Useful Properties Of Spices

Avoiding fast food and added sugar, making a varied menu, carefully reading labels are important, but not the only principles of healthy eating. Such seemingly insignificant components of the daily diet, such as spices , play an important role not only in the taste of dishes, but also in our well-being.

They are able to strengthen immunity, increase the antioxidant status of the body, and even reduce inflammatory processes that occur imperceptibly in the human body. Back in the 19th century, Paul Ehrlich, a Nobel Prize laureate in medicine, called inflammation "an insidious companion of man." This is our body's natural response to negative external influences, but when it becomes permanent, inflammation becomes a source of serious health problems.

Why is it important to keep any pathological processes under control and stop them at the right moment. Fortunately, it is not expensive medical drugs that can help to cope with this, but simple and natural remedies that are not difficult to add to your diet on a regular basis.

Ginger

In ancient times , spices were a luxury item. Western monarchs desired them no less than precious stones and gold. The point is not that seasonings made ordinary dishes tastier, but in their ability to disinfect food, which was very valuable in the conditions of increased unsanitary conditions of past centuries. The property of ginger to kill bacteria does not lose its relevance even today.

One of the most popular dishes of Japanese cuisine - sushi, is eaten with ginger not only because it cleans the receptors and helps to perceive new tastes more vividly, but also because it disinfects dishes with raw fish. In addition to cooking, ginger has long been used for medicinal purposes. Ancient Chinese, Indian and Persian treatises describe how this spice was used to treat colds, migraines, nausea, infectious diseases and even arthritis.

An analysis of 109 studies confirmed that ginger does contain a group of active compounds that have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, American scientists have proven that regular consumption of ginger reduces inflammatory processes in the joints and increases their mobility.

Garlic

In the folklore of Belarusians, Bulgarians and Croats, it is said that this plant is the best talisman against evil spirits, evil spirits, and just plain evil people. And a head of garlic, eaten a day, protects against "thousands of diseases and ailments." The healing properties of the product were also known in Russia: few people ate soup without onions or garlic. Garlic porridge was the first remedy for colds, severe coughs and toothaches.

Interestingly, the study of the effect of this spice on dental health is still ongoing. For example, there is reason to believe that garlic extract helps relieve gum inflammation. Modern research also confirms the positive effect of seasoning on the treatment of infectious diseases and chronic cough. In addition, the complex biochemistry of this plant helps to increase the level of antioxidants in the body, which causes an immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory effect.

Rosemary

Janis Covey, founder of organic skin care brand Kosmatology, says rosemary has been used in cooking and folk medicine in the Mediterranean for centuries. And it is not surprising. The aromatic spice contains rosmarinic acid - a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substance. Thanks to it, the plant reduces markers of inflammation in diseases such as atopic dermatitis, osteoarthritis, asthma, and gum disease.

The Mediterranean diet, which many nutritionists consider one of the most balanced and healthy, also recommends adding rosemary as a seasoning to vegetables, fish and meat dishes. Of course, the inhabitants of this sunny region consume many other anti-inflammatory products: nuts, vegetables, seafood, olive oil. However, spices occupy not the last place in their diet.

Black pepper

Known throughout the world as the "king of spices " , it was originally used as a medicine (for asthma, diarrhea and stomach problems). Human cooperation with pepper has been going on for more than one millennium: even the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides recommended this spice to his patients as an antipyretic, diuretic and anti-cold agent.

Black pepper really has a rich phytochemical composition capable of suppressing inflammatory processes and providing an anti-carcinogenic effect. Essential oils, oleoresins, and alkaloids contained in the seasoning increase the assimilation of nutrients and improve the work of the digestive tract. And piperine, which is responsible for the burning taste of pepper, helps maintain brain health.

Cardamom

One of the spices found in the earliest medical treatises. Back in Ancient Egypt, cardamom powder was used to treat the lungs and prevent digestive problems. And in Ayurveda, this spice is generally considered one of the most powerful, as it balances the 3 doshas and improves mood. Followers of Ayurveda believe that cardamom increases vitality and stamina.

Modern researchers are not very active in studying the connection between cardamom and hard character, but they found "increased immune capabilities and antioxidant status of the body" in people who added the spice to their diet on a regular basis. In addition, regular consumption of cardamom reduces inflammatory markers in women with excess weight and prediabetes, as well as in fatty liver disease.