It is important to add spices to our daily meals as they offer varied health benefits and help make up for nutritional supplements, help strengthen the immune system and help control blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels.
Spices also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and they help humans to prevent various diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer among others.
According to Blue Zones founder Dan Buettna meals most frequently consumed in the Blue Zones (where people have longevity) aren’t loaded with processed ingredients or added sugars; rather, they consist of whole foods, particularly plant spices.
Buettna shares that spices in particular offer a one-two punch as they pack anti-microbial and antioxidant properties that boost heart health, immunity, and healing.
He also shares below four examples of spices one should add to meals to ensure longevity.
1. Turmeric: Turmeric is a delicious and vibrant spice that makes a regular appearance in the meals commonly consumed by those in the Blue Zones, particularly Okinawa, Japan. “Turmeric is a staple in Okinawa, and the bright yellow spice has been the subject of many recent studies for its anti-inflammatory properties. It is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals, is linked to lower risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, and has also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease,” Buettner explains.
2. Black Pepper: “This spice is commonly consumed alongside turmeric as it helps the body absorb the beneficial curcuminoids more easily, however black pepper has plenty of its own benefits as well,” explains Best. “The active compound, pepperine, has been shown to improve cognition and overall brain function, which allows the brain to age more gracefully,” she explains. Use it on basically everything—frittatas, tofu scrambles, soups, roasted sweet potatoes or beans, salads or zoodles, in dressings and dips, and more.
3. Ginger: “Ginger is excellent for promoting health longevity because it contains compounds known as gingerols and shogaols, two compounds which create an antioxidant effect that reduces free radical damage in the body,” says Best. “This is beneficial because free radical damage can cause a subsequent increase in oxidative stress, which can both cause and exacerbate obesity,” she adds.
4. Garlic: While it isn’t technically an herb—garlic is a plant in the Allium (onion) family—it is used as a similar health-boosting flavoring agent in cooking. Garlic is used in many dishes within the Blue Zones, and it provides significant health benefits associated with longevity. “Garlic is naturally anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and has been shown to improve overall immune function, [per a recent 2020 study], as well as reduce cholesterol and blood pressure,” Best says. Garlic has been shown time and again to help boost your immune system and fight against the common cold. In one study, 600 mg to 1,500 mg of aged garlic extract was shown to be as effective as the drug Atenolol at reducing blood pressure over a six month period.
Source: wellandgood.com
