Spices not only add flavor and taste to our food, they also very healthy to our life style. Some can protect the heart, others can prevent cancer, and you’ll be surprised – sometimes just smelling them is enough. Want to know if your homemade spices are good for your health?
No meal would be delicious without them, long journeys took place because of them and not a few wars start to gain control over their trade: spices have been used for thousands of years. When you think of spices, you think of taste, but since time immemorial many health benefits have been attributed to spices.
Research from recent years confirms the health benefits of the spices. Here are some of the most prominent spices, don’t miss a day without using them:
Turmeric
What is it produced from?
Turmeric is the powder obtained after grinding the root of the plant Curcuma longa, a relative of ginger.
Health benefits:
Turmeric is rich in antioxidants. One of them, curcumin, is considered the most active and has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to being an antioxidant. It is speculated that curcumin protects our DNA from damage and may thus prevent cancer.
Curcumin may also prevent oxidation of cholesterol in the body. Since the oxidized cholesterol is the one that sinks into the walls of blood vessels, a process that leads to cardiovascular diseases, preventing the oxidation of cholesterol may reduce the risk of these diseases.
Following a low incidence of Alzheimer’s among the elderly in India, a country where turmeric consumption is high, the possibility that turmeric reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s has been examined in the last decade. It is speculated that curcumin can reach the brain and prevent the accumulation of amyloid-beta proteins there that cause the disease, and the oxidative damage that results from their presence.
And what about the nutritional value?
Turmeric is rich in potassium and iron: one teaspoon contains about 1% of the recommended daily amount of potassium for men and women, about 5% of the daily iron intake needed for women and 11% of that needed for men.
bottom line
You should add turmeric to all dishes, vegetables, grains, legumes, meats and fish and even to the oil you fry in to maintain its quality during frying.
Cinnamon
What is it produced from?
Cinnamon is actually the ground inner bark of “Cinnamomum” type tree branches found in Sri Lanka.
Health benefits:
Research on animals and tissue cultures of cells (human cells grown in a laboratory) shows that cinnamon contains substances with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant activity, reduces cholesterol, prevents tumors and affects the immune system.
It is speculated that substances contained in cinnamon cause a slight reduction in sugar levels among type 2 diabetics. These substances cause the stomach to empty more slowly, thus slowing down the rate of increase in blood sugar. In addition, the substances in cinnamon apparently affect the cells of the body and make them respond better to the hormone insulin and thus improve the sugar balance.
Cinnamon contains oils that prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi and thus constitutes a natural preservative. And last but not least, smelling cinnamon may be enough to improve brain activity: in an experiment in which subjects were given the smell of cinnamon, they found that they scored higher in attention and memory tests, while other smells did not cause the same effect.
And what about the nutritional value?
In one teaspoon of cinnamon iron in an amount equal to 5% of the recommended daily allowance for women and 11% of that needed for men.
Bottom line:
You should add cinnamon to baked goods, but not only: you can also mix with yogurt, sprinkle on fruit and add to coffee.
Cloves
What is it produced from?
The clove is extracted from dried flowers of the clove tree, which originates from the islands near Indonesia. Each such flower is called a clove “nail” and can also be obtained ground.
Health benefits:
Clove contains a variety of substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. One of the ingredients in cloves, eugenol, has an analgesic and antibacterial effect, which is why cloves are also used in dentistry and throat sprays.
And what about the nutritional value?
The clove is an excellent source of the mineral manganese, one teaspoon of clove contains about 33% of the recommended daily allowance for women and 26% of that needed for men.
Bottom line
Thanks to the sweet taste, the clove is suitable for turnips, sweet drinks, desserts, fruit foods and of course, of course – honey cake.
Cumin
What is it produced from?
The spice cumin is actually ground seeds of the plant Cuminum cyminum, a relative of parsley.
Health benefits:
According to research, cumin may increase the secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas, thus helping with proper digestion and preventing gas. Two substances called apigenin and luteolin were isolated from cumin that demonstrated anti-cancer activity.
And what about the nutritional value?
Cumin is an excellent source of iron. A teaspoon of cumin contains 16% of the daily amount needed for women and 35% of that recommended for men.
Bottom line:
It seems that it is no coincidence that cumin accompanies various legume dishes such as majdera, bean soup and more. Also add it to meat dishes and meatballs.
Paprika
What is it produced from?
Paprika is produced from dried and ground hot chili pepper or from a combination of regular red pepper and chili pepper.
Health benefits:
The substance that gives paprika its spiciness is called capsaicin, and it is attributed to the ability to block the division of cancer cells and anti-inflammatory ability. Studies on rats found that capsanthin, another substance contained in paprika, causes an increase in HDL levels (the “good” cholesterol) by affecting the genes.
And what about the nutritional value?
Paprika is rich in substances from the carotenoid family, some of which are converted in the body into vitamin A. In fact, one teaspoon of paprika provides more than 100% of the daily amount of vitamin A needed for men and women. A teaspoon of paprika also contains about 3% of the daily amount of iron recommended for women and 6% of that needed for men.
Bottom line:
Add paprika to tomato sauce, soups and meat dishes.
Black pepper
What is it produced from?
This black powder is actually dried and ground fruits of the pepper tree (not to be confused with the pepper in our salad which belongs to the Solanii family and is just a shrub). The round fruits are picked while still green, and dried in the sun until they turn black. If you dry them for a shorter time, you get the spice white pepper.
Health benefits:
Black pepper stimulates the taste buds in the tongue, which send a signal to the stomach to increase its acid secretion. Since the acid in the stomach is essential for proper digestion, the properties of improving digestion and preventing gas are attributed to black pepper. This spice is also rich in anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial substances.
And what about the nutritional value?
One teaspoon contains about 3% of the recommended daily intake of iron for women and about 6% of that recommended for men.
Bottom line:
You should add black pepper to any food: salads, soups, cereal or legume dishes, meat and fish, eggs and dairy products.
It is important to remember, despite promising results in studies on cells outside the body and on animals, studies on humans are still needed to prove the health benefits of the spices, especially in regards to their effect in preventing cancer, inflammatory processes and heart disease.
You should know that there is no single food or certain substance that will prevent diseases and protect our health, but a varied and balanced menu that also contains plenty of plant foods. In such a menu, spices have a place of honor and they can also replace less desirable components such as salt, sugar and fat.