healthy reasons to spice food
There are some sound reasons to spice your food. Besides taste, you’ve got great health benefits that are delivered by these glorious spices!
All About Spices
Those who know me know full well that I cook with a lot of spicesโall kinds of spices, spice blends, and not just your typical and popularโI love global spice blends as well as those many of us are familiar with and have in our stash of spices.
Spices and Herbs
Spices and herbs are not just for making food more flavorful and adding dimensions of interest for the palateโspices also have well-established health benefitsโso Iโm giving you some great reasons to ramp up your spices, sprinkle or dust spices on things, like cardamom on cottage cheese, that you wouldnโt typically think of! Iโll make this short and sweet, and if you want more information then, just Google the topic, youโll be able to dig deeper into this wonderful world of spice health benefits!
Health Benefits of Spices
Health benefits of spices abound. Let’s look at a couple of peppers!
Benefits of Spicy Food
The king pin in chili pepper is โcapsacinโโitโs in these pepper plants, and itโs associated with stopping ulcers (reckon it burns โem out!), good for your heat, reduces pain, and for men, helps fight prostate cancer. Dive into the chili peppers and get some heat going!
Benefits of Black Pepper
Can you believe that the black pepper we so love and thatโs so common for us was hard to find and expensive during the spice trading era! Itโs great because itโs associated with reducing blood lipids and cholesterol absorption.
Uses of Spices
We’ve got a lot of uses for spices in baking. And, here are a few that are highlighted.
Health Benefits Cinnamon
Bring out the cinnamon and sprinkle it on everythingโfrom toast to yogurt to fruit! It can help your blood sugar level in a good way, reduce your cholesterol and help keep those arteries from clogging! Thatโs because cinnamon has these antioxidant compoundsโyou need to research this one because thereโs even research now thatโs indicating that ingesting about ยฝ teaspoon of cinnamon daily can actually reduce risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. Donโt take my word for it, get out there and research for yourself.
Health Benefits of Nutmeg
Oh, this glorious spiceโmakes a bรฉchamel sauce decadent! There are lots of rich anti-inflammatory compounds in nutmeg, so grate some on what youโre eating and enjoy some extra spice and good living! Oh, yes, nutmeg has been found by Italian researchers to fight cavities because of its antibacterial compounds.
Cardamom Benefits for Health
Oh, how I love cardamom! Like yoga poses that help with toxins in the body, so does cardamomโitโs known as an alternative type medicine for eliminating toxins, and, get this, itโs been connected to anti-tumor action.
What are the Health Benefits of Spices
While we’re talking about what the health benefits of spices are, we can’t forget those that we use in savory dishes.
Health Benefits Cumin
Lawsy, I love and use cumin in so many thingsโboth in seed form and ground. And, I keep this spice, and several others, in my freezer to keep it really fresh. Some pilot research is showing that cumin might boost your brainpower and improve memory. Who couldnโt use more of that? An itโs good for your energy and immune system fighting those nasty colds and flu!
Health Benefits Ginger Root
Thereโs this chemical in ginger called โgingerolโ and itโs believed to reduce pain and inflammation. Thereโs also some Thai research thatโs associating daily ginger supplements improve attention span and memory in middle-aged women. Now who doesnโt love a good gingersnap cookie, gingerale, freshly grated ginger in recipes!
Benefits of Curry
Oh, yes, used in so many global foods and dishesโThai food, Middle Eastern foods and more! Tumeric, which has curcumin, in it, gives off anti-inflammatory effects. Itโs even 50 times more powerful, according to Dr. Bharat Aggarwal of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, than vitamins C or E. Again, this is a spice blend thatโs worth more research on your partโyouโll probably be buying more curry powder or making your own.
Health Benefits Turmeric Powder
This spice just makes dishes brighter and more beautifulโfound in lots of curries, itโs in the same family of spices as ginger. Tumeric can help reduce inflammation and can be good for arthritis for helping with the aches and pains.
Garlic Benefits
Who doesnโt love garlic! Itโs used in a lot of alternative medicine and with natural remedies. Garlic has these anti-fungal, bacterial and viral fighting effects. So, donโt be shy and stingy with the garlic!
Health Benefits Oregano
Whatโs in oregano thatโs so importantโthymol and carvacolโboth are antibacterial soldiers that fight infection. And, get this, oregano has four times the antioxidants of blueberriesโletโs hear it for oregano! In one teaspoon of oregano there are about 6 micrograms of vitamin K, bone-building, and thereโs even more research out there that associates oregano with helping to stave off tummy flu. Oregano can be those warriors that fight off that nasty bacteria.
Health Benefits Thyme
And you thought thyme was just another โpretty herbโโau contraire, itโs known for its anti-bacterial properties. Thyme oil is antiseptic. So, use that thyme in everything from soups and stews to meatballs and salads!
Health Benefits Rosemary
Those glorious rosemary bushes full of fragrant aromas and distinctive in scent! Itโs been discovered that marinades with rosemary help with those harmful free radicals and the formation of heterocyclic amines when grilling or sautรฉing. The chemistry of it is beyond my understanding, but anything that helps with reducing free radicals makes sense to meโI love grilling and sautรฉing, and if rosemary can help, then bring it on!
Best Spices for Cooking
Definitely what we have here are some of the best spices for cooking! Make sure all of these are in your pantry. And, if you can, keep your spices in your freezer. They just stay fresher, longer!
Hope youโre turned on now to use more spices and herbs in your cooking and eating in general. Be sure to learn more on your ownโthis is just a starter helping you realize that thereโs more than just flavor that comes from our spice cabinet and herb gardens!
Check out some of the best Spices & Seasonings recipes:
Shrimp Corn Dill Salad
old bay tater skin crispies
Spicy Fresh Herb Egg Pizza
smoked corn on the cob
Ginger Garlic Lemon Grilled Chicken
I love watching your videos. Just found your site. What were the spices you put in the pinto beans? Thank you
Hi Gin! Welcome! Here’s the recipe I think you want. Spices all there luv! https://allyskitchen.com/bone-broth-pinto-beans/
I love this useful list. I never looked at the nutrition side of the spices I use.
Kristi! That makes me so happy! Thank you for finding this post useful…spices really have huge health benefits and isn’t it nice to know that they brighter our world as well as our palates! ox ~ally