Black pepper found to act as fat-buster: study

(Relaxnews) - The following news item may put pepper grinders in restaurants and kitchens into overdrive. A team of researchers from South Korea say they've found that the pungent compound found in black pepper could block the formation of new fat cells.

Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study found that piperine -- the compound that also causes sneezing -- inhibited the formation of new fat cells known as adipocytes, and could serve as a potential weapon against obesity, reported NutraIngredients.com this week.

Laboratory studies and computer models found that piperine interferes with the activity of genes that control the formation of new fat cells.