Do you cook? Do you seek natural, holistic health practices? If your answer to either of these questions is “yes,” then you will surely already be acquainted with various spices. Multiple spices are renowned not just for their flavor, but for their positive value to health and wellness. Here is a look at the health value of spices, with a focus on four of the best spice supplements available.
Why Spices Are Healthy
The use of spices for health reasons is not a trend of just the 21st century or even of the last 100 years. The use of spices for therapeutic purposes dates back thousands of years, coalescing into their continued use in many medications in our modern era. This is in addition to their uses for flavor, food preservation, and pleasing fragrances.
Why are spices so healthy, and therefore so truly valuable? It is because of the natural, active chemicals within them. Many active chemicals within a variety of spices carry out the beneficial chemical interactions within the human body once consumed. The major effects produced by these chemicals are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. There are others as well. These areas of chemical activity in the body are quite beneficial, and they are the result of particular characteristics of the naturally active ingredients that exist in these spices.
Four Food Spices in Concentrated Supplement Form
Cayenne is a spice that is hot and spicy, beloved by some but not by others because of its flavor. It is most popular in Southwestern America, and in Cajun and Mexican dishes. The potent flavor of cayenne is offset by its ability to provide pain relief. It does so by inhibiting pain nerve signals sent to the brain. Its potential to relieve pain is so strong that it is commonly recommended for arthritis symptoms, as well as for some other neurological conditions. Furthermore, research shows that cayenne has another benefit: It reduces the growth of ulcers by inhibiting ulcer-causing bacteria. Most of cayenne’s health benefits (and its potent flavor) are the result of the natural ingredient capsaicin contained within it.
Cinnamon is another awesome spice, with a sweet flavor that might seem to belie its primary health benefit: managing blood sugar levels. This benefit makes cinnamon a choice supplement for those who have type II diabetes. Cinnamon can provide more heart-health benefits as well, such as a reductive effect on blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In the context of a healthy diet, supplementing with concentrated cinnamon is a positive choice for anyone who wants to manage blood sugar and reduce their risk of heart disease.
Ginger is a spice made from the rhizome of the ginger plant. A rhizome is an underground stem, and the ginger rhizome is especially healthy (and flavorful). Ginger is one of the healthiest spices in history, with its use originating in the natural medicinal traditions of both China and India. In addition to providing pain relief and combating oxidative stress, ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Research shows that gingerol, 6-shogaol, and other natural agents in ginger can calm the vascular inflammation associated with many conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease. Ginger root is a choice supplement. Small amounts of ginger are also found combined with cayenne in a complex supplement.
Turmeric is another valuable rhizome, and it is just as healthy and renowned as ginger. Turmeric also provides a major natural intervention against bodily inflammation. Its most powerful active ingredient is curcumin. Supplementing with concentrated turmeric, in addition to ginger, is a natural and potent combination for reducing inflammation. This combination could meaningfully reduce the bodily conditions that would increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The effects of these two rhizomes also benefit the immune system, and can work against common cold and respiratory infections.
If you like spices, then you will love these four spices, entirely on account of their health benefits! Consider how one or more of these could be of real benefit, and give them a try. It is recommended that you talk to your healthcare provider before taking any type of supplement, especially if you are already on prescription medicines.