Imagine everytime you add a dash of spice to your food, you're taking nature's most effective supplements and introducing tons of healing properties into your system that can heal a wide variety of everyday ailments.
Inflamation for example, a widely studied and chronic issue for us humans, can be healed through ingesting, or externally applying, almost all of the spices mentioned below. We hope these healing spices find a regular space on your spice rack.
Print out this handy infographic guide for easy reference in your kitchen.
Turmeric
In the last 25 years, over 3000 studies and publications have come out vying for the health benefits of Turmeric. It's jam-packed with polyphenols (twice as much as fresh rosemary or oregano, but a fraction of what’s found in cloves) – and especially en pointe with curcuminoids. When tested as a supplement, turmeric shines as an inflammation killer and triglyceride slasher. One of the most exciting aspects of turmeric currently being further explored are its anti-cancer properties.
Applied topically, it soldiers as a wound-healing agent. Also used for thousands of years to promote beautiful, blemish-free, ageless skin.
Rinse your hands and wipe down surfaces after use, it tends to leave a bright yellow trail behind.
Cardamom
Native to India, these globetrotting pods are equally at home in Middle Eastern rice dishes as they are in classic Swedish baked goodies.
Cardamom’s essential oils (terpinene and citronellol, to name just two) attack microbes that contribute to cavities, acne, and dandruff. A daily dose of cardamom powder, jam-packed with minerals that relax heart muscles and arteries, can lower blood pressure and give antioxidant levels a boost too. Can be used as a breath freshener, mild antiseptic for teeth and gums, as a diuretic to detoxify and stimulate kidney function and relieve urinary tract infections and that's not all. Here's a few more healing properties to browse.
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Cumin
Besides the aroma and distinct flavor, the bundle of health bennies are just more reasons to heart these oblong, rust-colored seeds.
If your mouth waters when you get a whiff of chili, you can thank cumin’s essential oils for activating your salivary glands. And after a few tasty bites, cumin’s thymol stimulates the enzymes that rule over your digestive system. When compared to other spices, cumin’s star outshines every other when it comes to antioxidant properties, and its ability to deliver salicylic acid makes it a go-to anti-inflammatory agent.
Cayenne Pepper
The flamin’ red powder is made from ground chili peppers. Capsaicin, the chemical compound responsible for the tongue-searing, cheek-reddening sensation that comes from biting into a sassy pepper, also packs a therapeutic wallop.
The flip side of the steam-out-of-your-ears pain you feel from a cayenne pepper spike is the ability of capsaicin – when applied topically – to drain your nerve cells of the ability to transfer pain signals. It’s also effective in treating psoriasis and cluster headaches. When ingested, cayenne can lower blood pressure and control blood sugar.
Tamarind
This pod-like fruit (that’s actually a legume) is harvested from a tropical tree native to Africa. Millennia ago, tamarind moved eastward and began to infuse Middle Eastern soups and stews with their unique sweet-and-sour flavor.
The tamarind tree is like Mother Nature’s pharmacy. Malic and tartaric acids in the fruit have a laxative effect, while the seeds lower blood sugar and cholesterol. Adding ginger to tamarind leaf juice shows promise for healing bronchitis, and processed bark can reduce eye inflammation.
Galangal
Tropical galangal is often confused with ginger, but their flavors are distinct. Galangal is less sharp, more fragrant, and delivers heady pine notes.
Galangal extracts have been shown to reduce chronic pain, while its acetate component has antibacterial properties. While more research is needed, galangal contains flavonoids that may bind to certain receptors, lessening anxiety and depression.
Word to the wise: Galangal and ginger aren’t interchangeable; each lends its own character to a dish, and the two are most often used together.
Who knew that keeping healthy could taste so good? Add healing spices to your shopping list.
Don’t miss the third part to the Herbs & Spices series: Revive your favorite protiens with spice.
Big thanks to our contributing author Michele H - PS Nutrition Analyst.
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