Let’s Meet Herb and His Friend Spice
Sometimes the little things can make a big difference. Consider herbs and spices. While we know that a plant-heavy diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean plant and animal proteins and healthy fats should be the base of our healthy meals, let’s not forget about adding herbs and spices to our daily intake. Why? Many common herbs and spices offer disease prevention benefits, and as they say, every little bit helps.
What are Herbs and Spices?
Herbs: In general, herbs are the leafy part of a plant that, dried or fresh, can be used for flavoring.
Spices: The non-leafy parts of a plant, such as seeds, roots, fruits, berries and bark that are also used for flavoring.
*NOTE AS OF PUBLISH DATE: The recent outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a frequent nightly news and social media topic this week, is a great reminder of the importance of washing our fresh herbs. Although a specific source has not been identified for this particular outbreak, in the past fresh cilantro and basil have been implicated. If you are using fresh herbs make sure you rinse them under continuously running water, separating the leaves and removing all the dirt. It is important to note that washing does not completely remove the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, that can only be done by cooking food to 158 ℉.
Which Herbs and Spices are the Most Beneficial?
If you look at store shelves, you will find many examples of herb and spice supplements that claim to cure all of your ailments. It’s important to remember a few things. First, supplements are not regulated, so you cannot always trust what a product label says. Second, until a product has research to back up the use of supplements, it’s always best to follow the “food first” rule. Read on to learn more about specific herbs and spices and how to add them to your daily diet.
Turmeric: Turmeric, and its active ingredient, curcumin, has been studied extensively for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has been shown to be particularly useful for people with osteoarthritis and for decreasing whole body, low-grade inflammation. It may also play a role in controlling blood sugar, and decreasing total cholesterol, LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and triglycerides. Using a pure turmeric powder, versus a curry powder that contains turmeric, delivers more of the bioactive compounds, making it more potent and effective. Research regarding consumption of turmeric powder (versus taking a supplement) is somewhat lacking, however a suggested intake of ½ to 1 teaspoon each day is reasonable. Turmeric is not easily absorbed in the body and thus should be eaten with black pepper and a bit of olive oil to enhance absorption. To add it to your daily diet:
Use it to season stir fries and soups (it’s great in chicken noodle soup!)
Add it to your favorite green tea, along with a dash of black pepper and a bit of honey or lemon.
It can also be added to warmed soy or almond milk to make “golden latte.”
Ginger: Ginger has long been recommended as a treatment for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, motion sickness, and other illnesses. Like turmeric, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, meaning that it can help with joint pain and may help with the inflammation associated with colitis. A good goal would be a daily intake of ½ teaspoon of powdered ginger, which would also be equivalent to 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, or a one inch piece of fresh ginger root.
Try slicing fresh ginger and pouring hot water over it, letting it steep for a few minutes to make a tea. Add a bit of turmeric, honey and cherry juice for a really nice anti-inflammatory drink!
Ginger is an easy add-in to stir fries, soups, and sauteed vegetables.
Sprinkle a little ginger into your morning oatmeal or add it to your granola.
Cinnamon: Cinnamon has strong evidence for use in controlling blood sugar, and as is true for turmeric and ginger, is also anti-inflammatory. It contains a variety of polyphenols, the chemical cinnamaldehyde, which acts as an antioxidant and protects cells, can lower cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and blood pressure, and provides possible PCOS benefits.
One note of caution: Larger doses of Cassia cinnamon, the most common type of cinnamon, has been shown to cause liver issues in some people, so it’s best to stick with the Ceylon type if you are consuming more than ½ tsp each day. Try adding ½ tsp daily in the following ways:
Sprinkle some on your oatmeal, cereal or yogurt
Add a dash to your tea
Sprinkle some on fresh fruit
Mix it with a warm cup of water for a sweet drink
Garlic: Garlic has long been linked, justifiably, to heart health; particularly for those people who already have higher blood lipid levels has been shown to decrease cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, blood pressure, and may be protective against colorectal and stomach cancer and acts as an antioxidant. It’s also a prebiotic, benefiting the good bacteria in your gut. Before eating garlic, crush it and let sit for 10 minutes. The crushing action converts the chemical alliin to allicin, which provides the numerous health benefits. Due to its antimicrobial and antiviral properties, some people will eat it raw, like a piece of fruit, when they feel a cold coming on. One of the best things about garlic is that it can easily be added to just about any meal so consuming the recommended 1-2 cloves per day isn’t terribly difficult.
Chili Peppers/Cayenne Peppers: Capsaicin is the main bioactive chemical in peppers. Different varieties of peppers contain varying levels of capsaicin; the spicier it is the more it contains. Research has shown that consuming capsaicin four times or more each week, or 1 fresh pepper each day, may reduce your overall risk of death as well as the risk for cardiovascular disease. Capsaicin has also been linked to increased satiety and may actually (though seemingly counterintuitive due to the spiciness) provide a protective benefit to the lining of the stomach. You can increase your intake of capsaicin simply by seasoning food with cayenne pepper or adding a variety of whole peppers to your meals.
Rosemary: Rosemary has the highest polyphenol* content among herbs. A daily dose of ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary has demonstrated improved cognitive speed (more is not better, as larger doses have been linked to cognitive impairment) and higher antioxidant activity. Rosemary also has antimicrobial properties that extend the shelf life of meat. When cooking with rosemary it is best to simmer it or steam rather than fry as this is the better way to preserve the chemicals that make it a healthy addition to your diet.
Oregano: Oregon also ranks highly among herbs for its level of polyphenol compounds and antioxidant activity. Oregano has potent antimicrobial characteristics that make it beneficial for food safety in meat products. Another interesting fact about oregano: adding it to meat (think burgers and steak) before grilling can reduce the cancer causing chemicals that come from cooking meat at high temperatures. Aim for 1-2 teaspoons of dried oregano in your daily diet. Like rosemary, oregano makes a great addition to salad dressings, salads, homemade breads (add it to your sourdough!), grain bowls, sauteed tofu, meats, seafood and any pasta dish.
A Word about Toxicity and Supplements: As mentioned, you can purchase the above herbs and spices as supplements and potentially consume a much higher dose than what you would get during the cooking process. Just remember that more is not always better and in fact, consuming too much of certain herbs and spices can be toxic. For instance, too much turmeric can be toxic to the liver. It’s also important to remember that there are hundreds of important chemicals in whole foods that are not found in supplements. Often these chemicals work together to create an additional benefit that a supplement, which contains only a few ingredients, does not provide.
The Bottom Line
In general, herbs and spices can have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, heart-healthy, blood sugar-lowering, and prebiotic properties. Research is being conducted to determine the impact of supplementing with both herbs and spices, but for the most part, many of the supplements we see on the store shelf don’t have a lot of evidence to back up their use. Exceptions to this are the herbs and spices mentioned above: turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, garlic and the capsaicin in peppers. Having said this, consuming the whole food is typically better than taking a supplement. We also know that the more plant products we include in our diet, the healthier we tend to be, so don’t hesitate to experiment with all kinds of different spices.
Lastly, let’s not forget that using herbs and spices can decrease the need for other flavorings, namely added sugar and salt. So by using more herbs and spices, not only are you getting more anti-inflammatory, antioxidant plant chemicals in your diet, but you are decreasing the amount of salt and sugar you are consuming.
*Polyphenols are a group of plant compounds that provide a plethora of health benefits Research has indicated that they are anti-inflammatory, promote brain, heart and gut health, help to control blood sugar and may help to prevent cancer.