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8 of the World's Healthiest Spices & Herbs


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By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor at EatingWell Magazine

As a registered dietitian and associate nutrition editor at EatingWell Magazine, I know that herbs and spices do more than simply add flavor to food. They let you cut down on some less-healthy ingredients, such as salt, added sugars and saturated fat, and some have inherent health benefits, many of which Joyce Hendley reported on for EatingWell Magazine.

Modern science is beginning to uncover the ultimate power of spices and herbs, as weapons against illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. "We're now starting to see a scientific basis for why people have been using spices medicinally for thousands of years," says Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and author of Healing Spices (Sterling, 2011).

Aggarwal notes that in his native India, where spices tend to be used by the handful, incidence of diet-related diseases like heart disease and cancer have long been low. But when Indians move away and adopt more Westernized eating patterns, their rates of those diseases rise. While researchers usually blame the meatier, fattier nature of Western diets, Aggarwal and other experts believe that herbs and spices-or more precisely, the lack of them-are also an important piece of the dietary puzzle. "When Indians eat more Westernized foods, they're getting much fewer spices than their traditional diet contains," he explains. "They lose the protection those spices are conveying."

While science has yet to show that any spice cures disease, there's compelling evidence that several may help manage some chronic conditions (though it's always smart to talk with your doctor). What's not to love? Here we've gathered eight of the healthiest spices and herbs enjoyed around the world.

Chile Peppers

May help: Boost metabolism.

Chile peppers add a much-appreciated heat to chilly-weather dishes, and they can also give a boost to your metabolism. Thank capsaicin, the compound that gives fresh chiles, and spices including cayenne and chipotle, their kick. Studies show that capsaicin can increase the body's metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In fact, one study found that people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they'd sipped a hot-pepper-spiked tomato juice (vs. plain tomato juice) half an hour earlier. Recent research found that capsinoids, similar but gentler chemicals found in milder chile hybrids, have the same effects-so even tamer sweet paprika packs a healthy punch. Capsaicin may also lower risk of ulcers by boosting the ability of stomach cells to resist infection by ulcer-causing bacteria and help the heart by keeping "bad" LDL cholesterol from turning into a more lethal, artery-clogging form.

Don't Miss: Foods That Blast Belly Fat

Ginger

May help: Soothe an upset stomach, fight arthritis pain.

Ginger has a well-deserved reputation for relieving an unsettled stomach. Studies show ginger extracts can help reduce nausea caused by morning sickness or following surgery or chemotherapy, though it's less effective for motion sickness. But ginger is also packed with inflammation-fighting compounds, such as gingerols, which some experts believe may hold promise in fighting some cancers and may reduce the aches of osteoarthritis and soothe sore muscles. In a recent study, people who took ginger capsules daily for 11 days reported 25 percent less muscle pain when they performed exercises designed to strain their muscles (compared with a similar group taking placebo capsules). Another study found that ginger-extract injections helped relieve osteoarthritis pain of the knee.

Must-Read: 5 Foods That Fight Pain Naturally

Cinnamon

May help: Stabilize blood sugar.

A few studies suggest that adding cinnamon to food-up to a teaspoon a day, usually given in capsule form-might help people with type 2 diabetes better control their blood sugar, by lowering post-meal blood-sugar spikes. Other studies suggest the effects are limited at best.

Turmeric

May help: Quell inflammation, inhibit tumors.

Turmeric, the goldenrod-colored spice, is used in India to help wounds heal (it's applied as a paste); it's also made into a tea to relieve colds and respiratory problems. Modern medicine confirms some solid-gold health benefits as well; most are associated with curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been shown to help relieve pain of arthritis, injuries and dental procedures; it's also being studied for its potential in managing heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Researcher Bharat Aggarwal is bullish on curcumin's potential as a cancer treatment, particularly in colon, prostate and breast cancers; preliminary studies have found that curcumin can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens.

Saffron

May help: Lift your mood.

Saffron has long been used in traditional Persian medicine as a mood lifter, usually steeped into a medicinal tea or used to prepare rice. Research from Iran's Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital at Tehran University of Medical Sciences has found that saffron may help to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and depression. In one study, 75% of women with PMS who were given saffron capsules daily reported that their PMS symptoms (such as mood swings and depression) declined by at least half, compared with only 8 percent of women who didn't take saffron.

Must-Read: 4 Foods to Boost Your Mood

Parsley

May help: Inhibit breast cancer-cell growth.

