We eat spices every day. We spice up our breakfast eggs, add a bunch of spices and herbs to our afternoon salads and prepare satisfying evening dinners with spices. We even add them to our coffee! Besides making food taste so much more pleasant and seductive, spices also have other benefits for human health. If you want to boost your health or maintain your current level of well-being, here are some common spices and all their benefits.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice many of us adore. This spice comes from a very unexpected source—a powdered bark of the cinnamon tree—and can be used in many unexpected ways. What you can fully expect from cinnamon, though, is many blood sugar benefits (mainly lowering high blood sugar). Cinnamon has a pleasant aroma and a slightly sweet taste, so you can use it to sweeten your food without adding actual sugar to it, which is great for people with type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, cinnamon can boost your heart health by managing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. So if you’re a diabetic at risk of developing heart disease, add cinnamon to your coffee, yogurt, oatmeal, and fruit, or use it as a dry rub for meat.
Turmeric
Asian people have been using turmeric for thousands of years and benefiting from its superfood properties, and finally, the west has caught up. This signature yellow-orange spice is used for everything from seasoning meat and veggies before roasting to making curry dishes or adding it to rice (you can easily add it to your diet). Besides its amazing taste, turmeric, and especially one of its components called curcumin, can reduce inflammations in the brain which lead to Alzheimer’s and depression. Being able to control inflammations also means you can also use turmeric to reduce all kinds of pain and swelling, especially in people suffering from arthritis.
Chili peppers
Besides adding that recognizable kick to all your dishes, chili peppers are great for your health. When included in your diet, chili can provide you with additional vitamin C, as well as benefits that concern weight loss, blood pressure monitoring, and congestion relief. According to research, capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili powder its spiciness, plays an important role in heart and metabolic health. Capsaicin from chili triggers protein changes that can boost your weight loss, however, more research is needed to figure out why and how this happens.
Black pepper
Black pepper is one of the most common flavor enhancers in the world (besides salt). This spice can be added to almost any savory dish to improve taste, as well as kick-start your weight loss journey, help you with colds and coughs, boost digestion and metabolism and even help with certain skin issues. Piperine from black pepper has many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that play an important role in improving health. And the best thing about this spice is that you can find quality black pepper all around the world. No matter if you purchase it in its original peppercorn shape or opt for a mixture of spices that contain black pepper, you will be able to enjoy many flavor and health benefits.
Ginger Spice
This tropical plant is often used as a cure for upset stomach, nausea, and diarrhea all across Asia. Today, you can find this spice in many forms, from fresh ginger root you can grate into your food or drinks to dried powder, lollipops, candies, teas, and capsules. According to experts, ginger can help alleviate various pregnancy-related stomach issues and nausea and reduce nausea after surgery. Also, if you suffer from motion sickness, ginger can help with the severity of symptoms or even eliminate them completely. And this aromatic spice may help chemotherapy patients relieve nausea and vomiting if your doctor allows taking ginger along with anti-nausea medication and your chemo.
Coriander
Coriander, cilantro, or dhaniya, is a spice packed with various health benefits and a bunch of flavor. This plant can be consumed fresh, but you can also use its seeds as a spice to improve your daily meals and your wellbeing. Its seeds contain various antioxidant properties as well as fibers that improve liver function and bowel movements. If you introduce coriander to your diet, you will enjoy a better production of juices that help digestion.
Oregano
Oregano is a herb that’s used as a spice in most Mediterranean dishes. It also comes in many forms, from small herb particles to aromatic oils and capsule supplements. The antioxidants from the herb are what give it its recognizable and potent smell and taste, but they can also potentially help with the immune system, inflammations, blood sugar, insulin resistance, urinary tract issues, menstrual cramps, etc. If you suffer from any of these conditions, you can consult with your doctor about taking oregano supplements and boosting their use in your meals.
All of these spices are easy to find all over the world, and they won’t cost you a fortune. However, they will provide you with many health benefits and improve your cooking, so don’t miss a chance to use them daily.
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