11 Healthiest, Most Flavorful Spices

2 www.rockwellnutrition.com

Are you experiencing taste bud overload?This condition occurs when you eat too much junk food which is so addictively delicious due to massive amounts of three ingredients: fat, salt, and sugar. Without them, junk food tastes like cardboard.

Big food companies know this and have been producing lab tested combinations of these three magical ingredients to keep you buying and, sadly, getting fatter[i].

Compounding the problem is the fact that your taste buds become desensitized to delicate nuances of flavor when you consume a lot of factory-produced junk. The result: real food tastes bland, and you crave junk food that much more.

But theres good news. By taking a break from processed junk and strategically adding a few healthy spices to your food, you can make real food taste a lot better and recondi-tion to your taste buds to savor it once more. Even better: These herbs and spices have a wide range of health ben-efits from relieving inflammation to fighting oxidation and more.

Using herbs and spices to flavor your food has several ben-efits.

1) Youll consume less salt. It will be easier for you to stay within the recommended 1,500 milligrams of daily salt in-take. This means youll be lowering your risk of high blood pressure[ii].

2) Youll lose weight. Spicy food makes you feel satiated even if youve only eaten a small serving. Spicy food can

also help burn more calories faster[iii].

3) Youll protect your heart. Spices fight inflammation and are good antioxidants[iv]. By adding spices to your food, youll reduce your risk of heart disease[v] and other diseas-es such as cancer[vi] and diabetes[vii].

So without further ado, here are 11 of the healthiest and most flavorful herbs and spices you can use to add zing to your cooking.

1. Oregano

Oregano contains lots of antifungal and antibacterial prop-erties making it a great weapon against food-borne diseas-es. It can also prevent you from contracting antibiotic-re-sistant infections[viii]. It is effective against vaginitis, oral thrush, and other yeast-based infections[ix]. One teaspoon


of oregano also contains 6 micrograms of vitamin K and lots of antioxidants[x]. It also has properties that help to protect against stomach flu[xi]. Research has also found that oregano contains compounds that diminish inflamma-tion in the body[xii].

Oregano is a very versatile spice and can be added to a lot of dishes. Freshly-grown oregano can be used as an ingre-dient for pesto sauces. You can also add the spice as a top-ping to pasta and chicken dishes. Another way to use it is to rub it on red meat and chicken before cooking. Sprinkle it on pizzas and salads or mix it with lemon juice and use as a dressing for fish and poultry dishes[xiii].

2. Cinnamon

Cinnamon has a sweet, hot, and woody flavor and is often used for bread, pastries, and other baked goods, but its uses are in no way limited to just that. It can also be add-ed to many breakfast items, including oatmeal and yogurt.

You can even add it to your coffee or sprinkle it over nuts for that added boost of flavor. If you want to get more cre-ative, you can mix apples and cinnamon into a breakfast risotto, or add some cinnamon into homemade pumpkin butter.

Cinnamon is great because it can satisfy your cravings for sweet treats, but with almost none of the calories and fat[xiv].

However, the benefits of cinnamon are not just limited to flavor. For example, a single tablespoon of this spice can contain up to 4 grams of fiber. Cinnamon also has one of the highest levels of antioxidants among all the spices, so regular intake of this particular spice can provide your cells with protection from oxidative damage[xv].

It can also promote oral health and reduce pain in the joints that is characteristic of arthritis[xvi].

Cinnamon naturally contains polyphenols, which are com-pounds that work to decrease sugar levels in the blood. As such, it is great for managing insulin and is extremely bene-ficial, especially for diabetics and pre-diabetics. Research-ers believe that as little as half a teaspoon of cinnamon daily for six weeks can help lessen the risk of contracting diabetes. It even lessens cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body, improving cardiovascular health and clearing out arteries[xvii].

This spice is also an effective anti-flatulent and is great for improving abdominal circulation. It can prevent, treat, and improve abdominal pains and problems, including consti-pation and cramps[xviii].


3. Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin B6[xix].

It can improve immunity by reducing inflammation in the body because of its high antioxidant and rosmarinic acid content[xx].

Rosemary can also encourage acetylcholine production in the body, which can greatly improve memory and learn-ing[xxi].

Rosemary is great for cooking savory dishes, such as baked chicken and roasted vegetables and potatoes. Tuck a few sprigs into your chicken or sprinkle the dried variety on top of your food before cooking them so the fragrant flavors can seep in and mix with the natural juices.

4. Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a popular spice that has been used since ancient times because of its medical and healing abilities. It has an incredible soothing effect and is a great relaxant; in fact, studies have shown that its extracts may actually have sig-nificant anti-depressant properties[xxii].

Nutmeg also lessens the risk for inflammation, hindering the growth of several kinds of possible cancer-causing tu-mors. These anti-inflammatory properties can also reduce the appearance of blemishes on the skin when the spice is applied directly on the body[xxiii].

This spice also has some antibacterial properties, which means that it works well to ward off fungi and bacteria[xx-iv].

It also contains lots of fiber and can even prevent the for-mation of dental cavities[xxv].

The warm and spicy yet sweet and nutty flavor of this spice make it a great ingredient for many dishes. It can be used in cakes, pies, cookies, custards, puddings, and even smooth-ies, which also means that you can lessen the amount of sugar and fat because of the strong flavor that is already imparted by the nutmeg. You can even use this spice for savory dishes, such as vegetable quiche, spinach, and var-ious sauces. As an added touch, it can also be sprinkled on drinks like eggnog or your morning coffee.

5. Curry

Curry has been found to be beneficial to cognitive function.


According to research, this Indian spice can also help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, as well as some kinds of cancer. One or two teaspoons of this can go a long way, and can be added to roasted and sauted vegetables, chicken, and tofu, among many other dishes[xxvi].

6. Cumin

Cumin has been in use for a long time, often taken as treat-ment for hypertensive conditions, indigestion, and several sleeping disorders. It has been proven to work well in main-taining proper levels of sugar in the blood, and reducing and preventing the risk of diabetes. Its germ-combating abil-

ities also make it effective in fighting stomach conditions like ulcers. Cumin is very rich in calcium and magnesium, and can provide up to 22 percent of the recommended dai-ly allowance for iron[xxvii].

Cumin has a very peppery and nutty taste and comes in the form of either whole seeds, or ground as a powder. It can be used in a variety of ways, from a chicken rub to popcorn toppings. It lends a great flavor to stews and soups, sauces, beans, and tacos, as well. In order to get the most out of the spices flavor, make sure to use seeds that are freshly ground.

7. Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper gets its flavor from an active compound called capsaicin, which has quite a lot of medicinal proper-ties. It is rich in vitamin A[xxviii] and can combat body in-flammation, as well as improve overall circulation[xxix].

Cayenne pepper also has lots of benefits when it comes to digestion. It has been known to increase the bodys oxida-tion of fat, allowing it to use the fat as fuel for the bodys activities. By heightening metabolism, the capsaicin in pep-per allows the body to burn more calories. The heat and spicy flavor also reduces cravings for salty and fatty food, also preventing you from overindulging. Because of this, cayenne pepper is said to aid in weight loss management and appetite control. Research has revealed that ingest-ing cayenne pepper as a spice in meals is more effective for weight control than taking them as supplements contain-ing capsaicin[xxx].

Cayenne pepper has a hot and smoky taste, making it great for chili dishes and as a seasoning for fish, vegetables, and


eggs, among others. A little goes a long way, so make sure not to use too much in case you overpower the rest of your meal.

8. Turmeric

Turmeric is a traditional Indian spice that has been used for its medicinal purposes for thousands of years. A yel-low-orange spice, turmeric contains an active component called curcumin, which contains high levels of antioxidants that can diminish body inflammation. It can provide relief from redness, swelling, and pain from inflammatory condi-tions[xxxi].

Researchers have also suggested that the curcumin in turmeric has properties that may enhance the successful-ness of cancer chemotherapy, thus giving it the potential to be an effective medical drug for chemotherapy proce-dures[xxxii].

Other researchers have found that turmeric can also be a good combatant for depression and might even be more effective than most commercially available antidepressant drugs on the market. This healthy spice has the potential to treat and cure patients who suffer from major depressive disorders[xxxiii].

Turmeric can also be an effective tool for weight loss. It works by providing your body with a supply of enzymes that stop it from continuing with fat storage. This is a great technique to know and can provide you with extra help if you want to maintain your current weight[xxxiv].

Several more studies suggest turmerics active compound curcumin is a great pain reliever[xxxv] and can also aid a

lot with digestion and digestive issues[xxxvi]. It provides good protection against the harmful effects of food pesti-cides[xxxvii], and is also a preventive measure against mus-cle loss[xxxviii], especially when dieting.