University of Missouri scientists found that this herb can actually inhibit breast cancer-cell growth, reported Holly Pevzner in the September/October 2011 issue of EatingWell Magazine. In the study, animals that were given apigenin, a compound abundant in parsley (and in celery), boosted their resistance to developing cancerous tumors. Experts recommend adding a couple pinches of minced fresh parsley to your dishes daily.

Sage

May help: Preserve memory, soothe sore throats.

Herbalists recommend sipping sage tea for upset stomachs and sore throats, a remedy supported by one study that found spraying sore throats with a sage solution gave effective pain relief. And preliminary research suggests the herb may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer's disease by preventing a key enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and learning. In another study, college students who took sage extracts in capsule form performed significantly better on memory tests, and their moods improved.

Related: 5 Foods to Help Ward Off Colds

Rosemary

May help: Enhance mental focus, fight foodborne bacteria.

One recent study found that people performed better on memory and alertness tests when mists of aromatic rosemary oil were piped into their study cubicles. Rosemary is often used in marinades for meats and poultry, and there's scientific wisdom behind that tradition: rosmarinic acid and other antioxidant compounds in the herb fight bacteria and prevent meat from spoiling, and may even make cooked meats healthier. In March 2010, Kansas State University researchers reported that adding rosemary extracts to ground beef helped prevent the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs)-cancer-causing compounds produced when meats are grilled, broiled or fried.

Don't Miss: Drink This to Cure a Headache & 4 More Home Remedies From Your Kitchen

What are your favorite herbs and spices?

http://shine.yahoo.com/vitality/8-world-8217-healthiest-spices-38-herbs-eating-150600515.html

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Thanks!

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Well, I use freshly dried sage leaves very often in my cooking along with dried basil or lemon-basil leaves. We have huge rosemary bush in the backyard garden. I often sneak in some cinnamon in my baking. :cool:

Nice to know they are good to use! lol.

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

I read somewhere that since plants can't be copyrighted, the companies wait til they can duplicate the effect of the plant before marketing. It's all about the dollar signs! Will see if I can find the article again.

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Good post Joi, Thanks

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

I read somewhere that since plants can't be copyrighted, the companies wait til they can duplicate the effect of the plant before marketing. It's all about the dollar signs! Will see if I can find the article again.

Yes, this is true. Many good health remedies have been hidden because big pharm could not make money off them. Think about that!

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

As I see it, God gave us herbs as both food and medicine.

Genesis 1:29

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 1:30

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Many illnesses are likely because of a nutritional need that has gone unsatisfied for all to long.

A person in my family had type 2 diabetes. He added vitamin D3 to his daily diet and his A1C dropped the lowest it has ever been.

His doctor subsequently cut his meds!

Additionally I have had great success using phytonutrients (plant nutrients) for a condition I had. Once we fail to get enough food

energy from natural sources we begin to lose our health.

You are most welcome ears.

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

I read somewhere that since plants can't be copyrighted, the companies wait til they can duplicate the effect of the plant before marketing. It's all about the dollar signs! Will see if I can find the article again.

that's so true.

F.Y.I. did you know that some of the chemo drugs used to fight cancer were based off of compounds found in certian rainforest plants. they saw what chemicals made up the cancer fighting properties of the plant and just copied them in a lab.

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It's amazing how many benefical and disease fighting compounds are in the plants god has made. i wish the pharmaceutical companies would spend more time in R & D developing more plant based medicines. what they been doing so far is just make chemical synthetics based off of plants and those chemicals can have all kinds of bad side effects.

I read somewhere that since plants can't be copyrighted, the companies wait til they can duplicate the effect of the plant before marketing. It's all about the dollar signs! Will see if I can find the article again.

Thats not true.

It has nothing to do with copyright or profit. It has to do with the legal laws about standardizing medications. Plants have varying amounts of any medicinal compound in it, even within each plant, and need to be standardized (usually within a range of 85-115% of the effective dose of a compound per pill). So the individual ingredient in the plants are separated and listed as a medication. That is what digoxin, a common heart medicine, is. Same with many other medicines. Pharmaceutical companies routinely search around the globe for plants that have medical benefit.

"Plants" that are not specifically medicine are the so called "nutriceuticals" that you find in health food stores. That is not regulated by the FDA and is a far greater profitable industry than pharmacy. They also tend not to work lol.

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