11/02/2012
Top 10 Herbs and Spices You Need More Of
Give your favorite foods a flavorful boost with these good-for-you seasonings.
Sprinkle on the Spices
From black pepper to cinnamon and other common seasonings, here's how spicing up your food can give your health new zest, too. These top seasonings not only make your dinner taste amazing, they can also fight cancer and heart disease, and keep other trouble at bay. Here are the best ingredients for simultaneously boosting health and flavor
1. Black Pepper
That pepper mill may not just be a weapon against bland food. It could stop cancer cells from growing and dividing. In the lab, the zingy pepper ingredient called piperine inactivated cells with early signs of cancer trouble and left healthy cells alone. Turn steamed veggies, such as broccoli and bok choy, into stellar side dishes with a liberal dose of ground pepper. Or, pretend you're in a fancy restaurant and add pepper to nearly every dish -- even dessert.
2. Chives
Not just a delicious garnish, these pungent green shoots may help neutralize the effects of carcinogens and help muzzle tumor growth in a host of different cancers. Chives are part of the allium family of herbs, as are onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and scallions. Research revealed that people who ate lots of allium herbs had fewer signs of hip osteoarthritis. Chives put a healthful accent on nearly any savory dish.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon, one of the most easy to use spices, may help you fend off the diabetes epidemic by keeping your blood sugar under control. How? Cinnamon may help cells take in sugar and use insulin better. It doesn't work if you're eating cinnamon on top of a gooey cinnamon bun, of course. As little as a quarter to a half a teaspoon a day may be all you need. Try it in coffee, over fresh apple slices, or even in Crock-Pot dishes for a flavor twist.
4. Ginger
The root that sits to the side of your sushi and gives a little extra punch to everything -- from stir-fries to marinades to, yes, even cookies -- can do plenty more than just taste good. Known for quelling motion sickness, ginger can also soothe a sour stomach, calm achy knees, reduce cholesterol (that means it can lower your RealAge, too!), nix artery-clogging blood clots, reduce post-workout soreness, inhibit cancer cells, and quash damaging inflammation. Just keep it fresh. If your dried ginger has been sitting around for a while, it's time to get some more.
5. Oregano
When GIs brought oregano home from Italy after World War II, they probably didn't know they were carrying an herb that contains 42 times more antioxidants than apples -- or that it contains a substance that would later be found in mouse studies to beat inflammation, which can raise your risk of health problems, from heart disease to cancer.
6. Parsley
Promote parsley from a garnish to a starring role and you'll not only get fresher breath; guys may also get prostate protection. In lab studies, a flavonoid in parsley, called apigenin, put prostate cancer cells in slow-growth mode.
7. Rosemary
Love the taste of grilled burgers? Add rosemary extract to your burgers before grilling for extra flavor and to prevent the production of cancer-causing substances called heterocyclicamines (HCAs) by up to 90%. Need more reasons to stick a sprig of this herb in lemonade or a cup of hot tea, or to marinades or steamed veggies? Lab studies suggest it may prevent breast cancer and leukemia cells from multiplying.
8. Saffron
This beautiful reddish-yellow herb may be potent mind medicine that can help transform you from grumpy or down-in-the-dumps to happy and even svelte. See, certain compounds in this herb may help decrease anxiety and even depression. In one study, the antianxiety effect of taking saffron daily may have been what helped overweight women snack about 50 percent less than placebo takers. True “happy meals” may come in the form of Scallops in Saffron-Tarragon Broth or Moroccan Vegetable Soup.
9. Thyme
That minty, lemony flavor in your mouthwash? It could be thyme, which has long been used as an antiseptic. Now this herb -- a favorite in savory dishes, from vinaigrettes to holiday stuffing -- has been found to have potent anti-inflammatory properties, too. That makes your heart happy, since high levels of inflammation in your body can open the door to heart disease, the number one killer in America. How high is your risk? Find out with this quiz.
10. Turmeric
Turmeric not only adds color and flavor to Indian dishes, it also contains the compound curcumin, which studies suggest has nearly total-body benefits. This inflammation fighter may curb damage to your arteries, keep your memory sharp, and even squelch next-day soreness after a workout. It may also help turn off pancreatic and colon cancer cells. An easy way to get this potent compound: yellow mustard. A teaspoon contains the perfect daily dose (about 17 milligrams of turmeric). Try this Potato Curry with Peas.
