Your diet shouldn’t be constrained to just fruits and vegetables, wonder spices such as Turmeric and Ginger should also be present in your meals to ensure a well-rounded diet. You never know what health benefits you can get from these otherwise overlooked spices.
However, if you can’t find these spices in your local supermarkets, don’t fret! You can still get them from trusty supplements that will give you the full potency of these spices without the need to import expensive spices from faraway countries. Now, which spice to look for? There are literally thousands upon thousands of supplements available online and each one of them contains some sort of wonder ingredient. We’ll help you narrow down your choices by providing you with the five spices you should look for in a supplement below.
1. Turmeric
Dubbed as the “Queen of Spice” in India, Turmeric is one of the most renowned spices in the world – more famous for its culinary uses than the health benefits that it has. Most people know Turmeric to be the spice that gives curry its yellow color. Few people know that this admittedly tasty spice has another secret weapon other than its taste: Curcumin. A main active ingredient found in turmeric, Curcumin is the fount from which most of this spice’s health benefits come from.
For starters, curcumin contains significant anti-inflammation properties. How significant? Well, significant enough to match the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs minus the side effects. This nifty compound also helps increase the antioxidant capacity of the body. Antioxidants help fight off free radicals that damage cells and DNA. Also, Curcumin can help improve brain function and lessen the risk of brain diseases by boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor hormones. Furthermore, Curcumin can help lower the risk of heart disease by improving the function of the endothelium, the lining of your blood vessels.
2. Ginger
Slightly more available and less renowned as its much-praised cousin, the Turmeric, Ginger still packs a mean punch when its comes to health benefits. A clinical study conducted by the Georgia College and State University showed that ginger can help reduce muscle pain when taken by subjects who performed elbow exercises. Like Turmeric, Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that help ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis or the degeneration of the body’s joints.
A recent study in 2015 further showed that Ginger can help manage the blood sugar level of the body. The study provided 2 grams of Ginger powder per day to 41 participants with type 2 diabetes. Other than lowering their blood sugar level, Ginger also helped improve their HbA1c, a marker for long-term blood sugar levels.
3. Cinnamon
One of the most well-known spices in the world, Cinnamon is famous for its taste and health benefits worldwide. A spice made from the inner bark of trees, Cinnamon is available in almost all corners of the globe since it is used as ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes. Like Turmeric and Curcumin, Cinnamaldehyde, a compound in Cinnamon, is thought by scientists to be responsible for most of this spice’s health benefits.
Cinnamon is filled to the brim with polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Like Turmeric and Ginger, Cinnamon also contains powerful anti-inflammation properties. Recent studies have also shown that Cinnamon can help manage the body’s blood sugar level.
4. Capsaicin
If you have already seen the countless YouTube videos that show people attempting to eat some sort of spicy treat (peppers or noodles) and not cringe in terror but slobber at the thought of spicy food. Then you’re in luck, not only is it extremely tasty, Capsaicin, the spicy flavor that comes with all kinds of peppers, is also full of health benefits.
A research done in China showed that eating spicy foods not only helps in losing weight, but also help speed up metabolism, burn fat, and suppress one’s appetite. Like the other spices that came before the Capsaicin, this also contains potent anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve osteoarthritis, arthritis, and other kinds of joint pain. Lastly, research shows that regularly eating spicy food rich in Capsaicin can normalize the blood sugar level of the body.
5. Black Pepper
One of the most widely-used and well-known spice in the world, many are in the dark when it comes to the health benefits of the Black Pepper. For starters, Black Pepper helps in increasing the secretion of Hydrochloric Acid in the stomach to help digestion. This acid is responsible for preventing intestinal gas production and in removing toxins from the body through sweating and urinating.
Also, Black Pepper helps speed up the body’s metabolic rate through the breaking down of fat cells. Lastly, this spice can be quite beneficial to the heart due to the fact that it helps remove cholesterol build up in the arteries, thus preventing atherosclerosis, the main cause of heart attacks.
All Five in One
Fortunately for you, these five spices can be found in one herbal supplement: Turmericap Plus. This supplement fully embodies its name, it’s Turmeric plus four other wonder spices. It’s different from other Turmeric supplements simply because it contains more – Turmeric PLUS Ginger, Cinnamon, Capsaicin, and Black Pepper. It is the only Turmeric supplement that you’ll ever need.
