Spice It Up
WITH THE SPICES (AND HERBS) OF LIFE
The flavorful and ancient anti-inflammatory medicine cabinet in our kitchens
Spices are an essential part of any diet. They are very potent in decreasing inflammation and have many medicinal properties. Spices have been an important part of life for millennia, long praised for their flavors, aromas, and medicinal properties. There are Egyptian documents tracing the use of spices as early as 2000 to 1500 BCE showing how the role of spices as medicine was appreciated. These documents note the benefits of anise, mustard, saffron, and cinnamon. Egyptians used cinnamon for mummification. Cinnamon was put in vials and placed in pharaohs’ coffins to accompany them to the afterlife. Notably, cinnamon is not endemic to ancient Egypt, suggesting spice trading occurred that long ago.
Notes written in 950 BCE mention an incense route followed by traders carrying spices from Asia to Europe. Spices were coveted and traded for large sums of gold and silver. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 80 BCE, he established Alexandria in Egypt as a port for spice trade. Romans and Greeks viewed spices as markers of wealth and luxury; they would heap them on banquet tables and use them in making spice-scented perfumes. They also valued the medicinal properties of spices. During the eighth to fifteenth centuries, spice trade was an important form of commerce dominated by the republic of Venice. Spices were moved from Asia to Europe with the help of Arab middlemen.1
In the fifteenth century, Spain and Portugal attempted to thwart the Venetian monopoly and sent Christopher Columbus to find India via a western route. It was on that trip that he discovered America. Over the following centuries, the Dutch, Spanish, French, and British colonized all the countries that could provide an abundance of spices. By the end of the seventeenth century, the Dutch East India Company was the richest corporation in the world, showing how much spices were valued.
Why are spices so valued? Because of their potential role in health. Spices are concentrated forms of the most potent parts of the plants they come from. Spices are full of phytonutrients. Recall, phytonutrients are involved in cell signaling and communication, the information pathway in the body. We have established that phytonutrients are found in fruits and vegetables. However, some phytonutrients can be found only in spices. When phytonutrients are involved in cell signaling, they have the potential to turn inflammatory cascades on and off. In that way, spices can be beneficial in reducing inflammation and oxidative stresses.
So what do spices contain that can be found nowhere else? Curcumin, a vital anti-inflammatory with anticancer benefits, can only be found in turmeric. Thymoquinone is a potent immune booster and only exists in black cumin. Piperine has neuroprotective effects (protects the brain cells) and is unique to black pepper. Eugenol, found only in cloves, is a powerful painkiller. Rosmarinic acid is a potent antioxidant, and the only source is rosemary. Capsaicin is a great medication for arthritis, and its only source is chili peppers. The list goes on and on.
The data on the benefits of spices is not optimal. Small animal studies are all we have to go on. But we think the potential benefits based on those studies is encouraging. Let’s talk about a few of our favorites. (See figure 1 on the next page.)
Turmeric—Our Gold
For centuries, the people of India have been studied because until recently they suffered very little chronic illness. Yes, diseases of poverty and poor medical attention are rampant, but chronic illness was not—at least it wasn’t until the modern era. This is likely because of something called the thrift theory: For centuries, Indian people lived in villages and walked as their form of transportation. They subsisted on diets consisting primarily of rice, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and spices. Turmeric is one of the spices that is used widely in that country, and it has many potential benefits.
Turmeric’s vital ingredient is curcumin, and it appears to have anti-inflammatory properties. In small studies, turmeric has been shown to decrease inflammation in joints and reduce symptoms of arthritis. In a recent study, one group of participants took 2,000 milligrams of turmeric compared to participants who took 800 milligrams of ibuprofen. Researchers found that turmeric provided at least as much relief from peoples’ symptoms as ibuprofen and without the side effects that come from taking anti-inflammatory medications.2 How cool is that! (See Consider 1.)
CONSIDER 1
Turmeric can be used to treat arthritis pain instead of ibuprofen.
Turmeric may also be a powerful antioxidant. It has been shown in animal studies to lower risk of cancers, such as breast, colon, prostate, and even skin cancers, when ingested regularly. The incidence of cancer in India is much lower than in the West.3
Turmeric may also play a role in treating Alzheimer’s disease, due to the spice’s anti-inflammatory effects. Alzheimer’s disease affects 5 to 6 percent of the population older than 60 years of age worldwide and 10 percent of the American population over 65 years.4 The number in the US is expected to quadruple by the year 2050. Our brains contain cells called neurons that are responsible for making connections so that our thoughts can manifest in actions. But in people with Alzheimer’s disease, plaque forms between these cells, reducing the ability of these neurons to communicate. These communications are the key to cognition, memory, and judgment, and without these functions we see the impairments evident in Alzheimer’s patients. Triggers for Alzheimer’s disease are likely related to inflammation and oxidative stress.
Because of curcumin’s known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, animal studies have been conducted on its effects on Alzheimer’s disease. In experiments using mice, there was a 40 percent reduction in plaque in mice treated with curcumin, which is an unbelievable reduction.5 Notably, small doses over a long period of time were more effective than large doses in a short period of time, suggesting the benefit is long term and the spice needs to be eaten over the long term as well. Consider, then, the impact of eating turmeric over a lifetime.
