Medicinal Plants : Long Pepper

Common name: Long Pepper, Indian long pepper • Hindi: पिपली Pipli • Marathi: पिंपळी Pimpli • Tamil: திப்பிலீ Tippili • Malayalam: തിപ്പലീ Tippali • Telugu: Pippallu • Kannada: Kandan Lippili • Konkani: पिपली Pipli • Urdu: Pipul پیپل • Gujarati: પીપરી Pipari • Sanskrit: पिप्पली Pippali, Magadhi
Botanical name: Piper longum    Family: Piperaceae (Pepper family)
Perennial in Nature , Climbers, and found mostly in south Asian countries.


   Today, long pepper is an extremely rare ingredient in European cuisines, but it can still be found in Indian vegetable pickles, some North African spice mixtures, and in Indonesian and Malaysian cooking. It is readily available at Indian grocery stores, where it is usually labeled pippali.

Medicinal uses: Pippali is certainly one of the most widely used of all Ayurvedic herbs. It is one of the best herbs for enhancing digestion, assimilation and metabolism of the foods we eat. It is also highly prized for its ability to enhance assimilation and potency of herbs in a synergistic formula (this is called the Yogavahi effect). 

The herb has nerve depressant and antagonistic effects on electro-shock and chemo-shock seizures as well as other muscular spasms. It also has analgesic, tonic, stimulant and carminative properties. The oil extracted from Piper Longum has antibacterial properties.

Long pepper also has medical uses and benefits. It is most commonly used to treat respiratory infections such as cough, bronchitis and asthma. It can also be used to treat stomachaches, diseases of the spleen and tumors. When applied externally, it soothes and relieves muscular pains and inflammation.

Piper Longum also helps stimulate the appetite and dispels gas from the intestines. An infusion of long pepper root is used after birth to induce the expulsion of the placenta.

In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, Piper Longum enjoys the reputation of being a good rejuvenator. Long used as a spice, long pepper is generally regarded as safe. However, it’s best to consult healthcare professionals before using Piper Longum as a treatment for your condition.

Sources:Wikipedia,Flowers of India