Spices are being recognised as potent disease fighters. Here’s how to rack up the benefits.
Winter weather always sends me right into the kitchen. No, not to fix a cup of hot cocoa. To warm my body and soul, I go straight to the spice rack to get started on a healthy vegetable curry. When it’s cold, I find that spices like turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne pepper lend a bright flavour to cooking – plus a toasty aroma to the whole house.
Lately, I’ve been adding more turmeric than ever to my curries, not to mention liberally sprinkling cinnamon into my kids’ oatmeal. It’s not just because I love the way these spices taste, but also because clinical studies continue to confirm their incredible health benefits.
“Everyone’s talking about how to get more affordable heath care – cooking with spices is the easiest way to do it,” says Bharat B. Aggarwal, a professor in the department of experimental therapeutics at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston in the US, and a pioneer in proving the health benefits of spices in clinical trails.
“The anti-inflammatory abilities of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne are absolutely remarkable – more effective than aspirin and may prescription meds, with no side effects.” That’s important, since inflammation is thought to underlie a slew of chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, allergies and heart disease.
Magical properties
Researchers believe the enzymes and volatile oils that give spices their flavours and preservative properties also contain powerful anti-inflammatories and unique phytochemicals that can work magic in the body. Cinnamon, for instance, has shown to moderate blood glucose levels; turmeric is turning out to be a natural tumour suppressor. But beyond the latest clinical research, spice-eating cultures are simply healthier, Aggarwal says. “The rate of lung, prostate, breast and colon cancers is more than 50 times lower in India than in the United States,” he notes.
The health benefits only increase when you use the spices together. “The healing properties in spice are especially potent when combined with one another,” Aggarwal says. “There is wisdom in curry.”
Tapping into that wisdom only requires a willingness to experiment with flavours and a little know-how. Here’s a guide to the five most healthful spices, along with some advice on how to cook with and combine them.
Turmeric
What it is: The root of the Curcuma Longa plant, dried and ground into powder.
What it tastes like: Bitter and sweet
Why it’s good for you: Aggarwal was responsible for the ground-breaking 1995 discovery that curcumin, the active phytonutrient in turmeric, actually interferes with the growth of tumours. While there is no clinical proof yet that turmeric can prevent cancer, a 2009 Chinese study suggests it is effective in inhibiting the metastasizing of melanoma cells. A recent University of California, Los Angeles, study also indicates that turmeric may help the immune system clear the brain of amyloid beta, which form the plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease. Aggarwal says that sursumin has the ability to turn off a “master switch” of inflammation in the body, and recommends eating a teaspoon or two of turmeric every day for optimal health.
How to cook with it: Turmeric ( used extensively in Indian, Moroccan and Thai cuisines) pairs well with white meats, potatoes, rice, mustard and most other spices like coriander, cumin and ginger. It’s the base spice used in building curry.
Cayenne pepper
What it is: Dried, ground red chilli peppers such as bird peppers (Capsicum Annuum L.).
What it taste like: Warm and spicy, with a zingy sharp bite.
Why it’s good for you: Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, a phytochemical that has been linked to weight loss, pain relief and cardiovascular health. A 2009 Danish study confirmed capsaicin’s role in suppressing the appetite by creating feelings of satiety that can aid in weight loss. A number of studies have suggested capsaicin has an analgesic effect because it blocks a protein critical to the transmission of pain signals in the body; a comprehensive 2008 arthritis care study in the U.K. confirmed the effectiveness of capsaicin in relieving arthritis pain.
How to cook with it: A little cayenne pepper goes a long way, and its heat increases the longer it’s cooked. Add a pinch (about an eighth of a teaspoon) near the end of cooking fish or tomato-based dishes, soups and stews.
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[...] also packed with vitamin C and may help reduce pain levels. They may also help you lose weight. Spicy foods have been found to increase the metabolic rate by up to 23 percent for short periods of [...]