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7 Cancer-Fighting Culinary Spices and HerbsBy Christina T. Loguidice, Maurie Markman, MD, and Carolyn Lammersfeld from Cancer Nutrition and Recipes For Dummies

Spices and herbs have long been used for medicinal purposes, such as fighting indigestion and other digestive problems.Although science is uncertain about the direct benefits of consuming certain spices and herbs with regard to protectingagainst and fighting cancer and its side effects, their indirect beneficial effects may be more easily recognized.

One such effect is their unique flavor profile, which ranges from strong to mild, with only small amounts needed to create awhole new taste sensation. When cancer-related loss of appetite and taste changes occur, which can lead to undesirableweight loss, adding herbs and spices to your cooking may help stimulate your taste buds and reinvigorate your appetite.

1 2 3Ginger

Ginger has long been used in folkmedicine to treat everything from coldsto constipation. Ginger can be usedfresh, in powdered form (ginger spice),or candied. Although the flavor betweenfresh and ground ginger is significantlydifferent, they can be substituted for oneanother in many recipes. In general, youcan replace 1/8 teaspoon of groundginger with 1 tablespoon of fresh gratedginger, and vice versa.

Consuming ginger and ginger products,in addition to taking any anti-nauseamedications as prescribed, may providesome comfort for a queasy stomachduring cancer treatment.

Rosemary

Rosemary is a hearty, woodyMediterranean herb that has needlelikeleaves and is a good source ofantioxidants. Because of its origin,rosemary is commonly used inMediterranean cooking and you’ll oftensee it included as a primary ingredient inItalian seasonings. You can use it to addflavor to soups, tomato-based sauces,bread, and high-protein foods likepoultry, beef, and lamb.

Rosemary may help with detoxification;taste changes; indigestion, flatulence,and other digestive problems; and lossof appetite. Try drinking up to 3 cups ofrosemary leaf tea daily for help withthese problems.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an herb in the ginger family;it's one of the ingredients that makemany curries yellow and gives it itsdistinctive flavor. Curcumin appears tobe the active compound in turmeric.This compound has demonstratedantioxidant and anti-inflammatoryproperties, potentially protecting againstcancer development.

Turmeric extract supplements arecurrently being studied to see if theyhave a role in preventing and treatingsome cancers, including colon, prostate,breast, and skin cancers. Althoughresults appear promising, they havelargely been observed in laboratory andanimal studies, so it’s unclear whetherthese results will ultimately translate tohumans.

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Chile peppers

Chile peppers contain capsaicin, acompound that can relieve pain. Whencapsaicin is applied topically to the skin,it causes the release of a chemicalcalled substance P. Upon continueduse, the amount of substance Peventually produced in that areadecreases, reducing pain in the area.

But this doesn’t mean you should gorubbing chile peppers where you havepain. Chile peppers need to be handledvery carefully, because they can causeburns if they come in contact with theskin.

Therefore, if you have pain and want toharness the power of chile peppers, askyour oncologist or physician aboutprescribing a capsaicin cream. It hasshown pretty good results with regard totreating neuropathic pain (sharp,shocking pain that follows the path of anerve) after surgery for cancer.

Another benefit of chile peppers is thatthey may help with indigestion. Seemscounterintuitive, right? But some studieshave shown that ingesting smallamounts of cayenne may reduceindigestion.

Garlic

Garlic belongs to the Allium class ofbulb-shaped plants, which also includeschives, leeks, onions, shallots, andscallions. Garlic has a high sulfurcontent and is also a good source ofarginine, oligosaccharides, flavonoids,and selenium, all of which may bebeneficial to health. Garlic’s activecompound, called allicin, gives it itscharacteristic odor and is producedwhen garlic bulbs are chopped, crushed,or otherwise damaged.

Several studies suggest that increasedgarlic intake reduces the risk of cancersof the stomach, colon, esophagus,pancreas, and breast. It appears thatgarlic may protect against cancerthrough numerous mechanisms,including by inhibiting bacterialinfections and the formation of cancer-causing substances, promoting DNArepair, and inducing cell death. Garlicsupports detoxification and may alsosupport the immune system and helpreduce blood pressure.

Peppermint

Peppermint is a natural hybrid crossbetween water mint and spearmint. Ithas been used for thousands of yearsas a digestive aid to relieve gas,indigestion, cramps, and diarrhea. Itmay also help with symptoms of irritablebowel syndrome and food poisoning.Peppermint appears to calm themuscles of the stomach and improve theflow of bile, enabling food to passthrough the stomach more quickly.

If your cancer or treatment is causing anupset stomach, try drinking a cup ofpeppermint tea. Many commercialvarieties are on the market, or you canmake your own by boiling driedpeppermint leaves in water or addingfresh leaves to boiled water and lettingthem steep for a few minutes until thetea reaches the desired strength.

Peppermint can also soothe a sorethroat. For this reason, it is alsosometimes used to relieve the painfulmouth sores that can occur fromchemotherapy and radiation, or is a keyingredient in treatments for thiscondition.

Chamomile

Chamomile is thought to have medicinalbenefits and has been used throughouthistory to treat a variety of conditions.Chamomile may help with sleep issues;if sleep is a problem for you, try drinkinga strong chamomile tea shortly beforebedtime.

Chamomile mouthwash has also beenstudied for preventing and treatingmouth sores from chemotherapy andradiation therapy. Although the resultsare mixed, there is no harm in giving it atry, provided your oncologist is notopposed. If given the green light, simplymake the tea, let it cool, and rinse andgargle as often as desired.

Chamomile tea may be another way tomanage digestive problems, includingstomach cramps. Chamomile appears

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to help relax muscle contractions,particularly the smooth muscles of theintestines.