Spices for Health

We decided to take a bit of a break from writing for the last couple of days since we have past 100 posts. We decided now was the time to take a breath and re-evaluate where we’ve been and where we want to go.

While the general idea of the blog was to talk about things that we were interested in.  It isn’t just a personal blog discussing the healthy food that we eat on a daily basis. This is really meant to be more about helping people not be so intimidated by using spices, chiles and dried herbs. So we are going to change our focus just a bit to better reflect that.

So today I am going to show some of the widely believed health benefits of herbs and spices. The earliest recorded use of spices and herbs was medicinal and in many regions where they are still grown this is still a primary function. It is common that their use in cooking is for the long held perceptions that they promote health or aid in digesting fatty foods as much as for improving the taste of any particular dish.

The Benefit of Spice

Here are some of the most commonly held health benefits of some of the more common spices and herbs:

Cinnamon

It has been reported that cinnamon may help lower blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. As with any spice go for moderation but it works great in everything from morning oatmeal to chili.

Turmeric

Containing curcumin, which studies have shown may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Turmeric is a popular Indian spice and is common in various curry powders, ras el hanut and berbere.

Garlic

The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that garlic may disrupt the metabolism of tumor cells and destroys cancer cells. Garlic is one of the most common spices known to man and US per capita consumption is up more than 1,000% over the last 20 years.

Ginger

It is believed that ginger may relieve arthritis pain and swelling and may aid in minimizing the effects of nausea and  motion sickness. Ginger is a chief ingredient in both Curry and Chinese Five Spice blends.

Paprika

Paprika contains capsaicin which is also found in chiles and it is believed that capsaicin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that may lower the risk of cancer. There are several varieties of paprika – Spanish parika is consider a bit smoky sweet, Hungarian paprika packs a touch more heat and then there is Domestic which is grown in California.

Chile Peppers

Besides being loaded with vitamin C chile peppers contain the compound capsaicin and may lower the risks of skin and colon cancers. Chiles also have a reputation for raising the metabolic rate and studies have shown that those with higher amounts of chiles in their diets tend to consume fewer calories.

Nutmeg

Research shows Nutmeg contains antibacterial compounds that may help combat E. coli and salmonella. Try it in soups (especially split pea and tomato soups), and with seafood chowders, cheese dishes, lamb, milk dishes, pumpkin pie, eggs and sweet potatoes.

Oregano

The USDA reports that oregano possesses the highest antioxidant activity of 27 culinary herbs tested. Oregano comes in several varieties with the most popular being Mediterranean Oregano (also known as Greek Oregano) and Mexican Oregano.

Cumin

Cumin is an antioxidant and powerful anti-inflammatory that may help slow or halt tumor growth. Only recently has cumin started to be recognized as a popular spice in the United States but worldwide it is one of most consumed spices right after chiles and pepper.

Let us know what you think.

Tagged as: Health Benefits