Other uses of this versatile spice include treatment for liv-er complications and disease, skin problems, heartburn, and even arthritis. It can also help treat infections of the bladder and lower cholesterol levels. Studies have also suggested that turmeric may have properties that can slow down the development of Alzheimers disease[xxxix].

Besides having a lot of great health benefits, turmeric can also be used to add an earthy and slightly bitter flavor to many dishes. Mix it with olive oil, chopped onion, eggplant, and zucchini to make a delicious vegetarian dish or add a


little bit to your rice, soups, stews, and curries while they cook. Use it as a spice for cheesy cauliflower bake to fur-ther boost the cancer-fighting properties that cauliflower already has. You can also add it to lamb and poultry dishes, or if youre in the mood for something a little out of the box, mix it with raspberries to make a healthy smoothie.

9. Saffron

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. Dark red in color, this spice can be used as a cure for coughs and asthma attacks[xl]. It is often used in Persia as tradi-tional medication for pre-menstrual syndrome and can also ease the symptoms of mild to moderate depression[xli]. Previous studies have shown that regular intake of saffron

supplements for only six weeks significantly decreased symptoms in patients with depression[xlii]. Aside from this, saffron has also been proven to be a good aphrodisiac and has the ability to boost sexual function[xliii].

Use this spice to add a slightly bitter yet mildly sweet flavor to your dishes, especially Indian, African, and Spanish cui-sine. Its perfect for rice dishes like paella and risotto and can also be used to infuse flavor in vegetable stews.

10. Garlic

Garlic makes an easy addition to almost any pasta or sal-ad dish, and can even be used as an easy way to add more flavor to meat and poultry. Though it may have a strong pungent odor, the taste and health benefits it can offer far outweigh this small setback.

For one, this spice is an excellent anti-clotting agent and can also help to significantly decrease the bodys cholester-ol and blood pressure. Consequently, this diminishes your risk of developing heart ailments or having a stroke[xliv].

Its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-viral properties also help protect against infections. Studies and lab tests have found that the juice from garlic cloves can hamper the growth and development of microorganisms[xlv].

Garlic also has properties that can prevent the growth and development of cancer cells in the body[xlvi]. Thus, regular consumption of this spice can greatly reduce the chances of developing cancer of the stomach or the colon.

Other benefits of garlic include combating the common cold[xlvii].


11. Ginger

Ginger is another spice that has numerous health benefits. It has been known to decrease inflammation in the body, as well as combat Alzheimers disease, certain heart ailments, and even some kinds of cancer, most notably of the pros-tate gland. Ginger has also been effectively used as a pain-killer. Digestive problems like diarrhea and stomach aches can similarly be treated with this spice, which also works as an anti-flatulent. In addition, it is known to have properties that can increase circulation, decreasing the chances of circulatory and menstrual illnesses. It can also be used as a medication for arthritis, sore throat, nausea, and migraines. Ginger can even be a kind of treatment for chemotherapy,

motion sickness, or illnesses related to pregnancy[xlviii].

The sweet and savory flavor of ginger would be great in vegetable and chicken noodle soups. It would also be a nice touch to a warm cup of your favorite tea. Mix it with some chicken and beef to make a spicy stir-fry, or even make some ginger cookies for dessert as a special treat.

How to Make the Most out of Herbs and Spices[x-lix]

Even minute portions of spices added to your food can bring you lots of health benefits, and as little as 1 1/2 teaspoons can make a big difference. Its best to use spices when theyre at their peak so you can maximize their benefits although they dont actually expire, the active compounds contained in these spices can lose their potency over time. If youre using fresh spices, use them in twice the normal amount to get the equivalent of the active compounds in the dried variants.

Store your spices in a cool, dry place away from moisture, sunlight, and heat in order to preserve their quality. Always pour spices into your hand before sprinkling them on your food, because shaking the entire container over a hot dish or pot can cause the contents to cake up. Remember to keep the lid in place at all times to prevent moisture from seeping in. Find suitable containers for your spices, such as small mason jars, racks installed in drawers, and corked tubes.

Make sure that your spices are always newly-bought and keep track of when you buy them so youll know when re-placements are due. As they age, spices lose more and more of their flavor. Whole seeds usually lose their potency after


about four years, and ground varieties can last up to three. If your spices colors start to dull, its probably time to buy a new batch.

