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Long Pepper Alkaloids Curbed Weight Gain in Mice
Thai Long Pepper · ดีปลี · Piper retrofractum
Thai Long Pepper — ดีปลี (dee-plee) — Piper retrofractum.
It dries into a knobbly little spike, hard as a twig, and one bite runs hotter and sweeter than a black peppercorn, with a slow warmth that climbs the back of the throat. Cooks pound it fresh into nam prik and grind it into northern larb spice blends. Piperine gives it that heat; in high-fat-diet mice, alkaloids from the fruit curbed weight gain and blood fats. How to use Thai long pepper: the dried fruiting spike, a pinch at a time.
Long pepper is an old Thai spice making a comeback — a knobbly dried spike, hotter and sweeter than a peppercorn, ground into curry pastes and warming tonics. Isolated piperine can alter some medication levels, but that has not been shown for ordinary culinary doses of this whole fruit; ask your doctor before using concentrated products with prescriptions. Give the vine a trellis and it grows easily from cuttings when the rains come.
Laap Muang — ลาบเมือง (laap-muang)
Gaeng Pla Lai — แกงปลาไหล (gaeng-pla-lai)
Nutrition data: Jadid et al. (2018), "Proximate composition, nutritional values and phytochemical screening of Piper retrofractum Vahl. fruits," Trop Biomed 8(1):37–43 — values as reproduced (Chemical Content, p.82) in the peer-reviewed review Sholehah & Ulya (2023), "Javanese long pepper (Piper retrofractum Vahl.): botanical, cultivation, post-harvest and utilization review," Journal of Science in Agrotechnology 1(2):76–88, DOI 10.21107/jsa.v1i2.15.
Food and nutrients
Rich in: fiber, iron, calcium
Research context
In high-fat-diet mice, alkaloids from the fruit curbed weight gain and blood lipids via AMPK — Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 2011
Sources
Source: Kim KJ et al. (2011). Piperidine alkaloids from Piper retrofractum Vahl. protect against high-fat diet-induced obesity by activating AMPK. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. PMID 21741367. In-vitro antimicrobial: Int J Microbiol (2020). PMCID PMC7042530.
Narration transcript
Opening
Thai long pepper — ดีปลี, dee-plee. It dries into a knobbly little spike, hard as a twig, and one bite runs hotter and sweeter than a black peppercorn, with a slow warmth that climbs the back of the throat. Cooks pound it fresh into nam prik and grind it into northern larb spice blends. You use the dried fruiting spike, a pinch at a time.
Laap Muang (ลาบเมือง)
Northern cooks grind the dried spike into phrik laap, the dry blend that seasons laap muang then toss it through minced pork with herbs and toasted rice. Eat it with sticky rice and raw vegetables.
Gaeng Pla Lai (แกงปลาไหล)
In gaeng pla lai, pounded dee plee seasons an eel curry with tree basil, its slow warmth settling the oily fish. Spoon it over steamed rice.
Nutrition summary
By dry weight this spice spike is very high in fiber and plant protein — though you only ever use a pinch.
Fiber
Fiber adds bulk to meals and can help with fullness.
Iron
Iron is part of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your blood, and it supports normal energy metabolism.
Calcium
Calcium is needed to maintain normal bones and teeth, supports normal muscle and nerve function, and contributes to normal blood clotting.
Closing
Long pepper is an old Thai spice making a comeback — a knobbly dried spike, hotter and sweeter than a peppercorn, ground into curry pastes and warming tonics. If you cook with a lot of it while on prescription medication, have a word with your doctor, since it can raise the levels of some drugs in your blood. Give the vine a trellis and it grows easily from cuttings when the rains come. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
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