Spice up your Life with Healthy Herbs and Spices (Part 1)
Every food, be it of any country or culture, is incomplete without spices and various herbs. Spices not only make the food tasty and delicious, give it an aroma and flavour, but also improves our health and cure certain diseases. Here, I have listed down the health benefits of few of the herbs and spices. The best part of including spices and herbs in diet is that they do not contain any fat and are calorie free.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is basically the bark of Cinnamon tree which is dried and rolled into cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon not only makes the food tasty and gives a nice aroma, it also has various health benefits listed below.
1. Cinnamon is an excellent spice for diabetics as it balances the insulin levels and controls the blood sugar.
2. It also maintains the cholesterol levels and reduces LDL (bad cholesterol). People with high cholesterol if take half teaspoon of cinnamon powder daily, they will start seeing the improvement.
3. A teaspoon of cinnamon powder when taken by women in menstrual cycle, it can lower down the pains during those days.
4. People having the problem of clotting of blood, can get relieved by including cinnamon in their diet as it has anti blood clotting properties and also improves the blood circulation.
5. Due to the presence of anti oxidants, Cinnamon can help prevent cancer.
6. Cinnamon is an excellent source of calcium and dietary fiber, it helps cure constipation.
Note:
1. People who are already prescribed with blood thinning and anti blood clotting medications should not take Cinnamon in high quantity.
2. Do not start taking cinnamon in large quantities daily as it can be toxic in high quantities.
3. Do not stop taking your diabetic medicines prescribed by the doctor.
4. In normal daily use, only a pinch of cinnamon should be taken.
Paprika Powder
Paprika is generally found in powdered form and its tate ranges from sweet to hot and spicy. The taste depends on the soil and climatic conditions in which it is grown. Various health benefits of Paprika are listed below.
1. As an excellent source of Vitamin C, it helps your body absorb iron rich food thus, aiding people overcome anemia.
2. Also, due to presence of Vitamon C, it improves the immunity and help fight common cold. Also, prevents scurvy.
3. Paprika are loaded with a phytochemical called capsaicin. Due to anti-inflammatory properties of capsaicin, it can help cure chronic conditions such as arthritis and joint pain.
4. Paprika also improves the digestion by neutralizing the stomach acids.
5. It also improves blood circulation and normalizes the blood pressure.
Green chillies
Green chillies are used in most of the Indian dishes and make the food really spicy. Most hottest green chilli in the world known as the "Ghost Chilli" is grown in India. Some health benefits of green chillies are listed below.
1. Being rich in Vitamin A, green chillies improve the vision. Vitamin A also avoids having lung cancer.
2. Similar to paprika, green chillies are also rich in Vitamin C and improve one's immunity.
3. Being rich in dietary fiber, green chillies also help cure constipation.
4. Green chillies also boost the metabolism.
5. Green chillies are also believed to secrete the feel good hormone thus help stabilizing the mood fluctuations.
Note:
1. People suffering from stomach ulcers, acidity, and piles should not consume green chillies.
Rosemary
Rosemary is an aromatic spice which gives a nice aroma and flavour to food such as stews, soups and pasta. Listed below are the health benefits of Rosemary.
1. Rosemary is rich in Vitamin B complex and folate which is essential for pregnant women and helps in growth of brain in the fetus.
2. Rosemary leaves are also rich in Vitamin A and having few leaves per day can help improve vision and prevent formation of cataract in eyes.
3. Rosemary oil is good for hairs as it prevents dandruff.
4. Having tea with a pinch of rosemary powder helps relieve from headache and cold.
5. Rosemary is also known as memory booster because it increases the blood flow to the brain.
6. It is also believed to have anti ageing properties and helps prevent age related skin problems such as wrinkles, pigmentation etc.
7. Having a cup of rosemary tea stimulates menstruation and helps women relieve from delayed menstruation cycles.
8. Rosemary also improves the kidney function and prevents water retention.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the most used spices and herbs in Indian kitchens. Across the world, ginger is used in various sweet recipes such as ginger ale, ginger bread, ginger cake etc. It tastes a bit pungent and is used in small quantities but, it has number of health benefits which are mentioned below.
1. Ginger helps in treatment and prevention of various cancers. Ginger induces killing of cells in case of ovarian cancer and slows down the growth of colon cancer cells.
2. A teaspoon of ginger juice can help overcome morning and motion sickness.
3. Ginger juice when taken with honey and black pepper helps cure cold and cough. Ginger tea also helps curing the same.
4. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, Ginger helps relieve migraine pains.
5. Ginger also detoxifies the system by promoting sweating.
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