Three spices used for millennia and still highly relevant today.
Turmeric, loved by Eastern populations for over five thousand years, considered a sacred spice in India and included among the natural medicines of Ayurvedic medicine, is the subject of in-depth studies by the international scientific community. Its active ingredient, curcumin, the pigment that gives the powder its distinctive yellow color, is a powerful anti-inflammatory (let's not forget that inflammation in our body is always at the root of overweight, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases), regulates blood sugar levels, and protects the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, studies are underway to prove its positive effects in the presence of cancerous pathologies, both from a preventive standpoint and as a support to therapies. In animal models, curcumin has been shown to be able to reduce inflammation not only by acting directly but also by acting through certain liver and pancreas cells. Some human trials have shown a significant improvement in blood glucose: its consumption would, in fact, help to stabilize blood sugar levels (especially in diabetic subjects) and promote an increase in "good" HDL cholesterol. At the cardiovascular system level, and particularly in patients with arteriosclerosis, it leads to a reduction in fibrinogen, the protein involved in blood clotting and whose elevated levels can promote the formation of blood clots in blood vessels.
More advanced studies in nutrigenomics have also shown that curcumin acts by inhibiting the Tor gene, one of the genes involved in aging. Turmeric, when added to food, is also an excellent digestive and hepatoprotective agent. It exerts an important detoxifying action on the liver, supporting the elimination of accumulated toxins. Its anti-inflammatory activity is also important in the presence of arthritis, osteoarthritis, and inflammation affecting the muscular system. During the cold season, it helps to strengthen the immune system thanks to its immunostimulant activity. It offers its maximum therapeutic and preventive potential when combined with black pepper (for particularly sensitive people, it is advisable to use curry as it contains it along with other "adjuvant" spices) and oil, which promotes its absorption at the hepatic level.
The daily dose of turmeric powder that can be taken is about two teaspoons. It can be added at the end of cooking to pasta, risotto, meat, and vegetables. In the presence of intestinal disorders and digestive difficulties, one tablespoon of turmeric can be used in a cup of hot water, sipping it slowly.
GINGER, THE PANACEA FROM THE EAST
A plant native to Asia, it has been used for millennia in food and beverages for its undeniable digestive, diuretic, and antibacterial properties. These characteristics have been highlighted in numerous clinical studies, which have confirmed the traditional uses of this wonderful spice. In modern phytotherapy, ginger is recommended in the presence of digestive difficulties accompanied by heartburn, nausea, and belching. Gingerols, the oleoresins responsible for the pungent taste of ginger (whose mechanism of action is not to be sought at the central nervous system level, but at a local level), exert a marked and documented antiemetic action. This property is believed to be due to an improvement in intestinal motility. Some studies have investigated the efficacy of ginger in controlling postoperative nausea and it would even seem more effective than conventional treatments. For example, the use of 1000 mg/day of ginger extract in a group of women (80 to be precise) showed, compared to the placebo group, a significant reduction in symptoms: nausea, in fact, occurred in only 30% of female subjects compared to 57.5% of the group that had taken the placebo. Not only that, but ginger also seems to be able to reduce the intensity and duration of attacks.
Daily use of ginger during the cold season can help the body to reduce painful symptoms affecting the osteoarticular system and beyond. This action is attributable to the inhibition of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase, the two enzymes that lead to the formation of inflammatory molecules.
We can add ginger to herbal teas after meals, or consume it to promote recovery and immune response during infections affecting not only the respiratory tract, but also the intestines.
CINNAMON, AN ANTI-CHOLESTEROL DELIGHT
Finally, here are the properties of delicious cinnamon, a tree native to Ceylon, Sri Lanka, and India. The bark of the trunk and branches, stripped of the outermost and superficial parts, is used. This spice has antibacterial and antifungal action and promotes digestive processes (by favoring gastric emptying and protecting the stomach from the damage of hyperacidity). It is also antispasmodic, carminative, and antioxidant, and capable of lowering fever.
The polyphenol MHCP has been identified in cinnamon, to which the hypoglycemic property has been attributed. MHCP mimics the action of insulin and, in addition to being synergistic with it, activates its receptors at the cellular level. A study was conducted to demonstrate the beneficial effects of cinnamon on health, using a sample of 60 middle-aged people with type 2 diabetes. Participants were divided into 6 groups: half took gradually increasing doses of cinnamon extract (group 1 took 1 g/day, group 2 took 3 g/day, and group 3 took 6 g/day), while the others only took placebos. The research showed that, after 40 days, those who had taken cinnamon experienced a reduction of 18-29% in average fasting blood glucose, 23-30% in triglyceride levels, 7-27% in LDL cholesterol, and 12-63% in total cholesterol.
In the placebo group, however, no significant changes were observed.
Cinnamon proves excellent during winter thanks to its documented antibacterial actions. The first studies on its bactericidal power date back to 1887. It was a certain Chamberland who identified its ability to eliminate pathogens or inhibit their replication, without negatively compromising the symbiotic bacterial flora of the human intestine. Finally, recent in vitro studies have shown its ability to inhibit the development of Helicobacter Pylori, an agent responsible for gastritis and ulcers.
Powdered cinnamon, thanks to its unmistakable sweet taste, can help you reduce the amount of sugar in preparing desserts. Excellent for cooked apples (especially suitable for people who complain of constipation and intestinal bloating) or for preparing classic apple pie.
