Last summer Dr. Gabhart, ND, told me not to miss the opportunity to add healthy ingredients to my tuna salad. She opened up my spice drawer and started sprinkling all sorts of things from my then seldom used supply. She asked me what I thought those spices were – dried greens packed full of nutrients/micronutrients. The resulting concoction was delicious!
Last fall at my annual physical, my physician told me to sprinkle cinnamon on my food to help lower cholesterol.
Have you ever wondered about spice benefits that go far beyond taste?
The following excerpts about spices were taken from Dr. Mercola’s web site. According to Dr. Mercola and his research, each spice has a unique set of health benefits. One study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods, found a direct correlation between the antioxidant content of many extracts of spices & herbs and the prevention of heart disease and premature aging.
According to this study, the top 10 most potent herbs and spices are:
- Cloves (ground)
- Cinnamon (ground)
- Jamaican allspice (ground)
- Apple pie spice (mixture)
- Oregano (ground)
- Pumpkin pie spice (mixture)
- Marjoram
- Sage
- Thyme
- Gourmet Italian spice
Choosing Spices for Their Medicinal Benefits
In addition to choosing spices for their flavor and appeal, you can also choose spices for their health effects. The following herbs and spices were listed as some of the best for building a strong immune system that functions correctly:
- Licorice: Buffers the inflammatory response by increasing steroid output by your adrenal glands; a good buffer if your immune system is over responding to the flu.
- Turmeric: ORAC (a measure of antioxidant activity) score of 159,277; general immune system booster due to its high antioxidant capacity, and an anticancer agent as well; turmeric is 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamins C and E, and even strong enough to scavenge the hydroxyl radical, which is considered by some to be the most reactive of all oxidant
- Black Pepper: Increases the bioavailability of just about all other foods — herbs and other compounds.
- Oregano: ORAC 13,970; active agent is rosmarinic acid, a strong antioxidant.
- Cinnamon: ORAC 267,536; powerful antimicrobial agent — found to kill E. coli and many other bacteria, and also has anti-inflammatory compounds.
- Cloves: The ORAC grand prize winner at 314,446, highest of all foods tested! Contains eugenol and its mild anesthetic benefits are useful for toothaches and sore throats, also a good anti-inflammatory.
The Huffington Post was also quoted for featuring the following list of herbs based on their health benefits:
- Rosemary and basil for their anti-inflammatory power
- Cumin and sage for their dementia-fighting power
- Cayenne and cinnamon for their obesity-fighting power
- Coriander and cinnamon for their sugar regulating powers
- Lemon grass, nutmeg, bay leaves and saffron for their calming effects on your mood
- Turmeric for its cancer fighting power
- Oregano for its fungus-beating power
- Garlic, mustard seed and chicory for their heart-pumping power
- Basil and thyme for their skin-saving power
- Turmeric, basil, cinnamon, thyme, saffron, and ginger for their immune-boosting power
- Coriander, rosemary, cayenne, allspice and black pepper for their depression-busting power
Maybe it is time to open that seldom used spice drawer and sprinkle just about anything possible on as many food items as possible. From the above lists, it doesn’t look like we can lose!
