The Science of Spices
Spices were traded in the ancient days and were brought to the western world from the far shores in India. Some like Cinnamon were adopted by the western world and used in deserts like Apple Pie. As the culinary tastes of people expanded, so did their curiosity for the healing benefits of different foods and spices were no different.
The most popular spice today is Turmeric and is used in lattes, curries, soups, and vegetables because Turmeric is known to have many health benefits including the improvement of short-term memory, relieves joint pain, lowers LDL and increases HDL cholesterol, improves digestion, and supports mood balance.
Cinnamon is known to assist with high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, helps fight diabetes, defends the brain against developing neurological diseases, and protects dental health.
It is true that understanding the health benefits of different spices is important, however, some people are curious as to whether science ratifies the same, so below is a list of details for certain common spices:
Turmeric - known to suppress the excess production of stomach acid which can damage the intestinal wall and regular consumption of Turmeric has shown to prevent heartburn (Source: http://www.life-enhancement.com/magazine/article/1695-why-your-stomach-will-love-turmeric-and-licorice)
Ginger - is a spice used for blood lipid improvement and reduction of triglycerides and total cholesterol. See details of the study conducted in 2004 (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18813412)
Fennel - helps promote the secretion of digestive and gastric juices, as well as ease stomach and intestinal inflammation. Fennel can also help increase the absorption of nutrients in the digestive tract, as well as prevent gas and bloating, thanks to its high content of aspartic acid (Source: http://naturalnews.com/039436_gut_health_healing_spices.html).
Cinnamon – has the ability to help regulate blood sugar and prevent Diabetes. Cinnamon has shown to reduce lipids, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is known to contain bio-active elements that can prevent diabetes (Source: https://www.naturalnews.com/027168_cinnamon_diabetes_blood.html).
