Impact of Black Pepper on Energy Expenditure and Substrate Utilization

A Randomized, Cross-Over Trial to Evaluate the Acute Effects of Black Pepper on Energy Expenditure and Fat Oxidation in Humans

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01729143

Enrollment

Registered

2012-11-20

Start date

2011-04-30

Completion date

2011-07-31

Last updated

2016-04-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Keywords

black pepper, metabolic chamber, respiratory chamber

Brief summary

As obesity rates worldwide continue to increase, there is a focus on identifying active food ingredients which increase metabolic rate which can be used as a dietary supplement in the treatment of overweight and obesity. Promising animal and cell studies have suggested a role for black pepper and an active component of black pepper, piperine, in energy expenditure. However, the effects of black pepper have not been determined in humans. The investigators hypothesis if that consumption of 1.5g black pepper (0.5g in each of three meals over one day) will result in an elevation in 24-h resting energy expenditure when contrasted to a control day (no black pepper, same diet intake).

Interventions

OTHER24-hour energy expenditure and substrate utilization

Subjects spent two x 24-hour periods inside the metabolic chamber at the UNC NRI (black pepper and no pepper control) each separated by one week. Subjects were requested to arrive at the study center each morning in a fasted state (at least 10 hours). During each study day, subjects remained sedentary. All meals were provided and were tailored to each subject's specific energy requirements. Study meals (with the exception of the 1.5g of black pepper) were identical between the black pepper and no pepper control study days.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

FEMALE

Age

50 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Woman * Postmenopausal * Aged 50-65 years * BMI 25-35kg/m2 * Not taking blood pressure or anti-inflammatory medications or any other medications that may impact the results * Thyroid hormone profile within the normal reference range * No medical condition which may impact the results (e.g. diabetes) * Accustomed to eating regular meals including breakfast

Exclusion criteria

* Smoker * Heavy exerciser (defined as \>150 minutes/week for more than 3 months) * Abuses alcohol or drugs * Vegetarian

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Energy expenditure and substrate oxidation	24-hours	A primary outcome of this study was the 24-hour energy expenditure (measured in the metabolic chamber at the UNC NRI) following black pepper and no pepper control.

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Gut peptides	30 minutes after lunch	Change in gut peptide secretion 30 minutes following a meal containing black pepper compared with no pepper control.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Mar 10, 2026