I’ve always heard that spices are good for us, but are spices actually healthy? I did some research and found some interesting answers. Read on to find out what I learned about if spices are healthy or not.
Answer: Spices are full of vitamins, minerals, and flavonoids. They also contain complex compounds, antioxidants, and other interesting scientific things that make them suitable for us more than just improving our food’s flavor. Different spices also have different effects on our bodies.
Please keep your eyes out for a future article covering some different effects of different spices and subscribing to our YouTube for when we release the video.
I always love to tell my wife that ancient people used spices to hide how bad all the meat tasted back in the middle ages. I don’t know if that is true, but I read it in a history book some time ago.
I know that spices can make or break a meal, take something old and familiar, and make it new and exciting.
Would you please keep reading to find out what other exciting things I found out when researching this article?
What Spices are the Healthiest?
I will be making a more detailed article on this in the future, but for now, let’s look at some of the most memorable things I found.
- Cinnamon is said to lower blood pressure
- Red Yeast Rice (some consider it a spice) lowers blood pressure
- Turmeric could reduce inflammation
- Mint has been shown to reduce IBS
- Garlic has been shown to have a host of circulatory benefits and, as a bonus, might help keep away mosquitos and ticks
When I researched this topic, I found many interesting facts from Johns Hopkins and Mayo Clinic resources. I took many notes and have a list I’m working on of different spices, what they taste like, and what health benefits they either have or reportedly have.
In the next section, I break down a little of my information on our bodies’ spices and health.
What Do Spices Actually do for Your Body?
When I first heard this question, I thought, “sure, of course, they are.” Then I started doubting what I was thinking. However, it turns out spices are far more interesting than I initially thought, and I have learned a ton about spices that I had never thought about.
For instance,f many spices have antioxidants and help eliminate free radicals in our bodies. When at levels past normal, free radicals are considered harmful for us doing things like damaging DNA and cells.
Another interesting one is the capsaicin found in peppers, and many hot spices are linked and used for pain relief. Although you may need to use it topically for maximum benefit, you can also eat the spices to see pain relief. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t feel anything that wasn’t my tongue and mouth for several hours when I ate ghost peppers.
I also learned what flavonoids are, which is just an antioxidant. I heard about them in my tea and other foods for years but never bothered to look more profound.
So I know many people are going to want to know about spices and weight loss, and that is exactly what I cover in the next section.
Are Spices Good for Weight Loss?
Weight loss is always a hot topic, and there is no exception when talking about other things; you can always find something related to whatever you are reading and weight loss.
I was surprised to find that many people eat different spices to help with weight loss for spices.
Cayenne peppers: I’m still researching this topic, but many people claim that eating Cheyanne peppers helps speed up the metabolism.
Ginger: Another spice that many people eat, claiming it raises their metabolism and helps with weight loss.
Cayenne Pepper: Again on this list because they are said to help reduce or eliminate appetite.
Mustard Seed: Like the Chyanne peppers, mustard is said to reduce the overall appetite and help you eat less.
Black Pepper: Another apatite suppresser, black pepper not only tastes good but might make you less hungry.
Now that we have talked about a few of the healthy benefits of spices, let’s look at the potentially destructive side of things.
Can Spices Be Unhealthy?
I will write an entire article about this soon, but let’s cover some of the basics.
Yes, under some circumstances or when eating too many of spices, they can become unhealthy for you.
For instance, there are several spices that you are recommended to avoid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. I will post more about this after doing the proper research so keep your eye out for that next article.
Some other examples include nutmeg, which is said to give hallucinations when ingested in large quantities.
Another example is you will want to keep an eye on the expiration date and proper storage of your spices to avoid mold and mildew growth which can ruin the flavor and make them unhealthy.
