A quick walk down the spice aisle at any grocery store will show you the abundance of spices and herbs available to season our food! While some aren’t so healthy, there are several spices and herbs that can actually improve your health! Here are 9 healthy spices and herbs that you should add to your meals to boost your health.
1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a super popular spice, probably because it’s sweet, low in calories, sugar-free, and not very expensive. It’s great to add to mostly anything, from desserts to hot beverages.
However, in addition to the taste, cinnamon actually has a lot of great health benefits. Research shows that cinnamon can help to lower blood sugar in people with diabetes, lower high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and help to lower the risk of heart disease. Other studies show that cinnamon can help with inflammation and fight against bacteria. So, regardless if you have diabetes or not, cinnamon is a wonderful spice to add to your dishes.
You can try adding cinnamon to things like oatmeal, yogurt, and chilis, or even using it as a meat rub.
2. Sage
Sage has always been recognized throughout history, especially during the middle ages, for its healing properties. As one of the most popular herbs in the United States, it enhances several things, like meats and salads. Its name is derived from the Latin word salia, which means “to save.”
Sage has been shown in many studies to help improve brain function and memory. These effects have been evident especially in people with Alzheimer’s disease, but also in healthy people that are both young and old. So, to boost your brain functioning, start using more sage!
This tasty herb can be used in a variety of dishes, like pasta, sauces, meat dishes, wraps, and so much more.
3. Garlic
Garlic is another highly popular ingredient to use when cooking. However, not only does it enhance the flavors of any dish, but it also offers several benefits.
Garlic has been found to actually lower your chances of getting heart disease. It does this by keeping your arteries flexible and preventing them from hardening. Hardening of the arteries is normal as you age, but excessive hardening results in the narrowing of your arteries, making you more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes. Regular intake of garlic helps to prevent this and maintain the health of your arteries. Other studies have revealed that regularly eating garlic can help with things like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Garlic is wonderful in so many dishes, from pastas to meat dishes, and other savory dishes.
4. Ginger
Ginger is another popular spice that is derived from a tropical plant. For thousands of years, ginger has been used, especially in Asian cultures, to treat stomach issues, from nausea to diarrhea, and even menstrual cramps. Fortunately, ginger can be found in countless different products, from sodas to candy and teas.
Research shows that consuming ginger is an effective way to calm an upset stomach. It has been found to reduce stomach upset after surgery, ease and eliminate motion sickness, and even ease pregnancy-related nausea. Overall, if you ever have an upset stomach or wish to prevent it, ginger is an excellent spice to use. Ginger has also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Try adding this helpful spice to things like smoothies, tea, stir fry dishes, or even homemade salad dressings.
5. Turmeric
Turmeric is mainly known and recognized in Indian curry dishes. However, turmeric has a host of beneficial properties.
Turmeric has been shown by many studies to reduce inflammation in the brain. This same inflammation has been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s disease, meaning Turmeric may have the ability to assist individuals affected by these diseases. These same anti-inflammatory qualities help reduce pain and swelling in people with arthritis, too. Turmeric has also been shown to improve memory. One study showed that the memory test scores of 50 adults who consumed curcumin, which is in turmeric, over a period of 18 months had improved. These same individuals also reported an enhanced mood.
Turmeric is a great spice to add to dinner dishes, like meats, vegetables, tacos, or curry.
6. Cayenne
Cayenne is commonly found in Mexican, Cajun, and Creole dishes to add a little kick to the dishes, as it is a type of chili pepper. Cayenne contains something known as capsaicin, which is what causes multiple health benefits.
Capsaicin serves as a natural painkiller, as it lessens the amount of pain signals sent to your brain. This helps especially in individuals with arthritis and diabetes-related nerve damage, as it has been shown to reduce their discomfort. Though not tested on humans specifically, research on animals show that eating cayenne can help with internal pain too. For example, in regard to ulcers, cayenne can help stop the growth of the bacteria that causes the ulcer, reduce the excess stomach acid, and increase the blood flow. This is ironic, considering spicy foods are commonly associated with stomach upset.
Cayenne is great to add to any food that you wish to spice up, like chili, soups, and meat.
7. Chili Peppers
We just talked about one chili pepper above, but fresh chili peppers themselves not only spice up your food, but also offer several health benefits, due to the capsaicin.
Multiple studies show that chili peppers, whether they be fresh, powdered, or dried, can help boost your metabolism. This is helpful for individuals who are trying to lose weight. Just like cayenne, chili peppers can also fight inflammation, provide a natural pain relief, and clear congestion. Furthermore, similar to garlic, chili peppers have been shown to provide cardiovascular benefits by helping to maintain the health of your blood vessels.
Just like cayenne, chili peppers can be added to anything that you want to make spicier, such as meats, soups, tacos, and stir-frys.
8. Basil
All throughout history and across the world, basil has been another herb known for its healing and health properties. It is one of the oldest and most popular herbs. However, basil actually provides a surprising amount of benefits.
Studies show that basil helps with digestion; has anti-inflammatory properties that can help with a variety of diseases; and soothes fevers, sore throats, colds, and coughs. Basil has also been shown to help manage diabetes, fight against depression and anxiety, help promote gut health, and help detox and cleanse the body.
Basil is great to add in pesto, pastas, pizzas, vegetables, chicken, pork, seafood, soups, and so much more.
9. Aloha Pepper
Last but not least, our Aloha Pepper spice is perfect for not only adding a delicious, savory kick to your meals, but also for boosting your health.
The mild version of our Aloha Pepper product is made from papaya seeds, while the spicy version is made of papaya seeds and Hawaiian chili peppers. While we already mentioned the numerous health benefits of chili peppers above, papaya seeds are another awesome thing to add to your diet. Papaya seeds are rich in antioxidants and digestive enzymes, and have been shown to help protect against infections, enhance kidney health, fight against cancer, and improve digestive health.
Our Aloha Pepper can be added to practically anything, from homemade dressing and salads to meats and stir-frys.
Enhance Your Meals And Boost Your Health Today!
As you just read above, our Aloha Pepper not only tastes wonderful, but it also boosts your gut health. Order your Aloha Pepper spice today, or contact us with any questions or concerns!
