Healthiest Spices
Spice Up Your Diet and Your Fitness with these Healthy Natural Spices
Spices have served a dual purpose in food for many centuries. Firstly, they can naturally add a great deal of flavour to a dish. Second, they also have medicinal qualities. A fantastic win-win situation.
On this page, the health benefits of five of the most popular medicinal spices are detailed. I delve into traditional remedies – and then the hard science behind those claims. As always, these are not replacements for medicine – always discuss your individual situation with a qualified health professional.
Healthy Spices: Ginger
Over the years, many cultures, especially in Asia, have used ginger as a remedy for both nausea and upset stomachs. The main ingredient in this spice is Gingerol. This is responsible for both the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Studies have shown that Ginger can reduce nausea, including morning sickness, motion sickness and even nausea caused by chemotherapy.
Ginger is also useful in lowering blood sugar levels and for treating indigestion. The anti-inflammatory properties of the spice can help reduce aches and pains after exercise, as well as menstrual pain.
Studies have also shown that ginger can improve brain function by protecting against age related diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Ginger can reduce the cellular activities that lead to DNA changes.
Combat Coughing with Cinnamon
In medieval times, cinnamon was seen as the perfect treatment to combat coughing and sore throats. Fast forward a few hundred years and the health benefits of this popular and flavoursome spice are considered very different.
Today, cinnamon is seen as the perfect spice to help control your blood sugar levels and to protect against diabetes.
A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition has found that when a meal contained a blend of spices that included cinnamon, insulin response increased by 20%. Consumption of Cinnamon is also seen as a way of increasing the good cholesterol in your diet and reducing the bad cholesterol. The spice can also fight both bad breath and tooth decay, as well as protecting neurons in the brain, lowering the risk of brain damage.
Turmeric Contains Curcumin
Historically, Turmeric was a spice traditionally used in India, seen as the perfect remedy for disorders of the skin, joints and the digestive system.
Turmeric contains curcumin which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
With these properties, it can be a great way of boosting the number of healthy blood vessels which will in turn, reduce heart disease. Curcumin has also been shown to reduce the growth of cancerous cells, as well as preventing new blood vessels appearing in tumours. Curcumin can also have several benefits on the brain. Firstly, it can improve brain function, as it encourages new neurons, which prevents generative diseases of the brain, especially as you grow older. This is done by increasing the level of BDNF in the brain. This increase can also fight depression, which is linked to lower levels of BDNF.
Health Benefits of Garlic
Garlic is a spice that was traditionally used throughout much of Asia as a natural remedy against a series of different complaints, including bronchitis, fevers, and rheumatism.
Today, Garlic is seen in a similar light, with a range of health benefits, with far too many to mention them all. One of the most important health benefits of garlic is said to be in combatting high blood pressure for anyone suffering from hypertension.
It is also seen as a booster to your immune system, helping to combat common complaints such as a cold or the flu. Like many of the other spices mentioned above, the antioxidant qualities can help stave off brain diseases related to old age, including Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Healthy Spices: Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne Peppers have been a traditional food flavouring and remedy for many centuries in countries such as Mexico and India, as well as large swathes of the rest of Asia.
One of the most eye-catching benefits of pepper is that it can boost your metabolism. This will help suppress hunger and help you to burn more calories, which in tandem allow you to lose weight that much easier. The spice can also be used in direct pain relief. The Capsaicin in the pepper, when applied to the skin in a cream, can aid in both joint and muscle pain. You can use similar creams to help as psoriasis symptoms.
Cayenne Peppers are also a fine source for Vitamin C, which helps in boosting your immune system and wards off common colds and flu. Eating cayenne peppers can also help with stomach ulcers by restricting the growth of bacteria that can cause the complaint.
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