Spices Help Improve Weight and Overall Health - Article by Suzanna Zick

Many of us have made the resolution to eat healthier this year, adding more fruits and vegetables, and less salt and fat, to our diet. But if you really want to spice up health try adding a dash of basil and oregano, or a few cloves of garlic to your diet too.

“Adding herbs and spices can help you maintain a healthy weight. Plus, they can help prevent certain cancers and even lower blood pressure, control blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health,” according to Suzanna Zick, N.D., M.P.H., a naturopathic physician and research investigator at the University of Michigan Health System, Department of Family Medicine.

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Zick offers the following tips for picking the best spices for your overall health.

• Fight aging: Eat rosemary. Rosemary is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants, says Zick. It’s also thought to help with memory, and research is currently underway to determine rosemary’s potential cancer-prevention properties.
• Basil, oregano and rosemary can help fight colds. Since these three herbs contain strong essential oils, Zick says they potentially can fight against colds and flu. “All three are powerful antioxidants as well,” she notes.
• Treat chronic coughs with thyme. “The health benefits of thyme are unique. It has been traditionally used to treat coughs, even whooping cough,” according to Zick.
• Got back pain? Eat curry. The principle curcuminoid of the Indian curry spice turmeric is curcumin. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, research on curcumin has shown it to shrink pre-cancerous lesions known as colon polyps.
• Lower your blood pressure with “warming spices.” These include ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cayenne pepper and others. These can make a person feel warm because they bring blood from the center of the body to the skin. This disperses blood throughout the body more evenly, which may decrease blood pressure, according to Zick.
• Soothe your aching tummy with ginger. Ginger contains gingerols, which decrease oxidative products in the digestive tract that cause nausea.
• Use garlic for cardiovascular support. Garlic appears to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

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