There are lots of spices available in the market that can give flavor to your meals and provide you with added health benefits.

Maximizing Spice Health Benefits

Whole-food antioxidants, including Ginger, Turmeric, Green Tea and Rosemary, help quench free radicals and support healthy aging. Rockwell Nutrition offers the fol-lowing supplements to boost your spice intake:

Cinnamon Powder 1 lb by Banyan Botanicals 1 lb USD $12.95Ginger Powder 1 lb by Banyan Botanicals 1 lb USD $19.95Fennel Seed (whole) 1 lb by Banyan Botanicals 1 lb USD $14.95Fennel seed powder 1 lb by Banyan Botanicals 1 lb USD $15.95Turmeric Powder 1 lb by Banyan Botanicals 1 lb USD $17.95Zyflamend Whole Body 30 softgels by New Chapter 30 softgels USD $24.95

References:

[i] The Science of What Makes Junk Food So Addicting (And Delicious), Kyle Wagner, Gizmodo, Published February 20, 2013, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[ii] Salt, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[iii] 3 Reasons Why You Should Eat More Spicy Food, Jo-seph Mercola, mercola.com, Published September 27, 2014, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[iv] Several Culinary and Medicinal Herbs are Important Sources of Dietary Antioxidants, Steinar Dragland, Haruki Senoo, Kenjiro Wake, Kari Holte, and Rune Blomhoff, The Journal of Nutrition, Published May 1, 2003, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[v] Spicy Meals Protect Against Heart Disease, Shawn Rad-cliffe, Mens Health, Retrieved May 9, 2015.


[vi] Spices Play Role in Reduced Cancer Risk, mercola.com, Published June 15, 2010, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[vii] Add Spices and Add Life!, Ryan Bradley, Diabetes Ac-tion Research and Education Foundation, Published July 2006, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[viii] Susceptibility of methicillin-resistant staphylococci to oregano essential oil, carvacrol and thymol, Antonia Nos-tro , Anna R. Blanco , Maria A. Cannatelli , Vincenzo Enea , Guido Flamini , Ivano Morelli , Andrea Sudano Roccaro , and Vittorio Alonzo, FEMS Microbiology Letters, Pub-lished January 1, 2004, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[ix] Oregano and clove essential oils induce surface alter-ation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, F. Chami, N. Chami, S. Bennis, T. Bouchikhi and A. Remmal, Pythotherapy Re-search, Published August 15, 2005, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[x] Vitamin K in Herbs, Sara Ipatenco, SFGate, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xi] Natural Remedies for Gastroenteritis or Vomiting Flu, Listen to Your Gut, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xii] What Are the Health Benefits of Oregano?, Joseph Mercola, mercola.com, Published February 1, 2007, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[xiii] Cooking with Oregano, Cooking Light, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xiv] 5 a.m. and Rethinking Sweet, The Sweet Beet, Pub-lished May 20, 2011, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xv] Cinnamon, ground, The Worlds Healthiest Foods, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[xvi] Arthritis & Cinnamon, Stephen Christensen, lives-trong.com, Published March 13, 2014, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xvii] Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People with Type-2 Diabetes, Alam Khan, MS, PhD, Mahpara Saf-dar, MS, Mohammad Muzaffar Ali Khan, MS, PhD, Khan Nawaz Khattak, MS and Richard A. Anderson, PhD, Dia-betes Care, Published December 2003, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xviii] Cinnamon Spice Nutrition Facts, Nutrition and You, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xix] Basic Report, 02063, Rosemary, fresh, National Nu-trient Database for Standard Reference Release 27, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[xx] Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties of sixteen water plant extracts used in the Lim-ousin countryside as herbal teas, Patrick Trouillas, Claude-Alain Calliste, Daovy-Paulette Allais, Alain Simon, Abdel-ghafour Marfak, Christiane Delage, Jean-Luc Duroux, Food Chemistry, Published March 2003, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxi] Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaf extract improves mem-ory impairment and affects acetylcholinesterase and bu-tyrylcholinesterase activities in rat brain, Ozarowski M1, Mikolajczak PL, Bogacz A, Gryszczynska A, Kujawska M, Jodynis-Liebert J, Piasecka A, Napieczynska H, Szulc M, Kujawski R, Bartkowiak-Wieczorek J, Cichocka J, Bob-kiewicz-Kozlowska T, Czerny B, Mrozikiewicz PM, Fitoter-


