Spice Makes it Nice (and Healthy)

You probably cook with a dash of salt here, a sprinkling of pepper here. Maybe some crushed red pepper flakes when you're feeling frisky and a few shakes of oregano from time to time, but did you know that spices are actually the unsung heroes of good health? They don't get much play, spices, generally used as the afterthought, while the main event -- butter, olive oil, goose fat -- gets all the glory.

But spices like ginger, rosemary, turmeric and cinnamon don't just finish off a dish by giving it a good pop of flavor, they contain properties that assist in being anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-bad health in general.

Cinnamon, for example, something we've surely all had on toast at one point in our lives, helps to regulate blood sugar and is useful for people with diabetes. As Natural Solutions magazine reports, cinnamon contains a substance that can help cells respond to insulin which brings about a  reduction of blood sugar levels by an average of 18 percent to 29 percent.

Do you like Indian food? If so, great, because curry contains turmeric, which has the component curcumin,  a substance that inhibits cell enzymes that contribute to inflammation. The less inflammation your body has, the better.

So spice up your life already! Your body (and your tastebuds) will thank you for it.

[Via Care2.com]

Photo courtesy Venu Thimmareddy@sxc.hu