The Medicinal Qualities of Spices That Should Be in Every Diet

The typical Western diet has gotten quite a lot of criticism in the last few years, and undoubtedly for good reason. It is kept us well fed but it has not kept us healthy. Perhaps one of the major reasons is the lack of natural spices added to our cooking. Rather than adding these wonderfully healthy and nutritious spices that do so much for the taste of food, we put in preservatives, sweeteners and unhealthy fat. Here we will describe why you should be using spices.

Every time you add spices and herbs your meal you are upgrading the health of your food without adding a single calorie. Fruits and vegetables are known to be high in antioxidants, but on a weight basis herbs and spices are much higher. Many spices also have additional extraordinary medicinal qualities. Here we'll talk about four spices that literally top the charts for their powerful antioxidant qualities:

1. Ginger. Although ginger has for centuries been used to relieve nausea from motion sickness and also pregnancy, studies talk of its remarkable ability to reduce inflammation. It has helped reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis as well as other inflammatory disorders. It is now thought to help protect the brain from damage caused by Alzheimer's disease.

2. Turmeric. Curcumin gives turmeric its yellow color, and that is where its anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties lie. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant that combats free radicals caused by sunlight exposure to the skin as well as chemicals and toxins in the air. Turmeric is known as one of the best spices for liver health.

3. Oregano. The long-standing question is oregano a spice or an herb? It is said that it is a Mediterranean spice that masquerades as an herb. Regardless, it can bring food to life and it is extremely healthy. Studies show that it has anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiviral properties. It also has at least seven blood pressure-lowering compounds. It was used by the Greeks for medicinal purposes and is still a staple spice/herb in the Mediterranean diet.

4. Cloves. Studies have shown that cloves are one of the highest ranking antioxidants. Their combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties provides loads of health benefits. These include fighting cancer, heart disease and arthritis caused by cartilage and bone damage. Cloves have compounds similar to those in cinnamon that seem to improve insulin function, as well.

There are other spices as well as other foods that have anti-inflammatory qualities. The reason this is so important is that while inflammation in our body is perfectly normal and in fact beneficial, it must be kept under control. Inflammation can occur when the body's white blood cells protect us against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. But when the inflammatory process gets out of control, mainly due to dietary issues, the chain of events can be multiple health issues. Many diseases such as obesity, heart disease and cancer, which are the leading causes of death in the United States has been linked to chronic inflammation.