You may be surprised to know that according to an article in the journal Molecules, sprinkling black pepper onto a heavy meal helps block the absorption of artery-clogging cholesterol. In addition, it can reduce blood stickiness so dangerous clots are less likely to form. I guess it's a good thing I love black pepper.
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According to scientists, you are three times more likely to stay active and independent well into your 90s if you keep your heart and arteries healthy. The simple spice, cinnamon, can help you with that! According to scientists at the University of Tennessee, cinnamon can help balance blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides; nourishes heart tissues and prevent plaque buildup in arteries. Before you get too excited, this means you should add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to your daily diet and your heart could be beating more strongly in as little as two weeks. No mention was made to suggest cinnamon rolls would be helpful!
This statement about Ginger from the Ayurvedic (traditional Eastern Indian medicine) says that ginger 'fires' the body's digestive hearth to make the stomach and colon more efficient in metabolizing food.
In today's post on foods as medicine, we look at a couple of spices. Both ginger and turmeric are known for their anti-inflammatory properties as well as serving as analgesics or pain-relieving properties. I, personally, have used a lot of ginger since I was first diagnosed with several auto-immune diseases in the 1980s. Ginger is also known to ease nausea and vomiting.
Continuing with common foods that have great medicinal value, today's is cinnamon. Cinnamon can help balance blood sugar. As little as 1/2 teaspoon a day can help keep blood sugar in balance. As a diabetic for the past 18 years, I can personally vouch for this information. I have found that using cinnamon on a regular basis in my cooking and baking allows me to use less medication. The best part? Cinnamon adds great taste to so many things, it is easy to use.
Today we turn to a spice to help us tame inflammation. This spice is Turmeric Curcumin, an antioxidant that gives turmeric is yellow color, is a potent inflammation fighter. Turmeric is easy to use in cooking as it is a good seasoning in soups, stews, sprinkle on cauliflower when roasting. You can also steep slices of fresh turmeric in hot water to make an inflammation-fighting tea.
Bay Leaf have a soothing and relaxing effect on the digestive tract. If you need relief from abdominal cramps and gas, eat foods cooked with bay leaf. Fresh or dried bay leaves have a distinctive flavor and fragrance that is used to flavor soups, stew, and braises. The flavor is similar to oregano and thyme. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor for some time after picking.
Not only does inflammation in the body cause pain and misery, it's damaging to the body. Studies a few years ago show that 63% of people who added 2 teaspoons of dried herbs or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs to their daily diet cut down the inflammation levels in their body within 1 week! The reason? Herbs and spices are powerful anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that quickly break down inflammation molecules in the digestive tract, muscles, pancreas and other tissues. Researchers list the following as the most powerful: Rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, curry, turmeric, cayenne, chili powder, oregano, sage, ginger, cloves and allspice.
You may wonder if you read that title correctly! Science has shown that capsaicin, the compound that gives chili powder its kick, is known to prod the body to start burning calories. A few years ago, the University of Maryland scientists said that raises metabolism by 25% for 3 hours. That is the calorie burning equivalent of a 40-minute walk.
The spice cumin has many benefits and should be used in cooking when possible. Here are some of the documented benefits of cumin:
Don't forget the spices when trying to lessen the inflammation in your body! Many of the spices so common in our kitchens have anti-inflammatory properties but turmeric has proven to be especially powerful However, basil, cinnamon, ginger, and oregano are also great for fighting inflammation. Turmeric stands out becaus of its main active ingredient which is curcumin. Curcurmin prevents certain molecules from entering cells thus activating genes related to inflammation. To get the best results from turmeric use it with black pepper to help with absorption and a healthy fat such as olive oil. Amy Gorin, M.S, R.D.N. says, "The fat helps slow the rate at which the curcumin degrades, increasing the benefits."
I was surprised when I ran across this information about pepper. I like pepper and have always used it liberally and I guess that is a good thing. Perhaps it is why I am a 35+-year breast cancer survivor and have also survived colon cancer, who knows? Here are a couple of the surprising things I discovered about black pepper:
Spices have healing properties that we often don't realize. Since we are in cold and flu season, I thought it would be good to mention star anise. Do you ever take Tamiflu when ill? You probably didn't realize that two of the compounds in star anise are used to make Tamiflu. Those compounds are shikimic acid and quercetin. Imagine that, properties in this spice are used in making medicine to combat the flu! According to the Journal of Medical Virology, simply boosting your intake of these antioxidants can significantly increase your body's production of immune cells.
When we think about our diets, we often overlook spices and the health effects they can have on our bodies. Basil is a perfect example. Did you know that basil is rich in potassium and potassium is good for the heart? Potassium is essential for controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Including basil in your diet on a regular basis may help some troublesome cardiac symptoms such as hypertension and heart murmurs. So go ahead and spice up your life with a little basil!
One of the things I do on a regular basis is add lots of ground cinnamon to my oatmeal everyday. It not only revs up my metabolism, it helps regulate my blood sugar. This is one of the best dietary changes I have made. My point in telling you that is this; small diet changes can be very helpful in many ways.
If you are not currently doing so, I recommend adding spices to your everyday diet. A study in the Journal of Nutrition found the following spices may blunt the negative effects of those tasty but deadly high-fat meals that cause a spike in the heart-damaging triglycerides in your blood:
If you follow my blogs, you know that as a diabetic I constantly talk about cinnamon being a blood-sugar stabilizer. But I haven't often mentioned that cinnamon is also good for your stomach and digestive system. Cinnamon has been used for generations to treat problems such as morning sickness and diarrhea. But most fail to realize that cinnamon is also effective in breaking up gas bubbles. I have a problem with gas since I have had parts of my digestive system removed. When I started really increasing the cinnamon in my diet to help stabilize my blood sugar, I found another good side effect- less gas. As I researched cinnamon, I discovered it does break up gas bubbles!
More info on the health benefits of certain spices. Spices have been around for centuries and have been known to have medicinal value all along. Following are some examples:
Have you ever considered your spice rack as a medicine cabinet? As strange as that may sound, it is a good idea. To enlighten us all, I have decided to do a 'spice rack remedies' post from time to time. If you have taking medications, as many do, try using more spices to help with your health situations. Below are the first two I will post.