apia, Published December 2013, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxii] Antidepressant-like activity of n-hexane extract of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) seeds in mice, Dhingra D., Sharma A., Journal of Medicinal Food, Published Spring 2006, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxiii] Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of some Swedish medicinal plants. Inhibition of prostaglandin bio-synthesis and PAF-induced exocytosis, H. Tunn, C. Olavs-dotter, L. Bohlin, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Published October 1995, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxiv] Antimicrobial agents from plants: antibacterial ac-tivity of plant volatile oils, H. J. D. Dorman andS. G. Deans, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Published February 2000, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxv] Anticariogenic activity of macelignan isolated from Myristica fragrans (nutmeg) against Streptococcus mutans, J.Y. Chung, J.H. Choo, M.H. Lee, J.K. Hwanga, Phytomedi-cine, Published March 13, 2006, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxvi] Health Benefits of Curry Powder, Organic Facts, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[xxvii] Health Benefits of Cumin, Organic Facts, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxviii] Cayenne pepper, Wikipedia, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxix] Cayenne Pepper and Inflammation, Melissa Lind, livestrong.com, Published April 01, 2011, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxx] Cayenne Pepper May Burn Calories, Curb Appetite, Brenda Goodman, MA, WebMD, Published April 27, 2011, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxi] Cytotoxicity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ac-tivities of Curcumins IIII from Curcuma longa, R.S. Ram-sewak, D.L. DeWitt, M.G. Nair, Phytomedicine, Published July 2000, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxii] Adjuvant Therapy with Bioavailability-Boosted Curcuminoids Suppresses Systemic Inflammation and Improves Quality of Life in Patients with Solid Tumors: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial, Yunes Panahi, Alireza Saadat, Fatemeh Beiraghdar and Amirhos-sein Sahebkar, Phytotherapy Research, Published March 19, 2014, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxiii] An Overview of Curcumin in Neurological Disor-ders, S. K. Kulkarni and A. Dhir, Indian Journal of Pharma-ceutical Sciences, Published March 2010, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxiv] New mechanisms and the anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseas-es, Shehzad A, Ha T, Subhan F, Lee YS, European Journal of Nutrition, Published April 2011, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxv] Curcumin Relieves Pain and Inflammation for Os-teoarthritis Patients, mercola.com, Published January 31, 2011, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxvi] Therapeutic potential of curcumin in digestive dis-eases, Pietro Dulbecco and Vincenzo Savarino, World of Gastroenterology, Published December 28, 2013, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.


[xxxvii] The inhibition of the estrogenic effects of pesticides and environmental chemicals by curcumin and isoflavo-noids, Verma SP, Goldin BR, Lin PS, Environmental Health Perspectives, Published December 1998, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxviii] Curcumin and Muscle Wasting A New Role for an Old Drug?, Nima Alamdari, Patrick ONeal, and Per-Olof Hasselgren, Nutrition, Published November 2009, Re-trieved May 9, 2015.

[xxxix] Turmeric, WebMD, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xl] Saffron, WebMD, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xli] Crocus sativus L. (saffron) in the treatment of premen-strual syndrome: a double-blind, randomised and place-bo-controlled trial, Agha-Hosseini M, Kashani L, Aleyaseen A, Ghoreishi A, Rahmanpour H, Zarrinara AR, Akhondza-deh S, Published March 2008, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xlii] Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and major depressive dis-order: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, Hau-senblas HA, Saha D, Dubyak PJ, Anton SD, Journal of In-tegrated Medicine, Published November 2013, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xliii] Saffron and ginseng shown to boost sexual desire, The Telegraph, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xliv] Health Effects of Garlic, Ellen Tattelman, M.D., Amer-ican Family Physician, Published July 2005, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xlv] Garlic, WebMD, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

For more information, please visit Rockwell Nutritions blog at

http://rnblog.rockwellnutrition.com/.

[xlvi] Garlic and Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Insti-tute, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xlvii] Garlic for the common cold, PubMed Health, Pub-lished 2014, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xlviii] Ginger, The Worlds Healthiest Foods, Retrieved May 9, 2015.

[xlix] How to Store Herbs and Spices: 10 Tips, allrecipes.com, Retrieved May 9, 201

Documents

11 Healthiest, Most Flavorful Spices