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conscious eating
SPICE UP HEALTHY COOKING
Six Seasonings with Surprising Payoffs by Amber Lanier Nagle
S
pices add a punch of extra fl avor to our favorite dishes, but they also possess proven health and wellness
properties. From regulating blood sugar to reducing infl ammation to helping control appetite, behold the magnifi cent six.
Garlic (Allium sativum) “T ere’s a lot of evidence that suggests garlic supports heart health,” says Rosalee de la Forêt, a clinical herbalist and author
of Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked the blood pressure of 79 patients with uncontrolled hypertension and found that the mean systolic blood pressure of those consuming two 240-milligram capsules of aged garlic extract a day for 12 weeks signifi cantly decreased compared to those taking one capsule or a placebo. “Garlic may also reduce the duration and severity of colds and fl u when taken
22 Central Florida
at the onset of symptoms and each day aſt erwards,” says de la Forêt, citing a study published in Clinical Nutrition. “I mince a clove and mix it with honey to make it easier to swallow.”
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Dr. Lipi Roy, a clinical assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine and blogger at SpicesForLifemd.
com, considers turmeric the golden spice of life. “In addition to its role in Indian and Asian cuisine, turmeric is used in traditional Indian medicine to treat common ailments like stomach upset, ulcers, fl atulence, arthritis, sprains, wounds and skin and eye infections,” she says. A study published in Oncogene
concluded that curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) was a more potent anti-infl ammatory agent than aspirin or ibuprofen. Try adding a little turmeric and ground black pepper to soups, salads and sauces.
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) Used in India for 4,000 years, black pepper may be the most popular spice of our era. “Black pepper can increase the amount of
nutrients your body absorbs from other food and spices,” says de la Forêt. A study published in Plant Medica concluded that subjects consuming a small amount (20 milligrams) of an extract of black pepper showed an increase of retained curcumin in their bodies. For maximum benefi ts, grind whole peppercorns directly onto food at mealtime.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cas- sia and Cinnamomum verum) “One of cinnamon’s super powers is that it may help regulate blood glucose in patients with Type 2 diabetes,” Roy says. In a study published
in Diabetic Medicine, subjects taking two
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