What is a spice?

Spice is a culinary term, not a botanical category.  They are used for enhancing food flavor, color, and palatability. 

Spices have AAA effects

• Anticancer[5,6,8]

• Anti-inflammatory[2,3,7,13]

• Anti-Alzheimer's disease[2,10]

as claimed by Dr. William Sears[1]. 

Spices are derived from plants and contain a variety of natural compounds that act as antioxidants within the body, protecting cells from the invasive damage caused by free radicals. They are dubbed "molecular mimics" because they act like the body's own chemical regulators, for example, insulin and anti-inflammatories.  They can also curb your appetite. 

These five common spices offer a wide range of protective properties that may help support your body's overall health:  

Turmeric

This bright yellow spice is well-known as a component of curry powder. It contains a high concentration of curcumin, a natural compound with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Read [17] for its detailed health benefits.

Ginger

According to an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ginger is one of the top food sources of antioxidants[3]. In herbal medicine, ginger is also prized for treating indigestion and nausea.  You can read [19] for more details.

Cayenne

The fiery and flavorful cayenne pepper (same for chili peppers) contains a potent active compound known as capsaicin, a potent anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and analgesic.

At a high concentration, capsaicin is an effective pain reliever for  rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, as well as as for nerve damage caused by the complications of diabetes.  You can continue the reading of [20] for more details.

Between 2004 and 2008, a study led by Dr. Lu Qi who have conducted dietary and health history surveys among roughly 199,000 men and 288,000 women from 10 different regions in China.[22] The participants were between the ages of 30 and 79.  The key finding in the study was that eating fresh, spicy foods (e.g., fresh chili peppers) as little as once or twice a week was associated with a 10% drop in the overall risk for death during the study, compared with eating such foods less than once weekly.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a versatile and aromatic spice rich in polyphenolic compounds that act as protective antioxidants.   Just smelling cinnamon increases a person's cognitive ability and actually functioned as a kind of a "brain boost".   An ingredient in cinnamon called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP) mimics insulin and increases the sensitivity of the receptors on the cells to the action of insulin.  For more health benefits of cinnamon, read [18].

Garlic

People have used garlic since ancient times to help ward off dozens of health problems.  The Greeks actually ate garlic before running races to get a competitive advantage.  Garlic contains two chemicals: the enzyme alliinase and a substance called allicin.  Pressing or chopping allows the garlic to release the allicin, the health-promoting active nutrient and sulfur-containing substance that gives garlic its odor.

• Garlic aids in circulation and lowers blood pressure.

• Garlic may also have a cholesterol-lowering effect.

  • A review of studies found that consuming 1/2 to 1 clove of garlic daily lowers total cholesterol levels by about 9%, reducing the risk of heart disease by about 20%.

• Garlic is loaded with compounds that may be able to kill some bacteria and viruses.

  • A study at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, reported that crushed garlic in oil killed rhinovirus type 2 ( a common cause of colds), two forms of herpesvirus, and several other common viruses.

  • You may be able to end athlete's foot with garlic.  Just soak your feet in a basin of warm water with a few crushed garlic cloves and a splash of rubbing alcohol, suggests James Duke, Ph.D., retired USDA researcher and author of The Green Pharmacy.

• More and more studies show that garlic have an anticancer effect, especially for colon cancer.

  • Researchers from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill found that people who consumed 6 or more garlic cloves per week had a 30% lower risk of colon cancer and a 50% lower risk of stomach cancer than those who ate a clove or less weekly.

  • Other studies have hinted that garlic staves off breast and prostate cancers, too, but the evidence is still preliminary.

  • According to researchers, garlic supplements don't seem to have an effect on cancer because they have only trace amounts of allicin, the cancer-fighting sulfur compound.

• Research is cropping up suggesting that garlic may also protect against Alzheimer's disease.

• Similar to nutmeg and turmeric, garlic have been shown to promote sleep.[14]

To get the most health (anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and anticancer) benefits from garlic, eat it when the odor is strongest, usually 10 to 15 min after pressing.  For some people, garlic upsets the gut by aggravating reflux.  Because high amounts of garlic can reduce blood clotting, people taking prescription anticoagulants should check with their doctor before having lots of garlic.

