Spicing foods enhances flavor without adding any fat, salt or sugar. Moreover, many spices are antioxidant powerhouses, disease-fighting phytonutrients. Allspice, cinnamon, and cloves, for instance, have more antioxidant power than blueberries. 1 tbsp of oregano contains as many antioxidants as an apple. Here’s an update on some other promising findings according to On Health magazine.
Turmeric: Alzheimer’s prevention, liver detoxification and a strong anti-inflammatory. I’ve been doing 1 tbsp in water and pomegranate juice for over 2 years-I really believe it helps with my c-reactive protein levels (a marker of heart disease).
Sage: improved cognitive performance, by buoying levels of acetylcholine, a chemical produced by the brain.
Cinnamon: diabetes prevention and management by controlling blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and boosting insulin sensitivity (exercise does this too).
Chili Pepper: weight control, by boosting metabolism and suppressing appetite.
I’ll be leaving tomorrow for a conference in Connecticut. I’ll be back on Monday, and hope to bring lots of new info.
Stay well, John R. Blilie, M.S.