Medical Benefits of Herbs and Spices
1) The Medical Benefits
You may not know it, but the cinnamon that you often use for baked apple actually curb inflammation in the body, lowering risks of heart disease and cancer. Cinnamon, a spice taken from the bark of cinnamon tree, has antioxidants linked to curb inflammation and reduce glucose concentration in the blood.
If you love Indian Cuisine, you also probably like turmeric always around and on your plate. But more than one of the excellent spices, turmeric can help fight several kinds of cancers according to studies. Eating cauliflower and potato dish with savory turmeric is actually preventing prostrate cancer and stop growth of this disease. It may also help people reduce risk childhood leukemia or cancer of the blood, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma.
Our all time favorite sauté ingredient garlic is a medicinal herb. It has anti-bacterial and anti-infection agent called Allicin, so it’s a common alternative to over-the-counter ointments for fungal infections, wounds, and skin problems caused by bacteria. It is also known to help people suffering from high blood pressure, cancer of the stomach, blood thinning, respiratory ailments, and the list goes on.
There are races that simply can’t eat without chili peppers. But there’s more to it than just making you eat more. Chili peppers can help fight cancer, protect your heart, and lower high blood pressure. A recent study in Cell Metabolism showed that consuming capsaicin, the ingredient in chili peppers that provides heat, lowered blood pressure in lab animals.
Oregano also make dishes savory and prove to have a handful of health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. Oregano has expectorant and decongestant properties that help with respiratory problems and congestion. It also has natural antihistamine for treating allergies. Further, studies show oregano can prevent cancer cells growth and aid in lowering cholesterol levels.
Basil is a favorite in cooking and medicine for its savory taste and health values. It is beneficial in fighting cardiac disease and its resulting effects by reducing the level of blood cholesterol. Basil also has hundreds of phytochemicals believed to help fight cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and has long been used in traditional medicine and Ayurveda.
For a great aroma and wonderful taste, you add thyme to your bean, egg and vegetable dishes. But the volatile oil of thyme includes properties with medicinal values, namely carvacolo, borneol, geraniol, and thymol. In studies, particularly with thymol, the amount of DHA in brain, kidney, and heart cell membranes was increased through dietary supplementation. Thyme also has flavonoids, enabling increased capacity of its antioxidant property.
Rosemary is your delicious choice when it comes to chicken, lamb, pork, salmon and tuna dishes as well as many soups and sauces. It also makes omelets, frittatas and even pizzas mouthwatering. Rosemary contains substances that stimulate the immune system, increase blood circulation, and improve digestion. It also has anti-inflammatory compounds for asthma.
