Herbs and spices are a part of every household in India. Not only do they add flavour to our foods and drinks, but also come with essential bioactive components that impart multiple health benefits.
These spices include turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cloves, among others. They are available in every household and readily available at grocery stores. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, and are rich in various minerals.
Let’s check some of the healthiest spices in detail and their health benefits:
Cinnamon
A versatile spice added to foods, coffee and tea, cinnamon is an impeccable option that imparts a sweet taste. It also possesses antioxidants that help control cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels. Additionally, it can help with several other illnesses like insomnia, asthma, and arthritis.
Ways to add cinnamon to foods or drinks:
- Sprinkle in your coffee for flavour
- Sprinkle on frozen yoghurt
- Add to baking batter
- Sprinkle on a fruit shake
Cumin
Cumin is a common spice used in Indian dishes and a rich source of iron. It contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. This spice helps promote digestion and reduce food-borne infections. Other benefits of consuming cumin are that it helps boost memory, assists in managing weight, may help lower cholesterol, and fights off bacteria/parasites that harm the immune system.
Ways to incorporate cumin in your diet:
- Sprinkle on vegetable salad
- Include in mixed vegetables
- Add to chutneys
- Add to soups and mix with yoghurt
- Brew cumin drink
Turmeric
Any list of spices is incomplete without turmeric.
Turmeric has an active compound, ‘Curcumin’, an exceptional antioxidant with numerous health benefits. This spice imparts a yellow colour to dishes and has many health benefits like easing inflammation, pain, improving heart and brain health, and lowering chances of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
Ways to add turmeric to diet:
- Add while cooking vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes
- A pinch of it to rice
- Add in soups
- Mix it in warm milk to drink at night
- Make turmeric tea
Cardamom
Another common spice available in every household is cardamom or elaichi. This spice is rich in Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron, and many others. Consuming this spice helps support heart health, improves digestion, fights depression, and treats skin infections.
Ways to include cardamom to your diet:
- Make cardamom tea
- Use in desserts
- Add to curries, chicken, fried rice or biryani
- Eat it raw as a mouth-freshener
- Make almond-cardamom milk (thandai)
- Mix cardamom powder to make garam masala
- Use in bake batter to make cardamom biscuits
Black Pepper
Black pepper gives a sharp, mild flavour to dishes and is known as the ‘king of spices’ because of its use in Ayurvedic medicines. It has potent plant compounds in high concentration, contains an antioxidant known as piperine that helps fight against free radicals. Some of the benefits of consuming black pepper are that it helps detoxify the body, prevent s constipation, helps lose weight and works against skin issues.
Ways to use black pepper:
- Sprinkle on veggie salad
- Add in mashed potatoes
- Add to sauces, soups and for marinating fishes
- Sprinkle on omelette
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