Expert says three kitchen spices can control diabetes, inflammation and arthritis

A health expert says most people have three “powerful” spices in their kitchen cupboards without realizing it. From helping to control blood sugar and diabetes to relieving sore throats and reducing inflammation, various spices boast some seriously impressive health benefits.

Speaking with Jonathan Wolf on a recent episode of Zoe Health, molecular biologist Kanchan Koya explained the benefits of eating more spices. Koya is a food scientist, founder of Chief Spice Mama and author of Spice Spice Baby: 100 Recipes with Healing Spices for Your Family Table.

Koya says spices are great for the body because they contain polyphenols — a type of micronutrient. “Polyphenols are linked to all kinds of health improvements,” she said.

“Whether it’s cancer, whether it’s type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or any inflammatory disease.” Koya went on to point out why cinnamon, ginger, cloves, star anise and cumin are important to have in the kitchen.

She said ginger can help relieve nausea and star anise might reduce pain, such as a toothache. She also said that cloves can be used to treat a cold due to its antioxidant and antiseptic properties.

As for cinnamon, curcumin and turmeric, Koya says they have the potential to address some of the worst health conditions.

Cinnamon

Koya says there have been quite a few studies looking at cinnamon’s impact on blood sugar. For example, a study that recently appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the impact of cinnamon in culinary amounts for four weeks on blood sugar control using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

In the study, results showed that cinnamon—a widely available and low-cost supplement—may contribute to better glucose control when added to the diet in people who have obesity-related prediabetes.

Koya explained, “What they found is that using the continuous glucose monitor, they saw reductions, statistically significant reductions in 24-hour glucose concentrations in the group that was exposed to four grams of cinnamon per day for four weeks . Compared to placebo”.

Commenting on the findings, Koya said: “I think the overall message is that if you want to work towards more balanced blood sugar, you obviously do a lot of things to do that. You should never think of a spice as a silver solution. to anything, but in the context of health-promoting behaviors and a healthy eating pattern, it can be a great idea to add more cinnamon.”

Curcumin and turmeric

When discussing the benefits of cumin, Koya says it can help reduce inflammation. Explaining why too much inflammation in the body can be harmful, Koya said, “In fact, we think inflammation underlies the relationship between diet and many chronic diseases.”

She continued, “We now know that chronic inflammation, if it’s in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and excessive, can increase our risk of so many diseases. Koya said the researchers “found reductions in inflammatory markers immediately after the meal when the meal had the spice blend.”

Other studies have looked at the impact of specific spices on inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. A study by the BMC stated: “Curcumin has similar efficacy to diclofenac but has been shown to be better tolerated in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

“Curcumin may be an alternative treatment option in knee OA patients who are intolerant to the side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.” Koya concluded, “I think it’s not clear that you can get the same therapeutic effect from dietary turmeric if you have full-blown arthritis.

“But if you’re looking to reduce inflammation and you know, you’re only preventing an inflammatory condition. I think it can be justified just to add more anti-inflammatory spices to your kind of regular rotation.”