The objective of this project is to determine the extent to which eating black pepper together with vegetables increase the absorption of carotenoids (a class of important nutrients) in the vegetables such as beta-carotene.

Black pepper has multiple health-promoting effects, many of which are associated with the relatively high levels of piperine it contains. Piperine can enhance the oral bioavailability of nutraceuticals in foods due to its inhibitory activity on drug metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P450 and p-glycoprotein in the gastrointestinal mucosa. This decreases the first-pass metabolism of nutraceuticals thus increasing their levels in the systemic circulation. Numerous studies in both animals and humans have validated the efficacy of piperine in boosting nutraceutical bioavailability. However, most of these studies utilized highly purified sources of both piperine and nutraceuticals, and therefore do not provide direct evidence on the ability of black pepper (used as a spice) to enhance the bioavailability of nutraceuticals in real foods.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18-30 year old healthy adults

Exclusion Criteria:

• those who are <18 or >30 years old, have a BMI of <20 or >29 kg/m2, have a weight change >4.5 kg (9.91 pounds) in the past 3 months, exceed exercise activities of a recreational level over the past 3 months, have any diseases, especially intestinal disorders including lipid malabsorption or lactose intolerance, had abnormal liver or kidney function tests.
• Those who smoke, consume more than two alcoholic drinks per day, use medication affecting lipid profiles or dietary supplements affecting plasma cholesterol (e.g., Benocol or fiber supplements) will also be excluded.
• Additionally, this study excludes menopausal women, those using hormone-based contraceptives, those with abnormal menstrual cycles, and those who are pregnant, lactating or planning to become pregnant.