Turmeric
This spice is arguably the most powerful on Earth. It has been proven to help fight and potentially reverse disease thanks to it’s healing compound curcumin. There have been thousands of studies done which reference curcumin and when it is compared to conventional medicine, its benefits often equal that of some pharmaceutical medicines! In fact, a number of studies have even reported that using turmeric is more advantageous than certain prescription drugs! It’s an anti-inflammatory, it curbs fat growth, reduces blood sugar, fights infection and protects the liver to name but a few benefits.
Ginger
This medicinal root has been used by the Chinese and Indians to treat ailments for over 4,700 years. So there must be something to it! It’s actually part of the plant family that includes turmeric, which may explain why its so powerful. It’s down to gingerol which is one of the chemical components found in the ginger root, and this oily resin is a very strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Ginger can be used to boost the immune system, can help lower blood sugar, combat nausea, can fight indigestion and help metabolise your food and can prevent bacterial infection (in fact a study in 2011 compared the ability of ginger to kill a staph infection with conventional antibiotics, and researchers discovered that ginger won every time!) It is also known to lower cholesterol, helps PMT and protects against disease. It’s ginger lickin good!
Chillies
Be sure to spice up your life with these hotties. Chillies contain lots of chemical compounds that are known to have help stave off disease. One of the most recognised compounds is capsaicin which is the culprit for making your food so spicy! This compound is known to have anti-bacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties and has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese people. Chillies contain oodles of vitamin C, which should be noted that Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, which in turn is the main structural protein needed to maintain healthy blood vessels, skin, organs and bones. So regular intake of foods with high levels of vitamin C is pretty helpful to your body. Chillies also aid digestion, can help relieve some migraines, can help speed up metabolism and are a great source of vitamins A and E, beta-carotene, folic acid and potassium. So spice up your life a little!
Cinnamon
This yummy spice (I put it in everything from my oats to my coffee) has been a medicinal powerhouse for thousands of years. That distinct cinnamon smell and flavour is due to the oily bit of the tree that it grows from, and the health benefits actually come from the bark which contains health promoting properties such as cinnamic acid. It’s benefits are many including being a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, boosts immune system, and has been known to protect the heart. Research also shows that cinnamons antioxidant properties can help to fight against developing neurological disorders. Cinnamon can also help lower blood sugar and cholesterol and lets face it, for something so medicinal it’s just so darn tasty!
Saffron
This is perhaps the most pricey spicy in the world today! And that’s nothing new. Saffron has long been in demand even during ancient times, because its benefits were two-fold. Making food tasty, and it was also a fantastic dye for clothing (if you ever come into contact with it, make sure you wash your hands afterwards!) Saffron was also used in ancient times as a mood lifter and today studies have been done which suggest that it could help combat depression. Saffron has also been known to relieve symptoms of PMT (such as mood swings and depression).
A x
