(Natural News) A new study revealed that black pepper could help fight against obesity by reducing body fat and blood sugar levels. The study was carried out by a team of researchers from Sri Venkateswara University in India. For the study, the research team experimented on obese rats who were administered with a high-fat diet in a period of 22 weeks. Then, they drew out piperonal, the compound in black pepper, from black pepper seeds and included it to the rats' diet starting from the 16th week.

The study results showed that the obese rats that were supplemented the black pepper compound gained lean body mass, bone mineral concentration, and bone mineral density compared with the control group of rats. In addition, the supplementation of piperonal reduced their blood sugar level after an hour, unlike in the control group. Furthermore, the researchers observed that the preventive effects of piperonal against obesity were at optimal level at a dosage of 40 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight, administered for 42 days. Additionally, the results indicated that piperonal might assist the regulation of some genes related to obesity.

"Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of piperonal as a potent anti-obesity agent, provide scientific evidence for its traditional use, and suggest the possible mechanism of action," the researchers wrote on the journal Nutrition and Metabolism.