Piperine
Primary Functions:
Bioavailability
Piperine is the alkaloid responsible for the pungency, the heat found in Long Peppers (Piper longum) as well as black pepper. In a high dose, it is a powerful anti-inflammatory and acting by a mechanism similar to capsaicin, effective in arthritis. Additionally, there is evidence that it may act as an anti-depressant and increase cognitive function.
However, in Phytozon®, Piperine is incorporated in a low dose format specifically corresponding to the amount required to increase bioavailability through gastric flow. At this concentration, Piperine has been shown to increase the absorption of iron, zinc, vitamins, calcium and other therapies some by greater than 300% and is currently being studied for inclusion with certain pharmaceuticals for this purpose.