Embelia ribes, commonly known as false black pepper, white-flowered embelia, viḍaṅga (Sanskrit: विडङ्ग), vaividang, vai vidang, or vavding^[1] is a species in the family Primulaceae. It was originally described by Nicolaas Laurens Burman in his 1768 publication Flora Indica.^[2] It is widely distributed throughout India. In Ayurveda and Siddha, it is considered widely beneficial in a variety of diseases^[3] In particular embelin isolated from dried berries of Embelia ribes has a wide spectrum of biological activities.

Uses of embelia^{[4][citation needed]}:

• Intestinal worms. Used to treat various types of worm infestation in the gut.^{[clarification needed]}
• Indigestion. Helps with digestive issues like vomiting, nausea and constipation.^{[clarification needed]}
• Depression. Embelia ribes has antidepressant effects and is used to treat depression.^{[clarification needed]}
• Throat infection. Effective in reducing cough and treating throat infections.^{[clarification needed]}
• Obesity. Aids in weight loss and helps remove body toxins.^{[clarification needed]}
• Skin disease. Used to treat skin diseases by purifying the blood^{[clarification needed]}.

• Jalalpure SS; Alagawadi KR; Mahajanashetti, Shah BN; Salahuddin; Singh V; Patil JK, "In Vitro Anthelmintic Property of Various Seeds Oils Against Pheritima posthuma", Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2007 Jan-Feb; 69(1): 158-0 [1]^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• Caldecott, Todd (2006). Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life. Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN 0-7234-3410-7. Contains a detailed monograph on Embelia ribes (vidanga), as well as a discussion of health benefits and usage in clinical practice. Available online at https://web.archive.org/web/20120620164521/http://www.toddcaldecott.com/index.php/herbs/learning-herbs/343-vidanga