed, Ph.D., Vladimir Badmaev, M.D., Ph.D., Lakshmi Prakash, Ph.D. NUTRISCIENCE PUBLISHERS, INC.