Keeping your foods flavorful will do more than just make what you eat taste delicious. It turns out, the herbs and spices you already have in your kitchen cabinets are packed with protective nutrients that can help you fight diseases. From Alzheimer’s to staph infections, here are 5 herbs and spices you’ll want to get more.
To get the most life-giving properties out of these herbs and spices, use whole or dried versions whenever possible. Also, store them in a cool, dark place.
1. Sage for Alzheimer’s Disease
The word sage means wise and so it makes perfect sense that its herbal namesake is great brain fuel. A report published by the National Institutes of Health found that in eight clinical trials, sage was shown to increase cognitive performance. Two of the studies involved Alzheimer’s patients and sage was shown to decrease the effects of the disease.
2. Allspice for Prostate Cancer
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What do you get when you combine cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg? The most fragrant prostate cancer fighter! Ercofolin, a compound found in allspice, was used to kill prostate cancer cells and reduce tumor growth in a University of Miami study. Allspice is a signature ingredient in Jamaican jerk seasoning, so all the more reason to get more jerk chicken in your life.
3. Oregano for Staph Infections
Researchers in Italy were able to kill drug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus – commonly referred to as staph – with essential oil of oregano. This herb is full of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, iron and vitamin E, helping you look (and feel) good inside and out.
4. Rosemary for Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is the most common eye disease in the United States. Eating greens, like rosemary, help keeps eyes healthy thanks to their high concentration of iron, calcium, folate and beta-carotene. According to researchers at Sanford Burnham Medical Research, the carnosic acid in rosemary also protects eyes from degeneration.
5. Black Pepper for Fatty Liver Disease
Black pepper may be considered a “common” spice and overlooked for any special powers, but researchers behind a Korean study published by the National Institute of Health used peperine, the chemical in black pepper – to stop and in some cases reverse fatty liver disease in mice.
