Spice It Up with Ground Realities

"There have been many recent studies validating the historic habit of using spices for health benefits," says Donna Tainter, a food technologist and author of ‘Spices and Seasonings, A Food Technology Handbook’.

Spices are a connoisseur’s delight for sure, but their medicinal values also make them a readily available chemist at your doorstep… or should we say, at your kitchen shelf.

Next time you are down with a routine ailment; rummage around for its cure in your kitchen rack before rushing to the doctor.

Ginger
The health benefits of ginger have been known for over 2,000 years. Perhaps the most medicinally packed spice, ginger is considered as an excellent cure for ulcers when eaten in small proportions. For getting rid of a sour throat and curing the terrible cold, including a cup of ginger tea in your breakfast should do the trick. Ginger contains compounds that help relieve motion sickness and nausea caused during pregnancy or as a side effect of chemotherapy.

Ginger is also used as a digestive agent. Gingerol, a compound present in the spice, is believed to facilitate blood flow by relaxing blood vessels. It has anti-inflammatory properties, useful in combating heart diseases, cancerdefine, Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis. But that’s not all, for this magical herb is rich in antioxidantsdefine which helps in fighting all diseases and also preserves your youth and beauty.

Garlic
Recent studies prove that regular consumption of garlic helps cure diabetes. It also aids curing decreased blood pressure and cholesterol levels, besides assisting the process of digestion and preventing flatulence. Garlic can assist you win your battle against the hideous pimples and guess what…..it is also a natural mosquito repellent.
In a recent study, scientists added some human red blood cells to garlic juice and noticed immediate production of hydrogen sulphide. This explains as to why a garlic rich diet helps battle against breast, colondefine and prostate cancerdefine.

Bay Leaf
Bay leaf is an effective cure for external infections and skin diseases. One could place them in a jar in the nooks and corners to get rid of bugs. It’s their fragrance, that does the trick. For minor cuts and insect bites, bay leaf paste is the most useful medicine.
Its anti bacterial and anti fungal properties make it apt for curing dandruff. Bay leaf oil can be massaged over sore muscles to give an instant relief from pain. Consumption of bay leaves on a regular basis cures cold as well as urinary tract infections.

Turmeric
Add turmeric in sumptuous amounts to your soups, curries and stews to develop better resistance towards diseases. Curcumin is the compound present in Turmeric, which lends the spice its yellow color. This active compound is believed to assist body in fighting against diseases such as ulcerative colitis, cystic fibrosisdefine and even rheumatoid arthritis. The spice also provides protection against cardiovascular and liver related diseases. According to the findings of certain studies, the curcuminoids present in turmeric may also be the answer to the cure of Alzheimer’s disease and joint inflammation. Turmeric is rich in antioxidants that neutralise free radicals and hence shields the body against cancer.

Cardamom
A must in all Indian desserts, cardamom’s unique flavour and aroma is what distinguishes it from the other spices. A superb aphrodisiac when sprinkled over coffee, cardamom is also known to stimulate digestion and relieving flatulence. The spice also assists in the cure of acidity, nausea and bad breath. If your children abhor the smell of milk, add a little pinch of cardamom and see the smell vanish just like that. This spice is also said to generate appetite.

Cinnamon
As per the findings of a research conducted in August 2003 by International journal of food Microbiology, a few drops of cinnamon essential oil when added to carrot broth, enabled its effective preservation and fight pathogenic organisms. This proved what an excellent anti-microbial food, cinnamon is. Its anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory qualities help avoid unwanted clogging of blood platelets and could even enhance the functioning of brain.

A study in the December 2003 Diabetes Care found that consuming 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon daily significantly reduced blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetesdefine. Meanwhile, it also reduced their triglyceride levels, LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, thus acting like a miracle drug for patients suffering from diabetes and high cholesterol.

Another study conducted by the Journal of Nutrition found cinnamon to be one of the richest sources of disease-fighting antioxidants.

Adding a pinch of cinnamon to your tea along with fresh ginger can help you combat flu.

Cloves
Cloves are in fact the buds of an evergreen tree. It is a warming spice and can hence reduce congestion resulting from cold and cough, by adding a few of them to your tea. It is a brilliant anti-septic and is hence an essential ingredient of mouthwash. Clove is also an age-old treatment for toothache when locally applied along with edible salt. Clove contains ‘eugenol’, an anti-inflammatory agent that helps relax the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis. This spice also aid the process of digestion

Cumin
Although the history of the use of cumin can be traced back to the Old Testament times, it has now become an integral part of the culinary art in most Asian countries. A member of the carrot family, cumin happens to be an excellent source of iron and magnesium and also abets digestion.

There are numerous ways to include spices in your daily diet, whichever way you choose, remember - you are only opting for the wealth of health.