Curcumin is also an important antiviral and antiseptic. For centuries, people have applied turmeric paste to cuts to prevent bacterial infections. It might even have cardiovascular benefits; in studies on mice, fewer fatty deposits were found in those eating turmeric. Researchers also found notably less LDL and less overall inflammation.6 Similarly, a recent article compared rabbits that ate a high-cholesterol meal and turmeric with those that ate a high-cholesterol meal without the spice. The rabbits that ate the added turmeric had less atherosclerotic plaque than their counterparts. The authors concluded that the effects of turmeric were multifaceted and included lowering both cholesterol and inflammatory markers.7
We feel that turmeric is like gold. We use it regularly in our cooking, and Dr A’s husband makes her morning tea with turmeric in it every day.
Rosemary—the Cancer Fighter
Herbs, too, can be important health boosters, and one we love is rosemary. Rosemary has three essential components: rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, and carnosol. These elements are potent antioxidants. When we cook food on a grill at high temperatures and the food burns, it releases toxic chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). (See page 56.) Traces of HCAs are found in breast, prostate, and colon cancers. When we place rosemary on the grill with our food, studies show that the amount of HCAs decreases. In a recent study, when rosemary extract was added to beef, HCA production was inhibited by 85 to 91 percent!8 Similarly, mice that were injected with carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) and also received carnosol (a component of rosemary) developed 61 percent fewer tumors. (See Consider 2.)
CONSIDER 2
Bring sprigs of rosemary to your next barbecue. Throw them onto the grill along with your other foods. They add great flavor and help decrease cancer risk.
Rosemary has been around for centuries. There are references to it in the Bible. Early Greeks and Romans used it as a funeral decoration. Even simply smelling rosemary has been found to decrease cortisol (a stress hormone). Rosemary is an important herb for its anticancer benefits, and it’s one we try to use regularly in our diets.
Cinnamon—the Sweet Non-Sugar That Helps Lower Sugar in Your Blood
As we have discussed, because there is less emphasis on exercise, sleep, and good diet, many chronic illnesses have become epidemic in modern society. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are rampant. Cinnamon is an important spice in treating diabetes; it’s a good antioxidant and important in enhancing insulin sensitivity. Recall that in diabetes, the body does not respond to the insulin that is present, so sugar is not converted to fat—which is the main purpose of insulin. Sugar then circulates in the blood and increases risk for forming plaque in the heart. We have studies that show the benefits of adding cinnamon to foods to decrease blood sugars. When diabetic patients were given one gram, three grams, or six grams of cinnamon, all groups showed improvement in blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol compared to a control group. Interestingly, there was no dose-dependent relationship, meaning it didn’t matter which dose people took because they all experienced a significant, similar drop in sugar and cholesterol levels within about 40 days.9
People with diabetes, however, aren’t the only ones who are rewarded for eating cinnamon. In one study, animals given high-fat or high-sugar diets and cinnamon were less likely to develop insulin resistance (an indicator of prediabetes) than those not given the cinnamon.10 This suggests that the benefits of cinnamon extend beyond treating diabetes and can be useful in decreasing one’s risk of developing diabetes as well.
Cinnamon is also an antifungal agent.11 It has antibacterial properties as well, with studies showing it is effective in combating molds, stomach bugs, and common pneumonias.12 Cinnamon is effective in killing oral bacteria—which is why we see cinnamon in chewing gum.13 It also improves circulation and is a key ingredient in Tiger Balm, an herbal cream used to ease sore joints. Another important benefit is its effect as an antioxidant. Small studies suggest that cinnamon oils can help remove free radicals, which are responsible for attacking our cells and creating cancers.14 (See Consider 3.)
CONSIDER 3
Add cinnamon to your baked foods instead of sugar to sweeten them. It can potentially lower your blood sugar level.
Garlic, the “stinking rose,” is actually a vegetable, but people often think of it as an herb. Historically, documents have been retrieved from 3,500 years ago that claim garlic can be effective in treating heart disease.15 Why is garlic so great? It’s nutrient-rich; it’s 65 percent water and the remainder is carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and free amino acids. Garlic is loaded with potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. It’s known for its abundance of saponins, which are responsible for fighting against bacteria that might attack the plant. Like plants, which use saponins to fight off bacteria, we believe humans can harness saponins and benefit from their antibacterial effects. Saponins are also believed to be effective anticancer treatments. (See Consider 4.)
CONSIDER 4
Add garlic to all your foods to help with heart disease. if you are coming down with a stomach bug, think about taking some garlic.
Phenols are antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, and spices. Garlic is rich in phenols, so it is a potent antioxidant. Many studies have been done on garlic’s lipid-lowering abilities. About half of the studies were negative, but in the half that showed a benefit, the payoff was seen in people with the higher cholesterol levels. In those cases, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides dropped by about 10 percent when participants ate garlic.16 Other studies showed that in both normal subjects and those with high cholesterol, garlic had some effect in reducing platelet aggregation. Recall, platelet aggregation can create plaque formation. Further studies show that garlic also improves the elasticity of our blood vessels. Elasticity is a good thing because it allows blood vessels to change based on blood flow requirements.17
What kind of garlic is best? The answer is unclear. In the trials, many formulations were used. Some trials showed that aged garlic was superior, but that isn’t conclusive. Our bottom line is eat garlic frequently because its benefits are short-acting. Don’t worry so much about which garlic is better—just eat it. Fresh is always best.
There are so many delicious and aromatic spices with potential health benefits. We wanted to highlight some of our favorites, but on a daily basis, we try to get an abundance of spices into our diets. We regularly use cumin, coriander powder, pomegranate powder, ajowan (popular in Indian dishes), mango powder, and black pepper. As you start your meal preparations, open your spice cupboard and consider which spices you could add to the recipe.
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