Common Spices with Healthful Benefits

Any one who cooks or bakes uses spices. We generally use them for flavor, and because the recipe we are using calls for them. Aside from the flavorful benefits, some spices are actually beneficial to our health.

Cinnamon is one commonly used spice with many health benefits. It can help with digestive problems, such as indigestion, gas, bloating, upset stomach, and diarrhea. It can help to manage type 2 diabetes by using only ½ teaspoon daily. By improving insulin resistance, it van also help in weight management, and lower the risk for heart disease. Cinnamon has also been shown to improve triglycerides, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol. It has mild anti-inflammatory effects, and can also slow the spoilage of food. It also has antifungal properties. Studies have shown that smelling cinnamon helped to improve brain function.

Although cinnamon has great health benefits, too much can cause problems. Because it has an anti-clotting agent, too much cinnamon, especially when used along with blood thinning medications can cause bleeding problems. Too much cinnamon can also cause skin rashes and irritation to the mouth and stomach tissues.

Ginger is another spice that is used frequently in the kitchen, and also provides health benefits. Ginger has been used to treat motion sickness, nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, stomach aches, diarrhea, constipation, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations. It has been shown to improve circulation. Animal studies have shown that ginger has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal benefits from use. Other studies show that ginger may be able to help fight ovarian cancer. All tests showed that ginger helped to stop cancer cells from becoming resistant to treatment, similar to the way cells die in chemotherapy. The best thing about ginger is that there are no reported dangers from its use.

Nutmeg has been known to kill e. coli and other harmful bacteria. It can act as an anti-depressant too. Nutmeg stimulates the brain, helping to relieve stress and stimulate brain activity, even dreaming. It is also known to improve concentration and increase efficiency. Other benefits things such as, lowering blood pressure, helping ease stomach aches, stopping diarrhea, and aiding digestion. Increased circulation is another benefit. Nutmeg may also help dissolve kidney stones and relieve kidney infections due to its ability to detoxify the body.

With these benefits, nutmeg also poses risks. No more than 30 grams, or 6 tablespoons of nutmeg should be consumed daily. If as much as one or two ounces is consumed, it can cause toxicity in the body and delirium.

Cloves also offer many health benefits. They contain anti-oxidants, Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium. They also aid in digestion, and boost metabolism. Cloves have anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties. The eugenol oil in cloves is a natural anesthetic that is good for easing a toothache. The oil is commonly used in medicines that are for internal and external use. Cloves have been known to be used in Asia to treat scabies, cholera, malaria, and tuberculosis. They make good mosquito and moth repellants. It is said that sucking on a clove can decrease the craving for alcohol

Many of the spices we use every day are beneficial to our health. They are natural ways to help our bodies combat many illnesses and diseases, as well as help to relieve every day aches and pains. .So, the next time you are cooking, remember, what you put into your food can really benefit you and your family.