Health Benefits of Spice

If you are looking for antioxidant support, these five beneficial spices can be easily incorporated into your daily diet. For those who do not wish to include these spices in their food, they are also commonly and conveniently available in supplement form.

In addition to these five spices, other herbs and spices are beneficial to your health too.  So, consume more herbs and spices for:

• The anti-inflammatory power of rosemary and basil

• The dementia-fighting power of cumin and sage

• The obesity-fighting power of cayenne and cinnamon

• The sugar-regulating powers of coriander and cinnamon

• The calming effects of lemongrass, nutmeg, bay leaves, and saffron

• The cancer-fighting power of turmeric

• The fungus-beating power of oregano

• The heart-pumping power of garlic, mustard seed, and chicory

• The skin-saving power of basil and thyme

• The immune-fighting power of turmeric, basil, thyme, saffron, and ginger

• The "blues"-busting power of coriander, rosemary, cayenne, and black pepper

References

1. Prime-Time Health by William Sears, MD with Martha Sears, RN

2. Lim GP, Chu T, Yang F, Beech W, Frautschy SA, Cole GM. Related Articles The curry spice curcumin reduces oxidative damage and amyloid pathology in an Alzheimer transgenic mouse. J Neurosci. November 2001 21(21):8370-8377.

3. Halvorsen B, Carlsen M, Phillips K, Bøhn S, Holte K, Jacobs Jr. D, Blomhoff R. Content of redox-active compounds (ie, antioxidants) in foods consumed in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr. July 2006 84 (1):95-135.

4. Altman RD, Marcussen KC. Effects of a ginger extract on knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2001 44(11):2531-2538.

5. Thoennissen N, O'Kelly J, Lu D, Iwanski G, La D, Abbassi S, Leiter A, Karlan B, Mehta R, Koeffler H. Capsaicin causes cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in ER-positive and -negative breast cancer cells by modulating the EGFR/HER-2 pathway. Oncogene. January 14, 2010 29(2):285-96.

6. Mori A, Lehmann S, O'Kelly J, Kumagai T, Desmond JC, Pervan M, McBride W, Kizaki M, Koeffler H. Capsaicin, a component of red peppers, inhibits the growth of androgen-independent, p53 mutant prostate cancer cells. Cancer Res. March 15, 2006 66(6):3222-9.

7. Roussel AM, Hininger I, Benaraba R, Ziegenfuss TN, Anderson RA. Antioxidant effects of a cinnamon extract in people with impaired fasting glucose that are overweight or obese. J Am Coll Nutr. February 2009 28(1):16-21.

8. Preventing Colorectal Cancer Naturally?

9. Garlic—a Vegetable, a Condiment, and a Medicine (Travel and Health)

10. 100 Simple Things You can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's by Jean Carper

11. Coumarin and cinnamaldehyde in cinnamon marketed in Italy: a natural chemical hazard?

12. Piperine (Black Pepper) Increases Resveratrol Bioavailability

13. Lee C, Park GH, Kim CY, Jang JH. [6]-Gingerol attenuates β-amyloid-induced oxidative cell death via fortifying cellular antioxidant defense system. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011 Jun;49(6):1261-9. Epub 2011 Mar 9.

14. The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan by Michael Breus, PhD.

15. Turmeric Component Reduces Type 2 Diabetes Incidence

16. Curcumin Extract for Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes

17. Health Benefits of Turmeric (Travel and Health)

18. Health Benefits of Cinnamon (Travel to Health)

19. Health Benefits of Ginger (Travel and Health)

20. Health Benefits of Chill Peppers (Travel and Health)

21. Easy to Grow Herbs

22. Consumption of spicy foods and total and cause specific mortality: population based cohort study

23. Cancer Cell Signaling Pathways Targeted by Spice-Derived Nutraceuticals

24. Darwinian Gastronomy: Why We Use Spices: Spices taste good because they are good for us